Ontario Security Guard Training

Since April 2010, when the Ontario Security Guard Act came into force, dozens of colleges, training academy's and security agencies have begun to offer online and offline Security Guard Training. The industry is new and the quality of these programs are difficult to determine. Students are having trouble knowing where to get good training.

The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS) - Private Security and Investigative Services Branch (PSISB) has a detailed training curriculum posted on their website. Most of the training entities meet the basic 40-hour program content however, many fail to provide contact with a live trainer and don't ensure that the trainee has Emergency First Aid by the end of the training. The Ministry does not check the student's work, marks, or whether they have Emergency First Aid.


Guard training in Ontario is not meant to be self-training. This means that it is supposed to be trained by a real person who helps you through the material. But it is easier and cheaper to let people sign-in to online training, watch a few videos of a trainer, and call the office when they are finished. The training entity will then notify the ministry that the student has completed the training. The training entity will get a Training Completion Number and give it to the student. The student then needs to book and pass the Ontario Security Guard Test ($60+HST) and apply for the License ($80) before they can get a job in the industry.

The MCSCS-PSISB is the regulatory body for security guard training. Their policy is to act on complaints about training entities. They don't routine reviews of the training providers or their content, even when asked to do so.

There are several poor training programs in the industry. The students from these training entities are not prepared for the Ontario Guard test and often fail it. The test costs $60+HST each time the student takes it.

The MCSCS-PSISB is not releasing any statistics at this time about the number of people who fail the test or the pass rates of any of the training providers. There is speculation that 1 in 3 people taking the test, don't pass. This number is startling since a passing grade is around 62% depending on the test you get. You really need to get good training or risk having to re-take the test at $60 a pop.
So, who can a student trust?

The colleges are offering the online training for about $500 through OntarioLearn. The Emergency First Aid is not included. The student needs to take First Aid before they take this class. This program includes a mandatory online chat with a class once a week for 12 weeks. So all the criteria for the Ministry are met. But, 12 weeks is a long time to wait to get work, and $500 is a lot of money to get a minimum wage job.

The career colleges and training academy's are also offering the course. These classes are generally offered in-classroom. The cost is not usually published, so you need to talk to a recruiter. The training is usually 4 weeks. Many of the programs include Emergency First Aid.

The training from security agencies can range from excellent to sketchy, but they may be in a position offer you a job. Many of them are buying an online program from Linkonlearning, a well established online course provider. Linkonlearning specializes in online K-8 classes for home-school kids. Their guard course is primarily videos of a trainer talking. You can see them on YouTube under "ONTSecurity".

Linkonlearning charges the companies $99 and the company resells the training for around $199. Please be careful with these companies. Many of them don't offer a live trainer for you to ask questions so, you can't get help, and they won't ask for proof of First Aid Training. You will need all of these thing to pass the Ontario Security Guard Test. These sketchy companies do not really meet the training requirements and sooner or later the Ministry will catch on. It's your time and money that they are making a fast buck with. Look for a reputable company to take the training.

Other security guard companies have developed their own training and they are doing a responsible job with it. Most of their training sells for between $199 and $400. Some of it very good, others no so much. The problem is telling the difference.

My best advise is to ask questions. Do they have a trainer you can talk to by phone, email, text message, smoke signals? Do they have an online classroom? A chat-room? A thread? A forum? What are the trainer's hours? What are the trainer's credentials? Is First Aid training included or do you have to pay extra for it? What happens if you don't pass the Ontario Security Guard Test? How many of their own students have they hired in the last year? Can you see a portion of their training before you buy?

It has become time-consuming and expensive to get a Security Guard License in Ontario. The training is between $200-$500. The Ontario Security Guard Test is $60+HST and the Security Guard License is another $80. The training is a minimum of 40 hours, but some places, like the colleges, do it over a number of weeks, others are more self-paced. Once you're done training, you need to book your test and send off your Application to the Ministry (MCSCS). The MCSCS has 30 days to complete your license after they receive it. So, you might get through the training in a week, but don't expect to start work for another few weeks after that, even if you get a job offer.

The total cost to get this job is between $350 and $650, takes at least 3 weeks to get licensed and pays sightly above minimum wage to start.

With a shortage of licensed security guards in Ontario right now, I can see where the average wage may go up in the coming months.

I'm Chantal and I am the online trainer for Lowell Security Inc. - Security Guard Training at http://www.LowellSecurity.com

We are a Security Guard Agency that employs guards throughout Northern Ontario. We have been training guards in remote areas for over 20 years and when the new Security Guard Act took effect we felt it was the perfect time to take our training to the public.

We offer an online trainer 9:30am-3:30pm Monday to Friday. The training is self paced, and you can work on the materials anytime, so the trainer is more like a personal tutor. You can reach our trainer online in the virtual classroom, by phone, and by email. I will even text with you, if you want.

My students have a 95% success rate, the first time they write the Ontario Security Guard Test. But if you don't pass, we will continue to work with you until you pass the test.

And, we generally prefer to hire from our own graduates first. So we know they are well trained.

We are a member of GuardsOntario, an association of security guard companies in Northern Ontario.