Ontario Recruiting More Personal Support Workers into Long-Term Care and Home Care

New incentives will help attract thousands of PSW students and recent graduates to connect people to care

The Ontario government is investing more than $300 million over three years to help thousands of people launch careers as personal support workers in long-term care homes and in the home and community care sector. Recruiting more personal support workers is part of the province’s Your Health plan to connect long-term care residents to more hours of direct care and expand home care services.

Ontario is now offering new incentives of up to $25,400 to students and recent graduates of personal support worker education programs, including:

Up to $5,400 to students while they complete their clinical placement in long-term care or home and community care;
$10,000 for current students and recent graduates who commit to working in a long-term care home or with a home and community care service provider for 12 months; and
$10,000 to help with relocation costs to graduates who commit to working in a long-term care home or with a home and community care service provider in a rural, remote or northern community for 12 months.

These incentives are retroactive to April 1, 2023 for students who recently completed their clinical placements and personal support workers who started working in long-term care or home and community care. Students who started a district school board personal support worker program on or after April 1, 2023 will also have their student fees waived or reimbursed.