ACCES Employment 50/50 Raffle Winner Announced!
The ACCES Employment 50/50 raffle has officially closed, and we’re pleased to announce our grand prize winner! Congratulations to the holder of winning ticket C-1035, who is taking home $1,060! The winning ticket was selected on October 26, 2026, with the winner receiving 50% of the total raffle jackpot. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket and supported our World of Difference fundraising campaign. Your participation helps support vital sector-specific employment programs for jobseekers, including newcomers and individuals from diverse and marginalized communities. The raffle may be over, but there’s still an opportunity to make a difference! […]
ACCES Employment Announces New President and CEO, Paula Calderon
Toronto, ON – ACCES Employment is pleased to announce the appointment of Paula Calderon as its next President & Chief Executive Officer. She will officially join the organization on October 19, 2026. Paula is an accomplished nonprofit executive with more than two decades of leadership experience in the settlement, employment, and workforce development sectors. Most recently, she served as Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA), Canada’s largest gender-focused immigrant-serving organization, and previously held leadership roles with Windmill Microlending and ACCES Employment. As an immigrant to Canada herself, Paula brings both professional expertise and lived experience to […]
ACCES Employment Releases 2025–26 Annual Report: Building on 40 Years of Impact
Report highlights 57,000+ clients served, and the retirement of President & CEO Allison Pond after 25 years of leadership
ACCES Employment Announces Retirement of President and CEO, Allison Pond
Toronto, ON – After 25 years as President and CEO of ACCES Employment, Allison Pond, retired effective July 3, 2026. 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 a leading 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 over 57,000 […]
CBC Radio: Are newcomers using the skills they trained for?
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 […]
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 […]