The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), in collaboration with Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO) and Ontario Tourism Education Corporation (OTEC), is now accepting applications for A Three Fires Collaborative Quest Program - a program designed to fill critical gaps within the industry and encourage recovery and growth of the province’s tourism workforce by bringing awareness of opportunities to potential Indigenous employees.
The Program
The program, A Three Fires Collaborative Quest, will be executed in three phases - each managed by one of the three aforementioned partners respectively.
Fire One:
Indigenous tourism businesses will receive one-on-one coaching and support from ITO’s Indigenous Business Advisory (IBA) Program to assist in getting them market ready for the reopening. The structured content delivered to participants of the IBA Program will address all areas of a tourism operation required for business sustainability and success and will follow market-ready standards established specifically for the Indigenous tourism industry.
Fire Two:
The second fire will be managed by OTEC who will design and execute workshops to provide customized frontline training for 100+ Indigenous tourism employees as well as those identified through the IBA.
Fire Three:
The third fire, executed by TIAO, is an employee-to-employer matching event designed to bridge the gap between the other two fires by helping Indigenous tourism employees find employers, and conversely, tourism businesses (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) find employees.
How to Participate
Employee Participation
To be eligible for the program as a potential employee, you must identify as Indigenous. After being accepted into the program, you will have the opportunity to participate in frontline training workshops facilitated by OTEC. These workshops are suitable for potential employees whether you are just starting in the tourism industry, or if you have experience but are seeking a new position within the industry.
After completing the training program, you will be invited to participate in the Employee to Employer Matching event. The upcoming dates are Monday, February 7th, 2022 & Monday, March 7th, 2022. Hosted virtually, our online platform will allow you to schedule video interviews with potential employers, and vice-versa, in order to provide you the opportunity to secure employment in 2022.
To apply, click here: https://forms.gle/3tXgNb9wV9vPDotW8
Employer Participation
Please note: A Three Fires Collaborative Quest is designed to build capacity in the tourism workforce for the 2022 season. Employees will be applying for positions for 2022.
To apply for the program as an employer, you must be a tourism business in Ontario, and you must be willing to support your new employee’s training and development in collaboration with the program. Potential employees will begin their frontline training this Fall, 2021.
You will be invited to participate in the Employee to Employer Matching event taking place on Monday, February 7th, 2022 & Monday, March 7th, 2022. Hosted virtually, our online platform will allow you to schedule online interviews with potential employees, and vice-versa, to interview them for your eligible positions in 2022.
An additional benefit, is upon completion of the program, you will be eligible to receive a wage subsidy of up to 30%, with a maximum of $3,000 per employee hired.
To apply, click here: https://forms.gle/GXWXjb5Esz6o5MMJ8
