Find a job — free help that actually works

The short version

• Employment Ontario is a free, government-funded network with 700+ locations province-wide. Walk in, get a 1-on-1 advisor, get help.
• Job Bank (jobbank.gc.ca) is the federal government's free job board — most postings, free resume builder, free wage data.
• Better Jobs Ontario can fund up to $28,000 (1 year) or $35,000 (up to 2 years) of training when you're between jobs.
• Newcomer-specialised agencies like the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association add bridging, mentorship, and "Canadian-experience" matches on top.
• Most services don't ask about immigration status — but bring your work permit / PR card if you have one.

What Employment Ontario gives you (free)

Employment Ontario (EO) is the province's network of employment service providers, funded by the Ontario government. Services are free to anyone legally allowed to work in Canada. You don't have to be on Employment Insurance, and you don't have to be unemployed — even people earning very little in their first year can use it.

• 1-on-1 employment counselling — an advisor who knows the local labour market
• Canadian-style resume and cover letter help — workshops and one-to-one edits
• Interview prep — including behavioural-interview (STAR) coaching
• Job-search workshops — networking, LinkedIn, "hidden job market" tactics
• Personalised employment plan — written down, with milestones
• Connections to employers — including job postings that never hit public boards
• Training subsidies — short courses, certifications, licensing exam fees
• Wage subsidies for employers who hire you through EO — a strong card to play in your applications

Tell employers about the wage subsidy. Employers can receive partial wage reimbursement when they hire someone through an EO provider. Many small businesses don't know this exists. Mentioning it in your cover letter or interview can move you to the top of the pile.

Better Jobs Ontario — paid retraining

Better Jobs Ontario (BJO) replaced the older "Second Career" program. It funds full-time training in occupations Ontario has identified as in-demand — skilled trades, healthcare, IT, supply chain, early childhood education, and more.

• Up to $28,000 for training of 1 year or less; up to $35,000 for programs over 1 year (up to 2 years)
• Covers tuition, books, transportation, and a basic living allowance (up to $500/week)
• Additional support for childcare, disability accommodations, and language training
• Eligible training is delivered by Ontario colleges (CAATs), career colleges, universities, Indigenous Institutes, or school boards
• Short micro-credentials (under 52 weeks) are eligible too

Who qualifies: people who've been laid off, are unemployed, or are working temporary jobs for income while looking. People unemployed for 12+ weeks in a low-income household can also qualify even without a layoff. Recipients of Employment Insurance, Ontario Works, or ODSP are also eligible.

The application is paperwork-heavy — you'll need to research at least three training institutions, document income and training costs, and demonstrate the job market you're training for. An EO advisor walks you through every step; don't try to do it alone.

Where to find Employment Ontario in Northern Ontario

Use the official locator at ontario.ca/page/find-employment-services-near-you. Below are the agencies most newcomers in each Northern Ontario city use.

City	Where to start
Thunder Bay	Thunder Bay Multicultural Association — Employment Connector (newcomer-specialised) YES Employment Services · Lakehead Adult Education Centre · Confederation College Employment Services
Greater Sudbury	College Boréal — Services d'emploi (bilingual) YMCA of Northeastern Ontario Employment Services · Cambrian College Employment Options
Sault Ste. Marie	Sault College — Employment Solutions 1Sault Employment Resource Centre · SSM Innovation Centre programs
North Bay	Canadore College — Employment Services YES Employment Services North Bay
Timmins	Northern College — Employment Services Far Northeast Training Board partner agencies

Names and exact funding can change year to year — the locator above is the source of truth. Phone first; some offices need an appointment for a first intake.

Local services across Northern Ontario

Verified entries from settlement.org and 211 Ontario directories. Confirm hours before visiting.

Thunder Bay

• YES Employment Services — Thunder Bay — 1116 Waterford Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5R1. Walk-ins welcome; located across from Intercity Shopping Centre. Employment Ontario services: job search and resume help.
• Société Économique de l'Ontario (SÉO) — Thunder Bay — 874 Tungsten Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6J3. 1-844-668-7333 ext. 314. Francophone Employability and Entrepreneurship Advisor for newcomers; bilingual EN/FR services.

Greater Sudbury

• Collège Boréal — Employment Services (Options Emploi) — 1560 LaSalle Boulevard, Bureau F, Sudbury, ON P3A 1Z7. (705) 560-1562 (toll-free 1-800-361-6673). Bilingual job search, resume and interview coaching, newcomer employment services.
• Cambrian College — Employment Options — 3140 Highway 69 N, Unit 14, Greater Sudbury, ON P3N 1G3. (705) 897-5627 (toll-free 1-877-295-5627). Employment Ontario service provider: career counselling, job placement, Better Jobs Ontario.
• Northern Employment Solutions — 336 Pine Street, Unit 303, Sudbury, ON P3C 1X8. (705) 566-9675. Local Employment Ontario partner agency; job search assistance, skills training referrals, employer matching.

Sault Ste. Marie

• Sault College Employment Solutions — 477 Queen St E, Suite 203, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 1Z5. 705-945-0705. Employment Ontario provider operated by Sault College: job search, resume help, Second Career, employer connections.

North Bay

• Yes Employment Services — Diversity at Work Nipissing (Employment Ontario) — 149 Main Street East, North Bay, ON P1B 1A9. 705-476-3234. Designated EO office in North Bay; the Diversity at Work stream provides newcomer-focused employment support, credential guidance, workplace language training, and job placement.
• Canadore Employment Solutions — 100 College Drive, North Bay, ON P1B 8L7. 705-474-7600 ext. 5185. Career counselling for students, graduates, and community members; employer connections; co-op and work placement support. Mon–Fri 8:30–4:30.

Timmins

• Northern College — Community Employment Services (Timmins) — 130 Spruce St S, Suite 2, Timmins, ON P4N 2M5. 705-268-3033. Employment Ontario integrated services: job search, resume help, training subsidies, employer connections. Mon–Fri 8:00–16:00 (closed 12:00–13:00).
• Timmins Economic Development Corporation (TEDC) — 130 Spruce St S, Suite 1, Timmins, ON P4N 2M5. 705-360-2656 (toll-free 1-877-470-8332). RCIP/FCIP intake, employer recruitment support, business start-up resources for newcomers.

Newcomer-specific job-search basics

Canadian-style resume — the format that actually gets read

• 1 to 2 pages. No more. Recruiters skim in under 30 seconds.
• No photo, no date of birth, no marital status, no national ID number. These can trigger bias-screening tools and look unprofessional in Canada.
• Achievement-focused bullets, not duty lists. "Led 6-person team that delivered project under budget by 12%" — not "Responsible for managing team."
• Reverse-chronological order, most recent job first.
• Plain font (Calibri, Arial, Helvetica), 10–11pt body, lots of white space.
• Save and send as a PDF unless the job ad says otherwise.

LinkedIn matters in Canada

Many Canadian recruiters source candidates on LinkedIn before posting publicly. Set up a profile in your first weeks here — even a basic one. Use a clean headshot, list your education and full work history, and connect with anyone you meet at workshops, settlement programs, or community events.

"Canadian experience" — and how to build it fast

• Volunteer work counts. Volunteering 4–8 hours a week with a non-profit, library, food bank, or community group gives you Canadian references and recent dates on your resume.
• Co-ops, internships, and bridge-to-work matches through Employment Ontario or the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association are the fastest legitimate path in.
• Survival jobs are okay — taking a job below your qualifications to pay rent is normal and isn't a black mark. The mistake is staying there without a plan to move up.

Networking in the North

Northern Ontario hires through relationships more than résumés. Useful places to show up:

• Local Chamber of Commerce events — Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Timmins all have active chambers
• Industry associations (mining, forestry, healthcare, tech) — many host free networking nights
• Cultural and faith communities — the people in your community are often your fastest referrals
• Settlement-agency mixers and "employer days"

Free job boards to bookmark

• Job Bank (jobbank.gc.ca) — the federal government's job board. Most postings, free resume builder, free wage data by city, daily email alerts. Always free.
• Indeed.ca — largest commercial board in Canada; free for job seekers.
• LinkedIn Jobs — free; turn on "Open to Work" to be found by recruiters.
• Workopolis / Eluta / Glassdoor — secondary boards, free.
• Industry-specific: HealthForceOntario (healthcare), TalentEgg (new grads), CharityVillage (non-profit), CareerBeacon (Atlantic + national).
• Municipal and college job pages — Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Timmins all post directly on their websites.

If you have foreign credentials

If your profession is regulated (doctor, nurse, engineer, teacher, electrician, accountant, social worker), you'll need a credential evaluation and possibly a bridging program before you can be licensed to work in your field. That's a separate path that runs in parallel with your job search.

See our full guide: Get your credentials recognised — WES evaluations, bridging programs at Northern Ontario colleges, and how to fund retraining with Windmill Microlending.

Government wage-subsidy and bridging programs to know

• Canada-Ontario Job Grant — employers can receive up to $10,000 to train you on the job. Worth mentioning to a hiring manager.
• Ontario Bridge Training Program — subsidised bridging programs by profession; lists are at ontario.ca.
• Career Edge / Ready Talent paid internships — the Career Edge program connects internationally-trained professionals with paid Canadian work placements (verify current intake on their site).
• Federal Internship for Newcomers (FIN) Program — federal internship placements in the public service for permanent residents and citizens; competitive but worth applying.
• Skills Advance Ontario — sector-specific training programs.
• Canada Apprentice Loan — interest-free loan for skilled trades apprentices.

Common pitfalls

• Applying with a non-Canadian resume. Three-page CVs with photos and personal details get filtered out fast — even when the candidate is excellent.
• Not telling employers about wage subsidies. Employers love them. You can mention it: "I'm registered with [Employment Ontario provider] — they offer wage-subsidy support for new hires."
• Applying to 100 jobs before you start networking. In Northern Ontario, a single coffee meeting often does more than 50 cold applications.
• Skipping Employment Ontario because the name sounds "for unemployed people." It isn't. Underemployed newcomers, people in survival jobs, and recent graduates all use it.
• Paying a "career consultant" or "resume writer" before trying free help. Settlement agencies and EO providers do the same work for free, and they know the local market.
• Waiting for credential recognition before working. You can usually start in a related role (PSW while pursuing nursing, technologist while pursuing P.Eng) — start earning while the licensing process runs.

Sources & references: Local services cross-referenced with settlement.org (OCASI's Ontario newcomer directory) and 211 Ontario. Confirm current hours and intake before visiting.

Last reviewed: April 2026. Funding caps, program names, and provider lists change periodically. Confirm current details on ontario.ca/page/employment-ontario and jobbank.gc.ca before applying.