Collège Boréal in Sudbury will serve as a new regional employment services center in northeastern Ontario.

On Oct. 23, the college announced it had been appointed by the province as Service System Manager (SSM), one of 15 centers located across the province that aim to help people find work.

The aim is to streamline existing employment services to make them more efficient and better meet the needs of jobseekers, businesses and local communities.

In a press release, the college said it was selected by the province following a “rigorous tender process” as required by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

“This appointment as manager of the employment services system for Northeastern Ontario reflects the solid organizational foundation that Collège Boréal has built over many years in the employability sector,” declared the president of the College, Daniel Giroux, in the press release.

“This validates our institution’s strong expertise in workforce development and employment services. Winning this bid is the result of a shared commitment with our partners to create lasting vitality that will help our region reach its full potential.

As part of its work, the college leads a consortium that includes the District Social Services Boards of Northeastern Ontario, the City of Greater Sudbury, four Northeast colleges (Sault College, Northern College, Cambrian College, Canadore College) and Miikana, an agency focused on Indigenous strategic development.

DSSAB Consortium members include those from the Sault Ste. Marie, Algoma, Manitoulin-Sudbury, Parry Sound, Nipissing, Timiskaming and Cochrane.

“Through this innovative and collaborative approach, Collège Boréal aims to improve the region’s responsiveness to the demands of the local labor market, in order to obtain meaningful results for job seekers, employers and communities,” said declared the college.

The integration of employment services in Northeastern Ontario is expected to be completed by 2025.

The integration of employment services in Northeastern Ontario is expected to be completed by 2025.

The province has also identified a service system manager for northwestern Ontario. This work will fall to the Serco Canada organization, headquartered in Toronto.