The Ontario government will invest more than $26 million to train nearly 3,000 new long-term care staff through two programs aimed at addressing workforce shortages in the sector.
The funding will support the expansion of the Living Classrooms program and the Supporting Professional Growth Fund, allowing students to train in their home communities while working directly with residents in long-term care homes.
“Our government continues to make historic investments to train more staff in long-term care,” said Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, minister of long-term care. “These new investments will help train a new generation of professionals and support those already qualified to grow their careers.”
Living Classrooms program receives $21 million
Ontario will invest $21 million to expand the Living Classrooms program, which integrates education directly into long-term care homes. The program will now include practical nurse training alongside existing personal support worker programs.
The initiative allows students to alternate between classroom learning delivered at or near the care home and hands-on work with residents. The model differs from traditional training programs that separate classroom education from clinical placements.
The funding is expected to train nearly 3,000 personal support workers and registered practical nurses by 2029.
Professional development fund grows to $15.5 million
The government is adding $5.5 million to the Supporting Professional Growth Fund for a total of $15.5 million in 2025-26. The fund provides training and upskilling opportunities for staff currently working in long-term care homes.
Since 2022, the fund has supported more than 92,000 eligible staff members in advancing their careers, according to the ministry.
Investment builds on existing staffing plan
The new funding builds on Ontario’s existing $4.9 billion four-year staffing plan focused on recruitment, training and retention. That plan helped add tens of thousands of personal support workers and nurses to the provincial workforce, according to the government.
Daily direct care from nurses and personal support workers has increased by over an hour per day compared to 2021, representing a 36 per cent increase.
The government is also building 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds across the province as part of its plan to address waitlists.
