RBC's $2.4 million community investment will help enhance workforce resilience and improve access to job-relevant training and career mobility across Canada.

• RBC's support will help expand eCampusOntario's Skills for Jobs Canada platform and fund new upskilling courses, available to Canadians at no cost.
• The bilingual national platform already features thousands of courses and has welcomed over 85,000 users since launch in September, 2025

TORONTO, June 18, 2026 /CNW/ - eCampusOntario and RBC have joined forces to help Canadians access free job-relevant training and  navigate career transitions in a rapidly changing labour market.

This collaboration delivers a national approach to workforce development through two complementary initiatives.

Providing Canadians with relevant training opportunities and access to free upskilling courses

The first is an expansion of the Skills for Jobs Canada platform – a national skills discovery and labour market-aligned upskilling platform that provides Canadians with relevant training opportunities from reputable institutions across the country.

The second includes free upskilling courses for Canadians, funded by  RBC and developed in collaboration with publicly funded institutions. These bilingual courses are accessible at no cost and collectively reach approximately 4,000 learners each month. They include McGill University's Personal Finance Essentials, Western University's The Founder's Journey and University of Guelph's Foundations in Agricultural Management.

"Our partnership presents a meaningful opportunity to strengthen Canada's skills ecosystem at a pivotal moment of workforce transition," said Rich Louttet, Head, Sector Transformation, eCampusOntario. "By combining eCampusOntario's national digital infrastructure with RBC s commitment to skills development, we are increasing access to high-quality, labour market–aligned learning and helping Canadians move more quickly from disruption to opportunity." 

Launched in 2025 and powered by real-time labour market information, Skills for Jobs Canada is a bilingual platform that provides a centralized catalogue of upskilling and reskilling opportunities from colleges, universities, Indigenous institutes, and other training providers. The national platform currently features more than 4500 courses and programs from 8 provinces, with a growing network of education institutions joining the ecosystem.

"Skills open doors – and we believe everyone deserves a real chance to walk through them," says Andrea Barrack, Senior Vice President, Sustainability & Impact, RBC. "Collaborating with eCampusOntario means free access to RBC Academy courses in personal finance, entrepreneurship and agriculture management, for anyone, anywhere in Canada. We're not just investing in courses. We're investing in people."

Helping Strengthen Canada's workforce through skills development

eCampusOntario operates the only national upskilling platform at scale that enables Canadians to find  training at the right time. Supported by robust digital infrastructure, integrated labour market insights, and end-to-end course delivery capabilities, eCampusOntario connects learners to relevant programs and provides  high-quality, accessible learning at scale. In collaboration with RBC , this collaboration will accelerate access to skills development, help strengthen Canada's workforce resilience, and ultimately help Canadians find relevant employment.

*This initiative is part of RBC, RBC Foundation and RBC Foundation USA's overall commitment to providing $2 billion in community investment by 2035. As one of Canada's largest corporate donors, RBC is working with thousands of charities and nonprofits across Canada and beyond to help strengthen communities.

About RBC

Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 101,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 19 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at RBC.com.

We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at RBC.com/PeopleAndPlanet.

About eCampusOntario

eCampusOntario is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, that supports innovation, collaboration and digital-by-design education in Ontario's publicly assisted colleges, universities, and Indigenous Institutes.

They provide the sector with platforms, programs, and services to advance digital participation in postsecondary education, connecting Ontario's postsecondary institutions and learners to the future of learning and work. Explore professional development programs at: https://learn.ecampusontario.ca

SOURCE eCampusOntario