Funding: Employment Assistance for Older Workers

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The Targeted Initiative for Older Workers (TIOW) helps unemployed workers, typically aged 55 to 64, return to work.

The initiative is cost-shared with the provinces and territories. It provides employment assistance services, such as resumé writing and counselling, and improves participants' employability through activities such as skills upgrading and work experience.

The provinces and territories design and deliver projects that target unemployed older workers in communities with a population of 250,000 or less that are experiencing:

• high unemployment;
• significant downsizing or closures;
• unfulfilled employer demand; or
• skills mismatches.

Who can apply?

To be eligible, participants must:

• be aged 55 to 64;
  • in some circumstances, unemployed workers aged 50 to 54 or 65 and over may also participate;
• be unemployed;
• be legally entitled to work in Canada;
• require new or enhanced skills to successfully transition into new employment; and
• live in an eligible community.

How to apply?

For more information on specific TIOW projects, enquiries should be directed to provincial or territorial governments:

• Alberta: Ministry of Human Services
• British Columbia: Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
• Manitoba: Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade, Employment
• New Brunswick: Ministry of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour
• Newfoundland and Labrador: Department of Advanced Education and Skills
• Northwest Territories: Department of Education, Culture and Employment
• Nova Scotia: Department of Labour and Advanced Education
• Ontario: Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
• Prince Edward Island: Department of Innovation and Advanced Learning
• Quebec: Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity
• Yukon: Department of Education
• Saskatchewan: Ministry of the Economy

Note

Please note that some jurisdictions do not currently have TIOW agreements in place.

Related information

• Success Stories