Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong Training and Employment Centre for the Treaty No. 3 Area Inc.

Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong Training and Employment Centre for the Treaty No. 3 Area Inc. is mandated by the Chiefs of Treaty No. 3 to promote employment development and deliver training initiatives for 23 First Nations and Treaty 3 members both within and outside the territory. The organization acts as a regional Indigenous employment and training provider, administering federal and other funds to support skills development, work experience and labour market participation for Anishinaabeg.

Through its portfolio of programs, Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong provides financial assistance to individuals, communities and employers. This support can take the form of wage subsidies, trainee allowances, coverage of training costs, overhead and special costs to accommodate persons with disabilities. Funding is delivered under clearly defined program streams with published eligibility criteria, maximum durations and contribution rates.

The Individual Employment/Training Program includes Wage Subsidy and Purchase of Training streams that help unemployed Treaty 3 members gain occupational skills. Participant wages, training costs and special supports may be covered for projects of several weeks, with different contribution rates for non-profit and private employers.

The First Nations Training Program supports community-based group projects such as Community Based Training Initiatives and Purchase of Training – Community Initiatives. These initiatives fund participant wages or allowances, overhead and training costs for groups of at least three trainees, helping communities organize on-the-job and classroom training aligned with local employment needs.

Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong also runs Employee Skills Development and Community Enhancement projects similar to job-creation programs, where financial assistance is based on participant work weeks and is intended to maintain and demonstrate employment skills, with a focus on improving quality of life for youth and children in the community.

The Youth Programs portfolio includes the Career Employment Match Program for post-secondary students, which provides summer placements in fields related to students’ studies. The program offers a per-hour contribution towards wages, requires an employer top-up and operates until the available budget is fully allocated. In addition, Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong administers Youth Group Project funding and Youth Achievers Bursary Awards that recognize academic, community and cultural achievement.

A dedicated Self-Employment Program offers technical advice, training and access to financial and non-financial resources for aspiring entrepreneurs, while the Disability Program helps cover extra costs related to a participant’s disability and offers flexible wage or allowance support so that persons with disabilities can access all existing programs on an equal basis.

The organization maintains a centralized forms section with application packages for individuals, persons with disabilities, First Nations and regional training projects, youth initiatives, self-employment and general payment claims. Programs typically require both participant and employer applications, are subject to an assessment process and depend on the availability of program funds. Clear guidelines outline eligibility, required documentation, and financial parameters such as maximum hourly contributions and project durations.

Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong primarily serves Treaty No. 3 First Nations communities, individual Treaty 3 members, youth, persons with disabilities and regional employers in northwestern Ontario. By combining financial assistance with culturally appropriate employment services, counselling and recognition events such as its annual banquet and bursary awards, the centre supports long-term skills development, sustainable employment and community well-being across the Treaty 3 region.