ONTARIO-The Ontario government says it is investing more than $26 million in programs that will train nearly 3,000 new long-term care staff, support professional development and enhance the care residents receive, while giving students the opportunity to study and work in their home communities.
“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, ensuring long-term care residents receive the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve.”
- Supporting Professional Growth Fund – Ontario is providing an additional $5.5 million, for a total of $15.5 million in 2025-26, to train and upskill staff currently working in long-term care homes. Since 2022, this fund has helped more than 92,000 eligible staff advance their careers and provide better resident care.
- Living Classrooms – Ontario will invest $21 million to integrate education into long-term care homes and expand the existing program to introduce practical nurse (PN) Living Classrooms, allowing students to stay in their home communities as they study and apply what they learn as they work with residents. Ontario’s funding will train nearly 3,000 long-term care personal support workers (PSWs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) by 2029.
The province say that unlike traditional PSW and RPN training programs, where students start with classroom education and then move on to clinical placements, Living Classrooms integrate education into a long-term care home. Students alternate between in-class learning — delivered in the home or nearby — and applying what they learn as they work with residents within the home.
“At its core, the Living Classroom is a simple but powerful idea: learning comes alive when education and industry work side by side, in real settings, with real responsibility. Students don’t just learn about care — they practice it, alongside experienced professionals, in the very environments where they will go on to work. That’s precisely what has been made possible for Centennial College students training to become personal support workers, thanks to our partnership with Schlegel Villages and the support of our provincial partners. It’s a model that constitutes a blueprint for how Ontario can strengthen health care in ways that are sustainable, human-centred and future-focused.”said Craig Stephenson
President and CEO, Centennial College
“Programs like Living Classrooms and the Supporting Professional Growth Fund let people learn where care happens — inside homes, alongside residents and care teams — so staff can start and grow rewarding careers while making a real difference in residents’ daily lives. We thank the Ontario government for its continued leadership in building a strengthened long-term care system and helping people build meaningful careers in long-term care.” said Donna Duncan CEO, Ontario Long Term Care Association.
