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Now Available: ACCES Employment’s 2024-2025 Annual Report

We are proud to release our 2024–2025 Annual Report, a comprehensive look at another year of remarkable achievements, innovation, and impact in the communities we serve. This year’s report highlights the progress we’ve made in creating a more diverse and skilled workforce across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. Some key highlights include: The launch of the first-ever ACCES Street Fleet, expanding our outreach and access to local communities that are harder to reach Growth and diversification of sector-specific programming in key areas such as agri-tech, healthcare, and skilled trades An expanded employer network, now surpassing 5,200 valued partners A […]

ACCES Employment Announces Retirement of President and CEO, Allison Pond

Toronto, ON – After 25 years as President and CEO of ACCES Employment, Allison Pond, will retire later this year. Her retirement marks the beginning of a new chapter for a deeply respected and valued leader whose contributions have significantly shaped the workforce development sector in Ontario and across Canada.  Under Allison’s leadership, ACCES has grown steadily from a nine person team into leading a community based workforce development organization with over 200 employees, seven offices across the Greater Toronto Area, and an annual budget of $35 million. Her strategic insight into employer relationships enhanced ACCES’s impact, supporting 56,000 jobseekers and more than 5,200 […]

CMA Foundation Funds Program to HELP International Physicians Practice

ACCES Employment’s Health English Language Pro (HELP) is expanding with new funding from the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Foundation. The $645,000 investment over three years will support the expansion of the program which pairs newcomer or internationally trained physicians (ITPs), with Canadian physicians to provide practical insight into communication and clinical expectations in Canada. These partnerships help ITPs strengthen the language and communication skills they need to successfully integrate into the healthcare sector in Canada.  ITPs bring valuable clinical expertise and experience, but many face a complex, fragmented path to licensure and limited opportunities to practise professional English in a Canadian clinical context. Often the most prominent barrier isn’t skill, it’s access: to mentorship, to channels for clinical discourse, and networks that support informed career decisions. HELP was designed for this very reason.  Founded in […]

CBC Radio spotlights Health English Language Pro (HELP) as retired Ottawa physician Dr. Janet Nuth shares her experience

ACCES Employment’s Health English Language Pro (HELP) is expanding with new funding from the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Foundation. The $645,000 investment over three years will support the expansion of the program which pairs newcomer or internationally trained physicians (ITPs), with Canadian physicians to provide practical insight into communication and clinical expectations in Canada. These partnerships help ITPs strengthen the language and communication skills they need to successfully integrate into the healthcare sector in Canada.  ITPs bring valuable clinical expertise and experience, but many face a complex, fragmented path to licensure and limited opportunities to practise professional English in a Canadian clinical context. Often the most prominent barrier isn’t skill, it’s access: to mentorship, to channels for clinical discourse, and networks that support informed career decisions. HELP was designed for this very reason.  Founded in […]

New CMA Foundation partnership will expand HELP nationwide—supporting newcomer physicians and strengthening Canada’s health workforce

ACCES Employment’s Health English Language Pro (HELP) is expanding with new funding from the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Foundation. The $645,000 investment over three years will support the expansion of the program which pairs newcomer or internationally trained physicians (ITPs), with Canadian physicians to provide practical insight into communication and clinical expectations in Canada. These partnerships help ITPs strengthen the language and communication skills they need to successfully integrate into the healthcare sector in Canada.  ITPs bring valuable clinical expertise and experience, but many face a complex, fragmented path to licensure and limited opportunities to practise professional English in a Canadian clinical context. Often the most prominent barrier isn’t skill, it’s access: to mentorship, to channels for clinical discourse, and networks that support informed career decisions. HELP was designed for this very reason.  Founded in […]

ACCES Launches New Ontario Initiative to Help Newcomer Services Adopt Messaging Platforms  

ACCES Employment has launched the SEND (Supports to Engage Newcomers Digitally) Project — a new Ontario initiative helping newcomer-serving organizations add messaging platforms like SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Facebook Messenger to their client communication toolkit.   The project responds to a growing challenge across the sector: newcomers are highly active on mobile messaging apps, yet most service providers still rely on email and phone calls. By integrating these platforms alongside traditional channels, organizations can reduce missed appointments, boost engagement, and reach clients in ways that feel natural and accessible. It also opens new possibilities to connect with prospective clients who […]

Digital Narratives of Newcomer Physicians: Mapping A Journey of Integration and Well-Being

Explore the Digital Narratives of Newcomer Physicians (DiNNP)To design effective workforce development solutions for newcomer physicians, it’s important to first understand their lived experiences, including the challenges and opportunities that shape their journey toward medical licensure or other roles within the healthcare system.  These insights help inform supports that meet the specific needs of internationally educated healthcare professionals (IEHPs) and help them move confidently toward healthcare practice.  About DiNNP Developed by ACCES Employment in collaboration with Trillium Health Partners’ Institute for Better Health and funded by the Future Skills Centre, the Digital Narratives of Newcomer Physicians (DiNNP) project uses interactive digital […]

Celebrating National ERG Day: Building Community, Belonging, and Inclusive Leadership at ACCES

Today, as organizations across the country mark National Employee Resource Group (ERG) Day, ACCES is proud to celebrate the ways our ERGs strengthen connection, spark conversation, and make our workplace feel more like a community.   Embedding EDI in Our Mission and Our Culture  Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are tightly woven into our mission. They shape how we serve jobseekers and how we work together as colleagues. With support from our EDI Council, ACCES One, we work intentionally to build a culture where everyone feels respected, welcomed, and encouraged to grow.   With executive support, we’ve strengthened employee engagement through a growing number of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). These groups […]

Federal Budget 2025: A skilled workforce needed to support nation-building plans

With the federal government’s efforts to bring growth and stability to the Canadian economy, skilled and ready workers who are quickly able to enter the workforce will be integral to overcoming any of the persistent economic challenges Canadians continue to face.  Tuesday’s Budget 2025 saw the release of ambitious plans to invest in key areas such as housing, infrastructure, and clean energy, while belt-tightening in others. This nation-building economic agenda must be coupled with corresponding skills and talent policies and programs.   “What we need is bold investment and priority given to strengthening a workforce that will help build and execute on those national plans,” says Allison Pond, President and CEO at ACCES Employment. “This means significant skills training, immigration supports, and clear pathways to viable employment. We […]

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