As a community-based organization, Contact North | Contact Nord helps underserved Ontarians in 600 small, rural, remote, Indigenous and Francophone communities get jobs by making it possible for them to access education and training without leaving their communities.
We respond to 800,000+ requests per year from Ontarians and provide five local services:
- Information on available online programs and courses from Ontario’s 24 public colleges, 22 public universities, 9 Indigenous institutes, 76 district school boards, 200 literacy and basic skills providers, and 50 skills development training providers (Ontario’s education and training providers)
- Assistance with the registration process for their program or course of choice, referrals to other local support services, and assistance with financial information
- Free use of computer workstations and high-speed Internet access to complete their online courses
- Free use of web conferencing and videoconferencing distance learning platforms to connect to, and participate in, their live online programs and courses
- Supervision of written exams and tests
We generate 58,000+ course registrations per year for Ontario’s education and training providers.
Our local staff in 116 online learning centres located in communities across Ontario deliver these services in English and French.
Our province-wide Student Information Hotline and our studyonline.ca / etudiezenligne.ca and e-channel.ca / apprentissageenligne.ca portals, which provide information and resources for students and prospective students.
Our portals support 675,000 pageviews per year.
Corporate Information
- Established by the Government of Ontario in 1986
- Incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation headquartered in Thunder Bay and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of individuals from Ontario’s public colleges, universities, district school boards, Indigenous communities, Francophone communities and public members
- Receives annual funding of $10.5 million from the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities continuously since 1986
