Searching for Academic Upgrading

Literacy and basic skills training including numeracy, digital, communication and interpersonal skills

• helps learners prepare for employment, apprenticeship, secondary-school credit, post-secondary education and greater independence
• pre-personal support worker course offered

Courses designed for adult learners who want to complete their high school diploma

• focus on reading, writing, mathematics, and social sciences

Literacy and basic skills training, including numeracy, digital, communication and interpersonal skills

• helps learners prepare for employment, apprenticeship, secondary-school credit, post-secondary education and greater independence

Temporary financial assistance and employment supports to those most in need residing in the City of Kingston and County of Frontenac while they undertake requirements to become and stay employed

Financial Assistance
Monthly financial assistance is available to eligible (needs tested) residents for basic needs and shelter. The amount of assistance paid is determined by family size, income and expenses.

Employment Assistance
Employment supports are available to help people become and stay employed. Funding and assistance may be available for community and employment placement, job searching, basic education or job-specific skills training, literacy training, supports to self-employment, Employment Readiness Scale, transportation, referrals to workshops and courses, Learning, Earning and Parenting (LEAP - a program offered to young parents) and addictions treatment.

Mandatory Benefits
Benefits prescribed in the Ontario Works provincial regulations include a prescription drug coverage, vision care for dependent children, special diet, pregnancy nutritional allowance, diabetic supplies, incontinence supplies, medical travel and transportation, and guide dog allowance.

Discretionary Benefits:
Discretionary Health Benefits may include: adult vision and dental care, health and well-being benefits, new born / child benefits, and other items such as ID replacements.
Discretionary Residency Benefits may include: funding towards rent arrears, utility arrears, last month's rent deposit, moving expenses and emergency heating fuel.

Emergency Assistance
Emergency assistance may be paid to a person experiencing an extreme, urgent, and unusual situation that jeopardizes the health and well-being of a member of the benefit unit, where all other financial means have been explored and exhausted.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) 1-800-808-2268 -- automated information and payment details, payment history, file status * information and announcements about Ontario Works * service not available to TTY users

Welfare Fraud Hotline 1-800-394-7867 -- to report allegations of fraudulent collection of Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program assistance

Courses designed for adult learners who want to complete their high school diploma

• focus on reading, writing, mathematics, and social sciences

Literacy and basic skills training, including numeracy, digital, communication and interpersonal skills * helps learners prepare for employment, apprenticeship, secondary-school credit, post-secondary education and greater independence

Regional support organization for adult literacy programs

• professional development
• public awareness and community education
• promotion of action on literacy
• training for literacy workers
• literacy community planning
• information and referral for literacy and basic skills

Information and referral for training and employment programs such as:

• Apprenticeship
• Canada Ontario Job Grant
• Employment Services
• Literacy and Basic Skills
• Ontario Job Creation Partnership
• Ontario Labour Market Partnership
• Better Jobs Ontario
• Youth Job Connections

Literacy and basic skills training, including numeracy, digital, communication and interpersonal skills

• helps learners prepare for employment, apprenticeship, secondary-school credit, post-secondary education and greater independence

Literacy and basic skills training, including numeracy, digital, communication and interpersonal skills * helps learners prepare for employment, apprenticeship, secondary-school credit, post-secondary education and greater independence

Courses designed for adult learners who want to complete their high school diploma

• focus on reading, writing, mathematics, and social sciences

Literacy, numeracy and essential skills services

• assists in transitioning to post-secondary education, employment, apprenticeship or independence
• minimum in-person attendance requirement

Literacy and basic skills training, including numeracy, digital, communication and interpersonal skills * helps learners prepare for employment, apprenticeship, secondary-school credit, post-secondary education and greater independence * support in clarifying upgrading goals and developing a learning plan to achieve them

Literacy and Basic Skills

Literacy and basic skills training, including numeracy, digital, communication and interpersonal skills
helps learners prepare for employment, apprenticeship, secondary-school credit, post-secondary education and greater independence.

Courses designed for adult learners who want to complete their high school diploma

• focus on reading, writing, mathematics, and social sciences

Financial assistance and employment supports including training and skills development, academic upgrading and work placements

Financial Assistance

• monthly allowance based on family size, housing costs and income
• monthly drug benefit card

Employment Start-Up Benefit

• covers costs related to starting a job or work placement

Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative

• help with housing or moving costs

Health-Related Benefits

• may include dentures, emergency dental services, eyeglasses, special diet allowance, health care supplies, medical transportation funds, prosthetic devices, funerals and burials

Employment Assistance

• clients 18-65 years who are not caring for pre-school age children or who do not have a serious disability or illness must participate in employment assistance activities

Employment Resource Centre

• walk-in job search centre
• access to computers, Internet, fax, photocopier, telephone, resource materials, job banks, labour market information
• assistance with resumes
• referrals to job counselling and training

Community Participation

• volunteer placements

Job Search Programs

• based on individual's skills, experience and circumstances

Employment Placement

• job matching service

Job Skills Training

• development of skills for specific jobs
• on-the-job training

Learning, Earning and Parenting (LEAP)

• helps young parents finish high school, improve parenting skills, locate and maintain employment

Other services:

Addiction Services Initiative

• assistance for recipients whose substance abuse makes it difficult to become/stay employed

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) 1-800-808-2268

• automated information and payment details, payment history, file status
• information and announcements about Ontario Works
• service not available to TTY users

Welfare Fraud Hotline 1-800-394-7867

• to report allegations of fraudulent collection of Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program assistance (ODSP)

City of Kingston's Ontario Works program delivery is available on site, one day (Thursday) per week

Financial Assistance
Monthly financial assistance is available to eligible (needs tested) residents for basic needs and shelter. The amount of assistance paid is determined by family size, income and expenses.

Employment Assistance
Employment supports are available to help people become and stay employed. Funding and assistance may be available for community and employment placement, job searching, basic education or job-specific skills training, literacy training, supports to self-employment, Employment Readiness Scale, transportation, referrals to workshops and courses, Learning, Earning and Parenting (LEAP - a program offered to young parents) and addictions treatment.

Mandatory Benefits
Benefits prescribed in the Ontario Works provincial regulations include a monthly drug card, dental and vision care for dependent children, special diet, pregnancy nutritional allowance, diabetic supplies, incontinence supplies, medical travel and transportation, and guide dog allowance.

Discretionary Benefits:
Discretionary Health Benefits may include: adult vision and dental care, health and well-being benefits, new born / child benefits, and other items such as ID replacements.
Discretionary Residency Benefits may include: funding towards rent arrears, utility arrears, last month's rent deposit, moving expenses and emergency heating fuel.

Emergency Assistance
Emergency assistance may be paid to a person experiencing an extreme, urgent, and unusual situation that jeopardizes the health and well-being of a member of the benefit unit.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) 1-800-808-2268 -- automated information and payment details, payment history, file status * information and announcements about Ontario Works * service not available to TTY users

Welfare Fraud Hotline 1-800-394-7867 -- to report allegations of fraudulent collection of Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program assistance

Literacy and basic skills training

• numeracy
• digital
• communication
• interpersonal skills
• prepare for employment
• apprenticeship
• secondary-school credit
• post-secondary education
• greater independence

Courses designed for adult learners who want to complete their high school diploma

• focus on reading, writing, mathematics, and social sciences

COVID-19 (April 24, 2020): Municipal offices are closed to the public until further notice, clients for Community and Social Service (CSS) are asked to email or telephone their caseworker

Financial assistance and employment supports including training and skills development, academic upgrading and work placements

Financial Assistance
Monthly allowance based on family size, housing costs and income

• monthly drug benefit

other services include:
Employment and Participation benefits -- cover costs related to starting a job or placement or education

Families with Children -- child care start-up costs

Health-Related Benefits -- may include emergency dental services, eyeglasses, special diet allowance, health care supplies, medical transportation funds, prosthetic devices, funerals and burials

Employment Assistance
Clients 18-65 years who are not caring for pre-school age children or who do not have a serious disability or illness must participate in employment assistance activities

Community Participation -- volunteer placements

Job Search Programs -- based on individual's skills, experience and circumstances

Employment Placement -- job matching service

Basic Education --

• basic adult upgrading
• high school upgrading
• literacy and basic skills

Job Skills Training --

• development of skills for specific jobs
• on-the-job training

Supports to Self-Employment -- referrals to self-employment programs

Learning, Earning and Parenting (LEAP) -- helps young parents finish high school, improve parenting skills, locate and maintain employment

Other services:

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) 1-800-808-2268 --

• automated information and payment details, payment history, file status
• information and announcements about Ontario Works
• service not available to TTY users

Welfare Fraud Hotline 1-800-394-7867 --
to report allegations of fraudulent collection of Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program assistance

Courses designed for adult learners who want to complete their high school diploma

• focus on reading, writing, mathematics, and social sciences

Literacy and basic skills training:

• numeracy
• digital
• communication
• interpersonal skills

Helps learners prepare for:

• employment
• apprenticeship
• secondary-school credit
• post-secondary education
• greater independence

Two types of assistance for people in financial need: Financial assistance: income support to help with the costs of basic needs, like food, clothing and shelter health benefits for clients and their families Employment assistance: to help clients find, prepare for and keep a job may include workshops on resume writing and interviewing, job counselling, job-specific skills training and access to basic education

Courses designed for adult learners who want to complete their high school diploma

• focus on reading, writing, mathematics, and social sciences

Adult literacy instruction program

• offers individual and small group tutoring in reading, writing, basic math, computer literacy and pre-employment skills
• Literacy and Basic Skills available (see separate listing)
• volunteers welcome