Tuesday, January 06, 2026
Ontario Investing $26 million to Train More Frontline Staff in Long-Term Care
New funding will support nearly 3,000 new staff in long-term care and allow students to work in their local communities
The Ontario government is delivering on its plan to protect the province’s long-term care system by 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."
The government’s investment builds on its existing $4.9 billion four-year staffing plan, which focused on recruitment, training and retention and helped add tens of thousands of personal support workers and nurses to the provincial workforce. Continuing this momentum, Ontario is investing more than $26 million to train nearly 3,000 new long-term care staff through two targeted programs:
- 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.
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.
“Every day, long-term care workers deliver compassionate and high-quality care for our loved ones throughout the province,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “Through this investment, our government is protecting Ontario by ensuring that future long-term care providers get both the world-class education and hands-on skills they need to thrive in their careers and meaningfully contribute to our health care workforce.”
Building the long-term care workforce is one more way the government is ensuring Ontario residents get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve. The plan to improve long-term care is built on four pillars: staffing and care; quality and enforcement; building modern, safe and comfortable homes; and connecting seniors with faster, more convenient access to the services they need.
Quick Facts:
Quotes:
"Long-term care workers are essential to the well-being of people in Whitby. This critical investment from our government will train more long-term care staff to provide exceptional care in the Durham Region and across Ontario."
- Lorne Coe, MPP for Whitby
"As we look to the future, nothing is more important than the development of skilled, dedicated and compassionate caring professionals to meet the needs of Ontario’s aging population. We’re grateful the province recognizes this and is investing in the Living Classroom program, as there is no better learning environment for true person-centred care to thrive."
- James Schlegel, President and CEO of Schlegel Villages
"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."
- Craig Stephenson, President and CEO, Centennial College
"Living Classrooms and the Supporting Professional Growth Fund are strong, practical programs that help long-term care homes recruit, train and retain frontline staff. We welcome the Ontario government’s continued investment and expansion of training opportunities that let students learn where they live, while supporting better care for residents."
- Lisa Levin, Chief Executive Officer, AdvantAge Ontario
"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."
- Donna Duncan, CEO, Ontario Long Term Care Association
Additional Resources:
Media Contacts:
Stuart Osborne
Office of the Minister of Long-Term Care
Stuart.Osborne@ontario.ca
Ministry of Long-Term Care Media Line
Communications Branch
MLTC.Media@ontario.ca
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