Breaking Financial Barriers: How Ontario Is Supporting the Next Generation of PSWs

Ontario is taking meaningful steps to strengthen its healthcare system, and one of the most impactful strategies is the investment in Personal Support Worker (PSW) careers. As Ontario’s population ages, the demand for compassionate and well-trained Personal Support Workers (PSWs) is growing. Recognizing this, the provincial government is taking significant steps to support the education and career development of new PSWs, especially those pursuing long-term care roles.

Whether you’re just beginning a personal support worker certificate program or nearing graduation, you could be eligible for up to $25,440 in government funding. These incentives are designed to reduce financial stress and open doors to meaningful careers across the province, especially in rural, remote, and northern communities.

This blog post breaks down how the province is making the Personal Support Worker Role in Ontario more accessible than ever.

Earn While You Learn: Stipends for PSW Students

If you’re enrolled in a recognized Ontario PSW program and starting a clinical placement on or after April 1, 2025, you may qualify for a placement stipend of up to $5,440. This stipend is meant to support you financially while you gain essential, hands-on experience in long-term care homes or home and community care organizations.

To be eligible, students must:

• Be enrolled in a PSW training program that meets the 2022 Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities standards.

• Complete their clinical placement with a participating long-term care home or home and community care employer.

This is a critical step in breaking down the financial barriers that often accompany unpaid clinical work and making PSW careers more attractive across Ontario.

This support is a critical step in making PSW careers more attractive across Ontario.

Secure Employment Bonuses: Up to $20,000 for New Grads

After earning your Personal Support Worker Certificate, Ontario offers two major funding streams to help launch your PSW career:

1. Recruitment Incentive: $10,000
   Available to eligible PSWs who commit to full-time employment for 12 months with a participating long-term care home or community care employer between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.

2. Rural, Remote, and Northern Incentives: Up to $20,000
   If you’re willing to work in a high-needs area at least 100 km from your current home, you may qualify for:

• $10,000 in relocation support, and

• $10,000 as an additional rural, remote, or northern community incentive.

Together with the recruitment incentive, eligible PSWs could receive up to $25,440 in combined support. These initiatives are not limited to new graduates. PSWs who completed training previously and have not worked in direct care for 12 months may also qualify.

Ontario is assisting budding PSWs to earn their Personal Support Worker Certificates.

Broader Impacts and Long-Term Goals

Since 2020, these investments, combined with partnerships across the healthcare and postsecondary sectors, have produced impressive results:

• 24,000+ new PSWs and 3,000 nurses hired, trained, and retained.

• Nearly $11 million is being invested over three years to expand the Living Classroom program, supporting on-site PSW training in long-term care homes.

• The Supporting Professional Growth Fund has helped provide education and training to over 45,000 long-term care staff since 2021.

• Over 1,000 internationally educated nurses have become registered in Ontario through specialized programs.

• Funded 150+ new nurse practitioner roles across long-term care facilities.

Ontario is also addressing systemic barriers by creating 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds, significantly reducing waitlists and improving resident care. These programs fall under Ontario’s comprehensive Your Health plan, aimed at recruiting and retaining tens of thousands of long-term care workers across the province.

Now is the right time to pursue PSW careers in Ontario.

A Future for Everyone Interested in PSW Careers

Ontario’s continued investment in PSW training and support removes financial barriers while expanding access to meaningful careers in healthcare. By supporting PSW students and upskilling current staff, these programs are building a resilient, highly trained workforce.

Whether you’re just starting to explore the Personal Support Worker Role in Ontario or already training as a PSW, now is the time to take advantage of these opportunities. A rewarding healthcare career is within reach, and Ontario is making sure the path is more accessible than ever.

Do you want to step into this vital role with a Personal Support Worker Certificate?

Contact AAPS for more information.