How to Get a Job at Ontario Works
1. Understand what “working at Ontario Works” really means
Ontario Works is Ontario’s main social assistance program. It provides financial assistance, employment supports, and life-stabilization services to people with little or no income.
The key thing: Ontario Works is province-designed but locally delivered.
The Ministry sets policy, funding, and legislation.
Day-to-day delivery happens through:
Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs)
District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs)
First Nations delivery partners
As of 2025, Ontario Works is delivered through 149 delivery sites: 37 CMSMs, 10 DSSABs, and 102 First Nations and Tribal Councils.
So “getting a job at Ontario Works” usually means working for:
A municipality or DSSAB (e.g., City of London, City of Windsor, Renfrew County)
A First Nation or Tribal Council operating an Ontario Works office
Occasionally, the Ontario Public Service (OPS) in provincial social assistance roles
The employer might be the city, a First Nation, or the province—but the work is the Ontario Works program.
2. The main Ontario Works job types
Most people aim for front-line roles such as:
a) Caseworker / Case Manager / Income & Employment Case Worker
These are the core Ontario Works jobs. Typical duties include:
Interviewing applicants and recipients (in office and sometimes off-site) to assess eligibility for social assistance.
Checking income, assets, and personal circumstances to determine initial and ongoing eligibility.
Issuing financial assistance according to legislation and policy.
Developing individual case plans to help clients move towards employment or greater stability, and making referrals to community agencies.
Providing ongoing case management support, monitoring progress, and updating files.
Documenting everything in computerized case-management systems and maintaining organized caseloads.
b) Employment or Life-Stabilization Caseworker
In some organizations the role is more focused on:
Employment supports (job search, training referrals, workshops)
Life stabilization (housing referrals, mental health supports, child care connections)
The job titles vary, but the work is still part of Ontario Works’ employment and stabilization mandate.
c) Intake / Administrative roles
Some offices also have:
Intake or screening clerks
Administrative support staff
These roles support caseworkers: answering phones, booking appointments, processing basic forms, scanning documents, and doing data entry.
3. Common qualifications for Ontario Works jobs
Job postings for Ontario Works caseworkers and case managers are remarkably consistent across municipalities, DSSABs, and First Nations.
Education
Most postings require:
A 2- or 3-year post-secondary diploma or degree in a relevant field, such as:
Social Sciences (sociology, psychology, political science)
Social Work
Human Services / Community Services
Public Administration or Business Administration
Examples:
One city requires a three-year university degree in Social Sciences, Social Work, Business Administration, or Public Administration.
A DSSAB case manager posting requires a two-year diploma in Social Sciences or related field, or an acceptable combination of education and experience.
First Nations postings often ask for a degree or diploma in Social Work, Human Services, or a related field.
If you don’t have exactly that, relevant experience plus a related diploma may still get you considered.
Experience
Typical requirements:
1–2+ years of experience:
In human services or social services
Assisting clients with income or employment supports
Case management or service coordination
Working knowledge of:
Ontario Works Act and Regulations
Other social programs (ODSP, social housing, child care, etc.)
If you’re brand new to the sector, you’ll be much more competitive if you’ve worked in:
Housing or homelessness services
Settlement services
Community mental health or addictions programs
Employment services (job clubs, training programs)
Other municipal or provincial social services
Core skills and competencies
Across multiple job descriptions, employers look for:
Communication skills
Strong verbal and written communication
Ability to explain complex rules in plain language
Motivational and conflict-resolution skills
Customer service and empathy
Excellent customer service with vulnerable and diverse populations
Ability to build rapport while enforcing rules and boundaries
Analytical, planning, and organizational skills
Collecting, documenting, and evaluating information to make eligibility decisions
Setting priorities, meeting deadlines, and managing a caseload
Computer proficiency
Comfortable with word processing, spreadsheets, databases, intranet/internet, and email
Able to document thoroughly in electronic case-management systems
Knowledge base
Ontario Works regulations
Social service programs (OW, ODSP, child care subsidies, housing, etc.)
Awareness of community resources
Other requirements
Respect for confidentiality
Often a valid Ontario driver’s licence and access to a vehicle for home visits or off-site meetings.
If you read a few caseworker postings back-to-back, you’ll see almost identical lists of these skills.
4. Where to actually find Ontario Works job postings
Because Ontario Works is delivered locally, you won’t find all jobs in one place. You need to check several sources.
a) Municipal and DSSAB job boards
Many caseworker roles are posted by municipalities or DSSABs, for example:
City job boards (like London or Windsor) posting Ontario Works Caseworker advertisements that describe determining eligibility, managing caseloads, and providing employment supports.
Action steps:
Search your local city / county / region website for “Ontario Works” or “caseworker.”
Check the Social Services, Human Services, or Community Services departments.
b) First Nations and Tribal Councils
Many First Nations run Ontario Works directly and post jobs like Ontario Works Case Worker or Income and Employment Case Worker with similar duties and qualifications.
Action steps:
Visit the websites and social media pages of nearby First Nations, Tribal Councils, and friendship centres.
Look for job postings under “Social Services” or “Ontario Works.”
c) Aggregated job sites
There are regularly dozens to hundreds of Ontario Works-related caseworker jobs listed across the province at any given time.
Action steps:
Search job sites for:
“Ontario Works caseworker”
“Ontario Works case manager”
“social assistance caseworker”
Filter by your region so you’re seeing realistic commuting options.
d) Ontario Public Service (OPS) careers
The Ministry sometimes hires Caseworkers and related roles directly within the Ontario Public Service, often for central or regional program offices. These postings emphasize analytical, planning, and teamwork skills, and are found on the provincial careers portal.
Search for:
“Caseworker”
“Social assistance”
“Program Delivery”
These roles are more rare than municipal postings but can be excellent long-term career options.
5. How to tailor your resume and cover letter
Ontario Works postings are very specific. You’ll stand out if you mirror that language with concrete examples.
From real job descriptions, common responsibility phrases include:
“Determine initial and continuing eligibility for Ontario Works”
“Assess applicants for social assistance and provide employment and life-stabilization supports in an empathic, client-centred manner”
“Assess employability, develop case plans, and make referrals to community agencies”
“Maintain and organize a caseload to ensure legislative requirements are met”
On your resume:
Match those phrases with real examples, like:
“Assessed client income and circumstances to determine eligibility for rent subsidies, documenting decisions in a case-management system.”
“Managed a caseload of 80+ clients, prioritizing appointments, follow-ups, and referrals to employment and training services.”
“Provided front-line support to vulnerable clients, de-escalating conflict and explaining complex program rules in accessible language.”
In your cover letter:
Explicitly address the required qualifications one by one:
Education
Experience with vulnerable populations
Knowledge of social programs
Computer skills
Driver’s licence and use of a vehicle (if required)
The closer your language is to the posting—without copying blindly—the easier it is for hiring managers (and screening systems) to see you’re a fit.
6. What to expect in the interview
Interviews for Ontario Works will almost always emphasize people skills + judgment + policy awareness.
Based on real caseworker job descriptions and qualifications, expect questions around:
Customer service and conflict management
“Tell us about a time you dealt with an upset client.”
“How would you handle a situation where a client disagrees with your eligibility decision?”
Emphasize empathy, listening, explaining options clearly, and staying calm while still following legislation and policy.
Analytical and decision-making skills
“Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision based on incomplete information.”
“How do you ensure fairness and consistency when interpreting program rules?”
Show that you gather facts, document thoroughly, and seek guidance when needed.
Organizational skills
“How do you manage a heavy caseload and tight deadlines?”
Talk about scheduling, prioritizing urgent cases, keeping clear digital notes, and using calendars or task systems.
Knowledge of Ontario Works and social services
“What is your understanding of the Ontario Works program?”
“How would you connect clients to community resources?”
Be ready with a short explanation: income assistance + employment/life-stabilization supports, delivered by municipalities/DSSABs/First Nations under provincial legislation.
Values and confidentiality
“How do you handle confidential information?”
“How do you work with clients whose choices you may disagree with?”
Emphasize respect, non-judgment, privacy, and adherence to policy.
Because the social assistance system is in the middle of a modernization and transformation process, there may also be questions about your comfort with change, digital tools, and working in a more “person-centred, efficient” environment.
7. How to get experience if you’re new to the field
If you look at job postings and feel under-qualified, focus on building transferable human-services experience.
Good stepping-stone roles include:
Housing worker or shelter support staff
Community mental health / addictions support worker
Employment counsellor or job developer
Intake worker at a community agency
Administrative assistant in a social services department
These roles help you build:
Experience with vulnerable populations
Knowledge of community resources
Comfort with documentation and case notes
Conflict-resolution and de-escalation skills
You can also tap Employment Ontario for free, one-on-one job search support, including resume help and mock interviews for public and non-profit social service roles.
8. Putting it all together: your Ontario Works job roadmap
Learn the landscape
Ontario Works is provincially designed, locally delivered by municipalities, DSSABs, and First Nations.
Target the right roles
Caseworker, Case Manager, Income & Employment Case Worker, or intake/admin roles in social services.
Get the core qualifications
A related diploma or degree in social sciences / social work / human services / admin.
1–2 years of human-services experience, if possible.
Search in the right places
Municipal and DSSAB job boards
First Nations and Tribal Council sites
Aggregated job boards (Ontario Works caseworker)
OPS careers for provincial caseworker roles
Customize your application
Mirror the posting’s language on eligibility decisions, case management, and client-centred service.
Show concrete examples of analytical work, conflict resolution, and caseload management.
Prepare for the interview
Have clear stories about handling difficult clients, making fair decisions, staying organized, and working within rules.
Keep building experience
If you don’t get in right away, build more social-services experience and try again—turnover and hiring needs are ongoing across Ontario.
If you consistently target the right employers, speak the “Ontario Works language” in your resume, and show you can balance empathy with policy, you’ll be in a strong position to land an Ontario Works job and build a long-term career in Ontario’s social assistance system.
