Ushering in a New Season

Indigenous Skills, Employment, Apprenticeship and Development (ISEAD) was incorporated, with consultation, as a federal non-profit corporation in April 2024, to take over the activities and operations of the long-established Aboriginal Apprenticeship Board of Ontario (AABO) to better reflect respectful Indigenous references and the scope of the organization’s activities underway within AABO. The Aboriginal Apprenticeship Board of Ontario (AABO) was established in 2014, after several years of consultation and development with the Ontario Aboriginal Apprenticeship Working Group (OAAWG), with a Vision to improve the socio-economic well-being of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people of Ontario through successful inclusion in the skilled trades. The AABO driving force has been to develop partnerships and tools using AABO core values of inclusivity, respect, advocacy, relevance and awareness, that will facilitate, enhance and support the recruitment, retention and advancement of Indigenous Peoples in the skilled trades, increasing the number of Indigenous Peoples in these trades, to result in sustainable career pathways and lifelong learning opportunities for all Indigenous Peoples. AABO pillars include Aboriginal Human Resource Development Agreement (AHRDA) now Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) holders, Workplace Partnerships, Training Institutes, Capacity Building and Governance. AABO, effective March 31, 2025, has completed the process of transitioning all activities to the ISEAD organization. ISEAD will continue to build upon the important work of AABO expanding attraction, recruitment, selection, employment and skills development collaborative initiatives, which develop relationships to unite the supply and demand sides at national, regional and local levels, throughout Canada including urban, rural, remote, and isolated geographies to further increase accessibility and opportunities for Indigenous peoples while supporting Industry’s strategic sustainable growth plans, across all sectors. ISEAD is expanding the AABO apprenticeship focus to also include employment and skills & workforce development opportunities that may not be under an apprenticeship, across all sectors. ISEAD is committed to the legacy of AABO.