By Allison Keown, Executive Director, TESL Ontario
TESL Ontario’s 2025 Government Panel Discussion brought important clarity and transparency on how federal and provincial ministries are responding to funding changes, shifting immigration levels, and evolving learner needs. Representatives from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), and the Ministry of Education shared updates about their funding priorities as they relate to language education in Ontario. The panelists also spoke candidly at times about budget cuts and the realities of declining funding across the sector, acknowledging the difficult decisions being made and the impact of those decisions. While our sector continues to face difficult uncertainties, the panel also highlighted areas of reinvestment, targeted program growth, and opportunities for future expansion. This may indicate that despite the challenges, ministries remain committed to supporting newcomer success.
If you missed the session, here are some of the key highlights shared by the panel:
Immigration Trends Driving Service Demand
The session opened with IRCC’s overview of national immigration levels and their direct impact on settlement funding. In 2024, Canada announced a reduction in permanent resident (PR) admissions from 500,000 to 395,000 in 2025, and 380,000 in 2026. As settlement funding is directly tied to PR numbers, these reductions have created unavoidable pressure across the federal program. IRCC representative Christine Charbonneau, Director, Settlement Network – Ontario Region, underscored that we are operating in an environment of austerity, and that the settlement program will need to adapt to declining budgets. She noted that reductions in PR levels translate directly into reductions in funding allocations, reinforcing why difficult decisions, such as the restructuring of language training, have become necessary.
At the same time, Ontario continues to experience unprecedented demand. MLITSD shared that Ontario received 43% of Canada’s newcomers in 2024. Refugee claimant numbers have surged from 26,000 in 2022 to 90,000 in 2024, with claimants now representing 50% of all language learners in the provincial system. MLITSD representative, Yvonne Ferrer, Director, Settlement Services Branch, shared that newcomers make up 30% of Ontario’s population and 33% of the provincial labour market, emphasizing the critical role of language training in supporting economic participation.
Federal and Provincial Funding: Realignment, Prioritization, and Reinforcement
Despite the budget reductions, the panel made clear that Ontario continues to see substantial investment from both levels of government.
IRCC Funding
IRCC highlighted a $1.6 billion investment over three years in Ontario, including $156 million annually for language training, assessment, teacher support, research tools, and coordination. IRCC currently funds 16 assessment centres and 98 language training providers across the province. Charbonneau emphasized that supporting teachers remains a high priority, noting that in addition to the professional development already funded within project agreements, IRCC is investing an additional $2.4 million in regional initiatives to develop training and resources specifically for language teachers and assessors.
To manage declining budgets, IRCC has announced it is restructuring the LINC program to focus on supporting newcomers with the greatest language needs. The aim is to preserve funding for essential services by prioritizing language training for recent arrivals with lower language levels. This restructuring is being implemented in three phases:
- April 1, 2025: Prioritization of Stage 1 (Literacy to CLB 4)
- September 1, 2025: End of Stage 3 (CLB 7+)
- September 1, 2026: End of Stage 2 (CLB 5–6)
A key message from IRCC, emphasized repeatedly throughout the session, is that funding from Stage 2 and 3 programs is being reinvested directly into Stage 1 classes. Charbonneau reported that this reinvestment has already translated into a significant expansion of Stage 1 course offerings: Literacy–CLB 4 classes have increased from 1,896 last fiscal year to 2,082 so far this year—an increase of 186 courses year-to-date, already surpassing the total number delivered in the previous year. For many administrators and educators concerned about widespread job losses, this shift will help mitigate some of the staffing impacts caused by Stage 2 and 3 program closures.
Importantly, IRCC also acknowledged that while Stage 2 and 3 programs are ending due to current budget constraints, future federal budgets could allow for reconsideration. This recognition signals that the door may not be closed on advanced-level programming in the long term.
MLITSD Funding
MLITSD continues to invest $100 million annually in newcomer integration, including $58 million specifically for ESL delivery. The ministry funds 44 organizations, including 33 school boards and 12 community agencies, serving over 63,000 adult learners each year.
MLITSD shared that they have concentrated on increasing employment focus within its language programming:
- 96% of courses now include employment-related content
- 85% of courses with employment-related content, connect learners directly with employment services
The ministry also emphasized the strong outcomes of its Workplace language training opportunities including Occupation-Specific Language Training (OSLT) programs—75% of graduates gain employment in their field or a related sector. Ferrer shared that because of these strong results, MLITSD is actively exploring opportunities to expand OSLT, possibly focussing on sectors facing labour shortages, including health care, skilled trades, childcare, customer service, and hospitality.
This potential expansion could provide an opportunity to strengthen employment pathways for advanced learners, particularly as federal Stage 2–3 programming winds down.
Waitlists and Capacity Pressures
Both ministries acknowledged the reality facing service providers: demand exceeds capacity across many regions. MLITSD reported 8,583 learners currently on waitlists, concentrated in Toronto, Ottawa, Peel, York, and Halton. IRCC described its own efforts to expand access through additional seats in Stage 1 classes, hybrid delivery, and improved waitlist management. Both ministries reiterated the need to optimize every funded class.
Looking Ahead: A Sector in Transition, Not Withdrawal
The 2025 panel emphasized that language training in Ontario is entering a period of transition, but that they are committed to optimizing their budgets to the best of their ability within the current financial constraints.
IRCC (and service provider organizations) are forced to adapt to this reduced budget, the closure of Stage 2 and 3 programs will create unprecedented upheaval in our sector, but there are small glimmers of hope. IRCC’s reinvestment in Stage 1 (increasing classes), MLITSD’s strong commitment to ESL and OSLT, ongoing provincial demand, and some acknowledgment that advanced federal programming could return in the future all signal that the sector is still moving forward, albeit slowly.
As providers, educators, and leaders, our work will continue to be essential in ensuring newcomers have the language foundations—and the opportunities—they need to thrive. TESL Ontario will continue to advocate for adjustments and improvements with both IRCC and MLITSD, and we remain committed to bringing forward the concerns of our members and frontline workers to ministry partners. Our goal is to ensure that language training in Ontario remains strong, responsive, and aligned with the needs and aspirations of the newcomers we all serve.
Submit a Comment