Ontario Mining & Healthcare Sector: Indigenous Regional Workforce Development Roundtable Pilot


ADVANCING RECONCILIATION AND INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT!

Anishinabek Employment and Training Services (AETS) is piloting Indigenous Regional Workforce Development Roundtables in Ontario, which will include engagement with the 22 Ontario distinct based Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Agreement (ISETA) Holders and collectively govern the collaboration with other stakeholders to align training and employment initiatives with the needs of Indigenous communities and regional labour markets.  AETS will deliver Regional Workforce Development Roundtables to support two key, high-growth sectors: Mining and Healthcare.

The project will focus on Skills Partnership Fund (SPF) support activities including the following roundtable primary objectives,  funded by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC):

  • Aligning Regional Priorities:
    • Developing region-specific priorities for skills training investments, identifying labour market needs, engaging targeted industries, and facilitating discussions with potential project proponents.
  • Community-Led Decision-Making:
    • Placing Indigenous communities at the forefront of priority-setting to ensure that projects and partnerships align with their development goals while fostering economic sustainability and reconciliation.
  • Coordinating Investments:
    • Harmonizing funding across stakeholders to eliminate duplication, leverage diverse funding sources, and identify innovative collaboration opportunities.

AETS will build on its capacity to manage and deliver large-scale training programs and leverage its experience in successfully mobilizing industry employers, partner organizations, and government representatives to achieve these objectives.

Each pilot roundtable led by Ontario ISETA Holders governance aims to deliver outcomes to support the deliverables.  AETS will work with ISETA holders to bring together Indigenous organizations, industry partners, and government representatives to foster collaboration and build sustainable partnerships across Ontario.  For each sector, a series of virtual meetings and workshops will be held to gather information and feedback from partners; the themes of these discussion will support the following four intentions:

  • Enhanced Networking Opportunities
  • Agreed Regional Priorities
  • Optimized Funding Strategies
  • Strategic Recommendations

This work will culminate in an in-person, one-day roundtable event (one per sector) that will support the development of final strategic recommendations.  AETS anticipates the following outcomes resulting from this Regional Workforce Development Roundtable Pilot:

  • Enhanced understanding of the skills development needs and interests of the communities in Ontario;
  • Identification of potential community projects and related employment opportunities;
  • Strengthened relationships between communities, businesses, and training providers;
  • Comprehensive report providing actionable insights and recommendations for future initiatives.

The proposed project will commence in the Spring/Summer of 2025 and will be completed by March 31st 2026, with delivery of a comprehensive and actionable plan for each sector (Mining and Healthcare) to support long-term sustainability of skills and training initiatives in high demand areas of the labour market and continued collaboration among partnerships through a model of regional roundtables.

MINING SECTOR:

HEALTH SECTOR:

For any inquiries about the upcoming roundtable activities, please reach out to any of the following contacts:

  • John DeGiacomo
    • Executive Director, Anishinabek Employment and Training Services
    • ed@aets.org
    • T: 807-346-0307 ext. 201
  • Amber Legarde
    • Operations Manager, Anishinabek Employment and Training Services
    • amber.legarde@aets.org
    • T: 807-346-0307 ext. 203
  • Tyler Gingras
    • Project Co-ordinator, Anishinabek Employment and Training Services
    • tyler.gingras@aets.org
    • T: 807-346-0307 ext. 205
  • Kim Gamache
    • Finance Assistant, Anishinabek Employment and Training Services
    • kim.gamache@aets.org
    • T: 807-346-0307 ext. 202