TORONTO – Ontario’s Auditor General, Shelley Spence, has launched an investigation into irregularities in the provincial government’s job training program. It is alleged that large grants were provided through the ‘Skills Development Fund’ for training, but authorities have been unable to provide a clear explanation of how the funds were used. This has led to the decision to conduct an audit to examine the fund’s utilization.
Questions have also been raised about an $11 million grant given to a Toronto restaurant chain with connections to officials. The money was allocated to train 1,200 young people, but officials have not responded to inquiries about how many people were actually trained. There are also allegations that a company belonging to Amin Masoudi, a former staff member of Premier Doug Ford, later lobbied on behalf of this restaurant chain.
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), which monitors government programs, has expressed concern over the fund’s oversight. The union noted that the fund is diverting money from public colleges and could hinder the expansion of college education from urban to rural areas.
