Skills Development Fund Irregularities
$742M in public training funds awarded to low-ranked applicants; 63% of funding went to PC party donors. Government now suing one recipient for fraud.
👷 An in effect Labour policy from January 2021 · Implemented · Well sourced
Updated · Created
"Training Workers for the Future"
The Skills Development Fund invests in innovative training programs to help Ontario workers upgrade their skills and find better jobs.
"This is the best investment we've ever done."
— Doug Ford, defending the Skills Development Fund, 2025
"$742M — 56% to Lower-Ranked Applicants"
Auditor General found 56% of funding went to lower-ranked applicants overridden by the minister's office, without competitive process or measurable outcomes.
- Auditor General: 56% of $742M went to lower-ranked applicants overridden by minister's officesource
- No competitive application process for many grantssource
- Outcomes not tracked—no data on how many workers actually trainedsource
- Fraud lawsuit filed over misuse of funds by grant recipientssource
This section represents editorial interpretation of documented evidence.
Figures are approximate, using publicly available Ontario cost data.
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