News

New Internship Program Creates Job Opportunities for Nipissing and Northern Ontario

North Bay – Today, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli announced that the Ontario government is making the Northern Ontario Internship Program more accessible, creating job opportunities for Indigenous people, and addressing the skilled labour shortage across the North. Internship programs in Nipissing will receive a total of $578,527 in funding.

“We are strengthening Northern Ontario’s competitive advantage by attracting, training and retaining a highly skilled workforce,” said MPP Fedeli. “Through our government’s Open for Business, Open for Jobs approach we are making Northern Ontario more attractive to investors, entrepreneurs and job creators.”

The Ontario government is supporting a wider variety of internships by removing the requirement that applicants be recent university or college graduates. Program candidates will now include new entrants into the workforce, those transitioning to a new career, the unemployed, and underemployed. This addresses the unique needs of in-demand jobs throughout Nipissing and Northern Ontario.

The new Northern Ontario Internship Program will have two funding streams:

• The Northern Ontario Indigenous Internships Stream highlights the importance of the North’s Indigenous population to the region’s economy, and workforce while providing employers with greater incentive to offer Indigenous internship opportunities.
• The Northern Ontario Skilled Labour Internships Stream places an enhanced focus on addressing skills shortages in areas such as the skilled trades, and provides apprentices with the ability to attend required training throughout their placement.

“We are removing barriers to participation in the Northern Ontario Internship Program so that more organizations can help people learn the skills they need to get and keep a job,” said MPP Fedeli.  “As the population ages, we will need everyone to participate in the workforce and ensure our economy continues to grow.”

The following internship programs in Nipissing will benefit from today’s funding announcement:

• Algonquin Wildlife Research Station (AWRS)
• Anishinabek Nation 7th Generation Charity
• Anishinabek/Ontario Fisheries Resource Centre
• Canadian Diamond Drilling Association (CDDA)
• Canadian Institute of Forestry
• City of North Bay
• Creative Industries North Bay Inc.
• Foraco Canada Ltd.
• FPInnovations
• Induspec
• Innovation Initiatives Ontario North (IION)
• ion8
• Municipality of East Ferris
• NECO Community Futures Development Corporation
• North Bay Oral Surgery Clinic
• North Bay Theatre and Arts Community Centre
• Parkside Animal Hospital
• Perrin Ahmad LLP
• Think On, Inc.