Start Training For A Better Job
- Laid-off due to COVID-19: A fast-track stream is available if you were laid-off because of COVID-19 and want to retrain for a job that has potential for future employment.
- New Directions: Discover hundreds of potential careers that your background and skills fit perfectly. Better Jobs Ontario gives you a second chance!
- Career Guidance: Both public and private institutions offer excellent training for careers but how will you know what job is right for you? Browse the career listings then discuss your options with a school nearest you.
- A Fresh Start: Its not uncommon to switch careers nowadays. It gives us a chance to learn something new, try out a different field and stay excited about our work!
- Support: Better Jobs Ontario is not a loan. Its money that the Ontario government is giving away to people who have been negatively impacted
Fellowships To Change Careers
Itching to make a lasting impact within your community? Considering a career change to better help those in need? Check out these fellowships and grants for a career change to the social sector. Funding is available to movers and shakers in a range of professional stages including recent graduates, second-career professionals, and experienced mid-career professionals.
Grants For Career Change Are Available To People In All Walks Of Life
All types of people in all stages of life choose to change careers, and often it is necessary to find financial aid to do so. It may be that the company is closing and it is time to find a new job. It may be the company asking employees to work in other departments, or it may be employees simply tired of what they are doing.
Whatever the reason, additional training, travel, and expenses during the transition can cost a lot of money. There are ways to finance this type of change however, and grants can play a big part.
Knowing where to look and what to look for can go a long way toward finding career change grants. There are many different possibilities.
There are some government grants for career changes, and often special interest groups offer aid as well. Companies sometimes offer grants to those looking to change careers within a company. An example would be someone in a factory who wants to transfer to accounting for the same company.
Some employers offer financial aid to go back to school in this type of situation. Women, minorities, and specific fields of study have more opportunities available. Grants for careers change to a field that is hard to fill are fairly common as well. Examples include teachers in specific geographic areas or subjects, scientists in specific fields, and physicians in specific areas of practice or geographic areas.
AAUW Career Development Grants for Career Change
NAFT-TAA
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How To Find Funding For Your New Career
The biggest fear holding people back from changing to their dream career is moneyor the lack of it.
We typically associate new careers with juggling multiple opportunities, part-time work, and bootstrapping.
You might push through decades of career dissatisfaction just to make sure you can pay your bills and meet your financial obligations.
What if there was a way to fund your dreams?
Demonstrate How You Will Measure Results

This goes hand in hand with developing your methodology but demonstrating previous performance on grant projects as well as how you plan to measure success on an award application will go a long way. Data visualization dashboards can come in handy for synthesizing this data and presenting it to awarding agencies.
Youll want to show measurable indicators like:
- Number of active grants
- Performance health
Many grants management solutions also help you score grant performance, so you can demonstrate previous success with grants to strengthen your application.
Writing a grant proposal can be especially daunting if you dont know where to start. For a successful government grant proposal, research, preparation and doing your due diligence in determining methodology as well as focusing on outcomes will make your application more competitive.
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My Next Move For Veterans
My Next Move for Veterans is an online interactive tool where veterans can learn more about civilian career options. Users can:
- Explore over 900 different careers and see important information including skills, tasks, salaries, and employment outlook on easy-to-read career reports.
- Look at related apprenticeships and training, and search actual job openings.
- Find careers through a keyword search by browsing industries or through a military transition search that recommends civilian careers relevant to their military experience.
Social Assistance And Support Program Action
Action is a social assistance and support program for recipients of last-resort financial assistance who face obstacles to entering the job market. It helps them reach their full potential and prepares them to take part in employment assistance measures.
Clientele
Learn more about Social Assistance and Support Program Action.
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Composite Grants: A New Approach To Project Funding
Composite grants provide support for several projects taking place over 1 to 3 years. Instead of submitting a number of separate project applications, individuals, groups and organizations can combine their activities into a composite proposal. Organizations may also find this to be a more flexible and less onerous alternative to core grants. Applicants will need to have a history of receiving project grants from the Canada Council before they are eligible to apply for a composite grant.
Composite grants are available in the following components:
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Aauw Career Development Grants
Career Development Grants provide funding to women who hold a bachelors degree and are preparing to advance or change careers or reenters the workforce. Primary consideration is given to women of color and women pursuing their first advanced degree or credentials in nontraditional fields. Grants of $2K $12K provide support for course work beyond a bachelors degree, including a masters degree, second bachelors degree, certification program, or specialized training in technical or professional fields at an accredited U.S. university. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
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What Career Should I Pursue
The top reason career changers give for looking to new pastures is work-life balance. Remote working has sharpened our collective awareness of career satisfaction.
Many of us are looking to make an impact and find fulfillment in our careers beyond the monthly paycheck. For those whose kids have flown the coop, money may be no object, but challenge and fulfillment are.
Interrogate the source of your job dissatisfaction as you and your values develop.
Establish your new value system, assess your skills, and look for careers where they apply.
Heres how your unique skills could match specific careers.
Skills | |
Systems analystVideo game designerStatisticianConservationistData security officer | |
Being Creative | WriterProducerMarketing ExecutiveAnimatorDesignerMusic Therapist |
Now that youve narrowed down the reasons behind your career change and the direction you want to take, how do you fund it?
More On Funding Your Career Change
If fellowships have piqued your interest, visit ProFellow.com to browse and bookmark these and more than 800 other funded professional and academic opportunities.
About the Author: Vicki Johnson is a four-time fellow and the founder of ProFellow.com, the leading online platform for information on professional and academic fellowships.
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Quickly Find Assistance When Looking For A Job
Information, for example on government programs, and online tools are available to help you find a job.
is designed to help you quickly find the right information and the types of assistance available. It is accessible at all times. It assesses your situation and indicates the resources that will help you in your job search.
Various programs are there to assist you if you need help finding a job.
If youd like to get an employment assessment and assistance interview or career counselling, or find out if youre eligible for any of our employment assistance programs or measures, you can fill out an Employment Assistance Services application online. If you need help completing your application, call .
When Can I Apply For Ccaps Financial Aid

You can apply at any time, but applications should be submitted at least three weeks prior to the start of your training. Click on the College of Continuing and Professional Studies scholarships link on the Financial Aid page to display the application form. Be sure to include a Personal Statement with your application.
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Naacp Black Entrepreneur Grants
- Whos eligible? The NAACP offers several grants. Some have location and industry requirements, and all are open to Black business owners.
- How much is the grant? $10K-$25K, depending on the grant program
- When can you apply? Any time. The NAACP grants page has information on rolling applications and monthly awards by grant type.
The Three Approaches To Financing A Shift
1. Saving
When most people think about making a career change, this is the approach they imagine.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to be prepared for everything, only making a move when there’s a solid safety net in place, then this is probably the approach for you: building a nest egg that will keep you safe while you:
This approach is best for you if you’re risk-averse, emotionally able to stay where you are until you’re ready to make a move, or balancing a lot of responsibilities that can’t be adjusted.
Streamlining
When we think about saving money, this is usually the first place to start.
Where are you currently spending money that could be redirected into savings instead?
The classic example everyone seems to use is your morning Starbucks but there are often hundreds of little outgoings that can be cut and adjusted to save cash.
Take a look at your bank statement and comb it for outgoings.
What services are you paying for that you hardly ever use? Do you actually need those extra 20 TV channels? What’s included in your internet package that isn’t necessary? Are you paying for subscription services, like Spotify, that you could probably do without?
Where does your money actually go?
Lottie Williams streamlined her finances to enable her to retrain.
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How To Find Job Retraining Programs For Your Career Change
No matter why youre changing careers, its sometimes necessary to go back to school to learn new skills for your new career. However, not all career changers know where or how to find the job retraining programs that could help them.
The good news is that job retraining programs in the U.S. come in many shapes and sizes. The only bad news is that theres a lot of information to sift through to find what you need. Here are some tips to help you connect with the right job retraining program for you.
Financial Aid For Senior Citizens
You’re never too old to learn, and many senior citizens are returning to school as a professional second act, or to pursue a long-held educational dream. Many schools offer scholarships and grants specifically for senior citizens. Contact a college near you to learn about specific financial programs for seniors.
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Ways To Find Funding For Your Career Change
55% of Americans are actively planning to leap into an alternative career path. You are not alone.
The first roadblock will be to market yourself in a new field with no proven track record. Youll hit another roadblock if you decide to beef up your skills with an MBA or other professional training.
How do you pay your bills and have a life while your resources are tied up in a career pivot?
Changing careers is like taking an exit off a highway. You have to slow down and navigate across lanes to your exit.
Today, well break down:
- The important questions to ask when changing your career
- The age-specific points to consider in making your career choice and transition
- How to fund your dream career
Amber Grants From Womensnet
- Whos eligible? Women-owned businesses
- How much is the grant? The Amber Grant program offers everything from $2K mini grants all the way up to $25K. There are also industry-specific grants of $5K available at different times of the year for businesses in accounting, veterinary care, creative arts and more.
- When can you apply? You can apply for an Amber Grant anytime. One application puts your business in the running for all the grants. However, if theres a specific monthly grant you want to be considered for, get your application in before the end of that month.
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Ontario Student Assistance Program
The Government of Ontario offers financial aid for students through the Ontario Student Assistance Program . The objective of this program is to assist students with demonstrated financial need in obtaining the necessary funds to meet the ever-rising cost of postsecondary education. Ontario has committed to a Student Access Guarantee which states that lack of financial support programs shall not prevent any qualified Ontario student from attending publicly-assisted colleges and universities.
The financial aid is not meant to replace your existing financial resources, but rather to supplement them so that the cost is less of a burden. You are still expected to contribute towards your education according to your means, so only under extreme circumstances will the entire cost of education be covered. If the student loan program doesnt provide sufficient funding then you can pursue various grants, bursaries and scholarships offered by the government, postsecondary institutions and other agencies.
Frequently Asked Questions For Students

Q. My private career college has closed. What do I do now? A. When a private career college stops operating while students are enrolled in vocational programs, the Training Completion Assurance Fund helps provide eligible students with funding towards training completion, or full or partial refunds. The Superintendent of Private Career Colleges receives and assesses applications from affected students, and may provide support to those who are eligible depending on the amount of TCAF funding available.
Q. Am I eligible for a training completion or refund? A. Only fee-paying students who signed a contract and are enrolled in approved programs at registered private career colleges are eligible to receive training completions or refunds through TCAF. Students who were enrolled in programs that are not approved under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005 and students who were funded completely by a third-party are not eligible for refunds or training completions.
Q. How do I find out more information? A. The Superintendent, along with ministry staff, may contact students by any appropriate method, and will rely on the contact information available at the affected private career college. Generally, the ministry contacts students by email.
If you have additional questions, contact the Private Career Colleges Branch at
Affected students are encouraged to contact the ministry at if you are unsure when you must submit your student claim form.
For more information:
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Canadian Government Grants For Starting A New Career
Second Career Ontario is a government-funded program for individuals who have been laid off and would like to start a career in a new industry. The program provides individuals with the skills and financial support to become qualified for a high demand position in a growing Canadian industry. Individuals can receive up to $28K in Ontario Government funding grants towards their costs of tuition, books, living expenses, caring for dependents, travel, transportation, and other living and training costs. This program is considered a cost-sharing program, meaning that individuals will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine the amount of financial support they will receive.
Are There Grants For People Changing Careers
In 2008, Laura Peters lost her job as a paralegal. With money tight and bills stacking up, the Santa Monica, Calif., resident decided to change careers and seek work in a more stable industry where layoffs were few and paychecks constant. Peters set her sights on health care, but needed to learn new skills .
As a result, Peters shuffled off to UCLA hoping to enroll in the university’s worker retraining program. Unfortunately, Peters couldn’t afford the $5,000 in fees and she put her new career on hold. Then early in 2009, Peters and other unemployed Californians got some good news. They could apply for job-retraining grants to pay for certificate programs in high-skill industries, including health care .
The money came from $415 million in federal stimulus funds awarded to the state to help displaced workers. In California, the money was nearly double the amount coming from Washington through the Workforce Investment Act, a 1998 law written to put the unemployed back to work. Peters took advantage of the new program .
Luckily, there are many financial aid programs that can help the unemployed pay for retraining. Some of those programs provide workers with grants that individuals don’t have to pay back. On the next page, we’ll look at what types of job retraining grants are available.
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Research Your New Career
Do some homework and learn about the career you want to change to. Start with job postings in the field, and see what hiring managers are looking for. What education, degree, experience, certifications, and skills do you regularly see listed?
Then, use your network to reach out to others in your intended field. Set up some informational interviews with those in the know and ask them what kind of retraining youll need to make your career change a reality.