Empowering Indigenous Youth Through Skilled Trades & Technologies!
Connecting First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth with mentors, culture, and career opportunities.
Through our First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) Initiatives, we do our best to ensure that our programs are led by and inclusive of Indigenous peoples. As we connect youth to Indigenous community members, we develop and deliver programs with this as our top priority. Skills Ontario is dedicated to respecting Indigenous culture; we try to employ FNMI peoples in positions relating to FNMI youth where possible and consult with local First Nations communities when we run events in their area, seeking mentors, elders, and youth to participate.
Our Impact
Thank you to our FNMI Program Sponsors:
This Employment Ontario program is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
FNMI Student Conference
Be Inspired. Build Your Future.
Since 2016, Skills Ontario has brought First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth together for the FNMI Student Conference, our flagship event celebrating Indigenous success in the skilled trades and technologies.
Held as part of the Skills Ontario Competition, the conference brings together Indigenous youth, industry professionals, apprentices, educators, colleges, and employers for a day focused on inspiration, connection, and opportunity.
Students will hear from Indigenous leaders and professionals who have built careers in the skilled trades and technologies, explore pathways into these fields, and connect with organizations helping shape the future of Indigenous youth.
What to Expect
- Be inspired by an engaging keynote speaker and Indigenous industry leaders
- Hear real stories through a panel of Indigenous skilled trades and technology professionals
- Connect with industry, colleges, apprentices, employers, and community organizations
- Explore interactive exhibitor booths and hands-on activities
- Discover pathways into apprenticeships, post-secondary education, and rewarding careers
- See what’s possible by meeting Indigenous people who are building successful careers in the trades and technologies
2027 Event Details
📅 Date: May 4, 2027
📍 Location: Toronto Congress Centre
🎟️ Tickets: $20 per person
10:30 AM – Registration & Booth Exploration
Connect with exhibitors and explore interactive hands-on activities.
12:00 PM – Formal Conference Program
Keynote speaker, Indigenous skilled trades and technology panel, and inspiring stories of career success.
1:00 PM – Lunch
Registration Opens January 11, 2027
This is one of our most popular FNMI events and spaces fill quickly. Check back for registration details, speaker announcements, the full agenda, and more.
Come hear the stories. Meet the role models. Discover what’s possible.
FNMI Skilled Trades & Tech Expo
Get Hands-On. Explore Careers. Discover What You Can Do.
Ready to try something new?
The FNMI Skilled Trades & Technology Expo, presented by Skills Ontario in partnership with the North Shore Tribal Council, is an interactive career exploration experience designed for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students in Grades 7–12.
Unlike a traditional conference, the Expo puts students right in the action. Explore interactive booths, try hands-on activities, meet Indigenous tradespeople and technology professionals, and get a closer look at the tools, skills, and careers that keep our communities moving forward.
Students will have the opportunity to:
- Try it through hands-on skilled trades and technology activities
- Meet it by connecting with Indigenous professionals, apprentices, employers, and industry
- Explore it by discovering different trades, technologies, and career pathways
- Imagine it by seeing how their interests and skills could become a career
Whether students already know what they want to do or are still figuring it out, the Expo is a chance to explore, experiment, ask questions, and find something that sparks their interest.
Coming Late Spring 2027
More details, including the event date, registration information, exhibitors, and activities, will be announced soon.
FNMI Skilled Trades & Tech Days
Bring Career Exploration to Your Community
Sometimes the best career exploration happens closer to home.
FNMI Skilled Trades & Technology Days are regional, hands-on career exploration events designed for First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and non-Status youth. These smaller, more intimate events bring skilled trades, technology, and STEAM experiences directly into schools and communities.
Events can be tailored to the needs of individual school boards or First Nation communities, allowing us to highlight the careers, industries, training opportunities, and pathways that are most relevant to local youth.
Students will have the opportunity to:
- 🛠️ Get hands-on through interactive skilled trades, technology, and STEAM workshops
- 👷 Meet mentors and hear directly from people working in the trades and technologies
- 🔍 Explore careers across a wide range of industries and career pathways
- 💡 Discover STEAM in action through engaging, practical activities
- 🤝 Build connections with employers, apprentices, educators, and community partners
- 🚀 See what’s possible and discover pathways that can lead to rewarding careers close to home and beyond
With multiple workshop rotations and opportunities to try something new, students aren’t just learning about careers — they’re experiencing them.
Designed for Your Community
Whether you’re a school board, First Nation, or community organization, we can work with you to create an event that reflects your students’ interests and local opportunities.
Bring the trades, technology, and STEAM to your community.
Interested in bringing an FNMI Skilled Trades & Technology Day to your school board or First Nation community?
Contact Brittany Raymond at braymond@skillsontario.com to explore bringing a customized event to your community.
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FNMI Career Awareness Workshops & Presentations
What could you build, create, fix, design, or invent?
Our FNMI Career Awareness Workshops introduce First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth to the hundreds of career opportunities available in skilled trades and technologies.
These engaging 45–60 minute presentations combine multimedia, hands-on activities, real-world examples, and Indigenous perspectives to help students discover careers they may never have considered.
Students will explore:
- Skilled trades and technology careers across a range of sectors
- Apprenticeships, training, education, and career pathways
- Salaries, job roles, and opportunities for career growth
- The skills and experience needed to get started
Available in person or virtually for schools, communities, and cultural gathering places.
Give your students a chance to discover what they’re capable of.
FNMI By the Fire Series
Real Stories. Real People. Real Career Journeys.
By the Fire is a virtual speaker series that brings First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth into conversations with Indigenous people working in the skilled trades and technologies.
Each session features an Indigenous guest sharing their personal career journey — the choices they made, the challenges they faced, the skills they developed, and what led them to where they are today.
Designed to feel like a conversation with an auntie, uncle, mentor, or someone from your community, By the Fire creates space for honest stories, questions, and connection.
Youth will have the opportunity to:
- Hear real stories from Indigenous trades and technology professionals
- Ask questions and take part in the conversation
- Learn about different pathways into skilled trades and technologies
- Discover careers and possibilities they may not have considered
No stage. No lecture. Just real conversations about real career journeys.
Coming Fall 2026 – Winter 2027
Dates and featured speakers will be announced soon..
FNMI Summer Camp – Community Build
The FNMI Summer Camp – Community Build gives Indigenous youth the opportunity to work alongside skilled trades and industry professionals to plan, build, and complete a real construction project that is donated back to their community.
Designed for youth entering Grades 7–9, this hands-on summer experience takes career exploration beyond the classroom. Participants work together to develop practical skills, use tools and materials, solve problems, and experience what it’s like to work as part of a professional team.
And when the build is complete, the project goes back to the community.
Participants will:
- Get hands-on with real construction and skilled trades
- Learn from industry professionals and Indigenous mentors
- Develop practical skills with tools, materials, and construction techniques
- Build teamwork, confidence, and problem-solving skills
- Explore careers in the skilled trades, technologies, and STEAM
- Give back by creating something their community can use and enjoy
Learn. Build. Give Back.
This isn’t just a summer camp. It’s an opportunity to build skills, build confidence, and build something that matters to your community.
Check back for 2027 camp dates and registration information.
Indigenous Role Model Campaign
Hear the stories of Indigenous skilled tradespeople and their journeys into their careers. Skills Ontario First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Initiatives aim to increase the awareness of Indigenous youth in the rewarding career opportunities that exist in the skilled trades and technologies. A classroom flyer in English and Ojibway is also available for download.
French classroom flyers are also available on the French section of our website. Please click on the ‘Français’ button in the upper right corner of this webpage to access the French section of our website.
| DAN WHITE | Ojibway Flyer | English Flyer | Video |
| DEVIN BOOMHOUR | Ojibway Flyer | English Flyer | Video |
| HOLLY FOSTER | Ojibway Flyer | English Flyer | Video |
| KAELLA EARLE | Ojibway Flyer | English Flyer | Video |
| KRISTY CORBIERE | Ojibway Flyer | English Flyer | Video |
| RJ DEGAGNE | Ojibway Flyer | English Flyer | Video |
| NICHOLAS MANNING | Ojibway Flyer | English Flyer | Video |
| AJ MORNINGSTAR | Ojibway Flyer | English Flyer | Video |
| KURTIS BOLDUC | Ojibway Flyer | English Flyer | Video |
Meet The Team
Brittany Raymond
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Initiatives Program Manager
braymond@skillsontario.com
I’m Brittany, a Métis woman from Sudbury, Ontario. Before joining Skills Ontario, I was a CWB-licensed welder, though it wasn’t my first career.
After excelling academically in high school, I pursued a B.A. in Anthropology with a focus on not-for-profits, economic development, and international aid. I worked in the field for years but felt unfulfilled behind a desk. After being laid off, I spent months searching for work but had an epiphany after one interview—why return to an office? I registered for welding school, and just three days after finishing, I landed a full-time job and felt empowered like never before.
Now, as the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Program Manager for Skills Ontario, I combine my passions to inspire youth across the province. I truly believe there’s a career for everyone in the skilled trades and technology sectors. Feel free to reach out to me or anyone on the FNMI team!
Bill Couchie
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Initiatives Program Facilitator
bcouchie@skillsontario.com
My name is William Couchie, but most people call me Bill, and I am a First Nation, Metis, Inuit Program Facilitator with Skills Ontario. I started my career at Skills Ontario in the fall of 2015 and I really enjoyed what I get to do at Skills Ontario.
I am originally from Nipissing First Nation near North Bay, Ontario. I did my BA in History at Nipissing University and in 2007, I moved to London, Ontario to begin a Master program in Indigenous History at the University of Western Ontario. I graduated in with an MA in Indigenous History in 2008 and began my career search. I worked several jobs after university, but I just didn’t feel like I was accomplishing anything or felt content about my job. I applied for the FNMI Liaison position at Skills Ontario and began working in 2015. Within the first few weeks, I realized that I had found job that allowed me to be happy and accomplished.
I really enjoy educating students as well as adults about the opportunities and benefits of working in the skilled trade and technology career fields. I get to assist people with the difficult decision of making post-secondary pathway and career choices as well as just introducing them to a whole new career fields they may not have known existed. This position can be very rewarding especially when students tell me that I inspired them to investigate careers in the trades and technologies. Even if only one person tells me I had an impact on them, I feel accomplished.
Alex Graham
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Initiatives Program Facilitator
agraham@skillsontario.com
My name is Alex Graham, and I am the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Initiatives Program Facilitator with Skills Ontario. Although I have a background in the restaurant industry and hold an Accounting diploma from Confederation College, I quickly realized these fields weren’t my true calling. In my current role at Skills Ontario, I’m excited to help young people explore who they are and discover their passions before committing to a career path. I’ve developed a strong passion for introducing students to the trades—fields I wish I had known about earlier in life. With Ontario’s growing demand for skilled tradespeople, I find this work incredibly fulfilling, and I hope to make a lasting impact on the communities I serve.
