Low-scoring applicants averaged the highest payouts from Doug Ford's Skills Development Fund

The analysis is based on internal government data obtained by the Star that details proposals, scores and money awarded for worker training through the fund, which opposition parties call a scheme to reward the premier’s political allies.   

The average payment among the 79 groups whose applications were ranked “low” — with scores of 34 to 62 out of 100 — was $1.53 million. 

That cohort beat the 76 groups whose applications were rated “high” — with scores of 73 to 100 — which got, on average, $1.38 million.

And, proving that it doesn’t pay to be middle of the road, the 85 groups whose applications were ranked “medium” — with scores of 63 to 72 — received the least on average, at $1.27 million.

These calculations are based on the government documents that show Labour Minister David Piccini doled out roughly $335 million to 240 groups in the first four months of the year. 

While the actual payouts to applicants ranked “low” range from roughly $750,000 to the $14 million given to the Carpenters District Council of Ontario (which received a score of 52), the averages bolster earlier Star findings — and those of the auditor general — that bureaucrats trained to use official ministry criteria to assess the best proposals for worker training were often overruled.

The labour minister pushed back Tuesday against critics questioning how the money was awarded.

“It’s a back and forth with our ministry officials,” Piccini said in the legislature’s question period, where he has faced repeated demands to resign since MPPs returned from their summer break on Oct. 20.

“We have a risk assessment process for the (Skills Development Fund) program that I developed with the ministry where the deputy minister is able to deselect an applicant if they feel the risk of a project is too high,” he said.

“Now it’s the deputy minister’s fault?” NDP Leader Marit Stiles shot back at Piccini. “Endless, endless embarrassing headlines and yet the premier just keeps digging his heels in to protect this minister of labour.”

Piccini’s office has said civil servants “do not provide recommendations to the minister’s office.” Spokesperson Michel Figueredo said that the minister’s staff and ministry officials “work together to select applications that meet government priorities,” and that all “requirements are met and undergo a risk assessment” with budgets approved prior to funding.

Until the Star obtained the database, the scores were such a closely guarded secret that the public did not know the application scores of funding recipients. The government has handed out $1.5 billion since the fund began in 2021. 

Recipients contacted by the Star said they were not informed of their evaluations. Postmedia, which got $1.04 million with a score of 41.68, to train staff in artificial intelligence, said it was unaware of its score. So was the training centre for the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 793 which said it was surprised to hear its proposal for $7.419 million to train workers on heavy equipment got a score of 43.

Premier Doug Ford has stood behind Piccini through the controversy that began with a scathing Oct. 1 special report on the fund from auditor general Shelley Spence. She found the minister’s office gave $126 million in training money to 64 organizations that used lobbyists to push applications ranked “low” and “medium” in a process that was “not fair, transparent or accountable.”

Liberal MPP John Fraser (Ottawa South) said the continuing questions about the fund means it’s time for the government to “open the books” on the whole program to clear the air.

“The government needs to be more transparent,” he told reporters. “It stinks, it’s rotten and it’s unbelievable.”