74 METIS NA TION Of ONT ARIO Annu A l Repo R t 20122013 nA v IGA t I n G eM ploy M ent p A t HW A ys n EP Building on the success of the Ready to W ork T ourism and Hospitality Pr ogram the Metis Nation of Ontario MNO launched the new Navigating Employment Pathways Pr ogram NEP funded in part by the Gover nment of Canada The pr ogram is a partnership between the MNO and the Ontario T ourism Education Corporation OTEC The pr ogram is designed to pr ovide industr y specifc training to Aboriginal people looking for a car eer in the tourism and hospitality sector The pr ogram is of fer ed at four sites Thunder Bay Sault Ste Marie North Bay and Midland This fully funded training opportunity was of fer ed twice a year The pr ogram is comprised of two training components The frst is ten weeks of classr oom training wher e participants gain certifcations in T ourism Essentials Ser vice Excellence Food Safety W orkplace Hazar dous Ma terials Information System WHMIS and Smart Ser ve Participants then take these skills and apply them during the second component which is a paid work placement During the work placement participants will begin to log their work hours towar ds the second step of the Emerit National Pr ofessional Certifcation Pr ocess bringing them one step closer to becoming a Certifed T ourism Pr ofessional Recent notable achievements As of Mar ch 31 ther e wer e 115 participants r egister ed in the pr oject Participants completed the following certifcations 97 T ourism Essentials 99 Ser vice Excellence 90 Food Safety 91 WHMIS 49 Smart Ser ve 26 Emerit A new partnership has been established with the Fairmont Banf f Springs Hotel This partner has commit ted to take two to four placements per intake p ro G ram de T a I ls Funders Service c anada Strategic Partnership f und Gover nment of c anada n umber of s taf f 6 s taf f located in Midland n orth Bay Sault Ste Marie and t hunder Bay e ligible Clientele Self identifed Metis and other Aboriginal people