AETS joins EmployNext network in Northwestern Ontario

By AI, Created 2:51 PM UTC, May 26, 2026, /AGP/ – Anishinabek Employment & Training Services has joined the Employment Ontario network as a service provider, expanding coordinated employment supports for Indigenous jobseekers and employers across Northwestern Ontario. The partnership, effective April 1, 2026, is designed to improve access to culturally responsive, community-based services.

Why it matters: - The addition of Anishinabek Employment & Training Services (AETS) is meant to strengthen access to employment services for Indigenous jobseekers across Northwestern Ontario. - The partnership aims to reduce barriers by linking skills development, job matching and wraparound supports through organizations Indigenous communities already know and trust. - EmployNext says the move supports more equitable, culturally responsive and place-based employment services in the region.

What happened: - AETS officially joined the Employment Ontario network as a service provider, effective April 1, 2026. - EmployNext powered by Serco announced the partnership on May 26, 2026. - AETS will work in partnership to deliver Employment Services supports to jobseekers and employers. - The organization already serves multiple First Nations and Indigenous communities across Northwestern Ontario, including communities in the North Superior region around Thunder Bay.

The details: - AETS brings experience as an Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) program provider. - The service model includes collaboration with the other 7 Northwestern Ontario ISET Agreement Holders. - The goal is to strengthen pathways for Indigenous jobseekers across the region. - AETS was founded in 1997. - AETS supports jobseekers through career planning, skills training, employment services, continuing education and employer partnerships. - AETS says its work is guided by Anishinaabe values and the Seven Sacred Teachings. - EmployNext is the Employment Ontario Service System Manager for the Kingston–Pembroke, Kitchener-Waterloo-Barrie and Northwestern Ontario regions. - EmployNext oversees a network of service providers delivering employment and training supports to jobseekers and employers. - More information is available at EmployNext’s website.

Between the lines: - The partnership appears designed to make employment services easier to navigate for Indigenous communities by keeping services coordinated across providers. - The emphasis on trusted, community-based delivery suggests the network is trying to improve both access and cultural fit, not just expand service volume. - The collaboration also aligns with broader workforce goals around Indigenous participation and self-determined service delivery.

What’s next: - AETS and EmployNext are expected to coordinate service delivery for jobseekers and employers across Northwestern Ontario. - The partnership will likely focus on smoother referrals, broader access to supports and stronger connections among Indigenous service providers. - EmployNext says the network will continue learning from one another to ensure services reflect community priorities.

The bottom line: - AETS’s entry into the EmployNext network adds a new Indigenous-led channel for employment supports across Northwestern Ontario, with the goal of making services more coordinated, accessible and culturally responsive.