Awards

2026 Indigenous Skills and Employment Champion Awards

Nominate someone for the 2026 Indigenous Skills and Employment Champion Awards! 

This year during the National Gathering we’ll be awarding various awards to special people. View the catergoies below.

  • We’re celebrating the movers, shakers, and changemakers in Indigenous Skills and Employment Training!

    Nominees can be:

    • Inuit, Métis, Urban or First Nations individuals

    • Or amazing individuals and organizations who work with (or have worked with) ISET Agreement Holder organizations across these communities.

    Yes—you can even nominate yourself! 🙌

  • Nominations are now closed! Thanks to all who submitted.

  • Every nomination will be carefully reviewed by our independent Judging Panel made up of respected community leaders, Elders, and experts in Indigenous training and employment.

    They’ll be looking for:

    • Impact 💥

    • Innovation 🌱

    • Leadership 🧭

    • And how well the nominee reflects the heart of what ISET stands for ❤️️

  • Winners will be celebrated in style at the ISET National Gathering in Ottawa – January 23–25, 2026! 🎊

    They’ll receive:

    • A beautiful award (some well deserved hardware) 

    • National recognition for their incredible contributions

Champion Awards Details:

AWARDS

Categories for the 2026 Indigenous Skills and Employment Champion include:

Indigenous Skill and Employment Educational Partner Award
Honours an educational institution or training provider that has created inclusive, accessible, and effective learning pathways for Indigenous learners to succeed in the workforce. Celebrates an individual educator who has gone above and beyond to inspire, teach, and empower Indigenous students in their journey toward meaningful employment.


Indigenous Skill and Employment Legend (20+ years) Award
Pays tribute to a longstanding leader with over 20 years of service and dedication to advancing Indigenous skills training and employment across sectors.


Indigenous Skill and Employment Leader (30+ years) Award
Honours a trailblazer with more than three decades of dedicated service advancing Indigenous skills development and employment opportunities. This award recognizes a lifetime of mentorship, advocacy, and transformative leadership.

Indigenous Skill and Employment Manager Award
Recognizes a manager or supervisor who has demonstrated exemplary leadership in hiring, mentoring, and retaining Indigenous team members in the workplace.

Indigenous Skill and Employment Office Award
Honours an entire office, branch, or team that has created an inclusive, supportive, and results-driven environment for Indigenous employment and skills development.

Indigenous Skill and Employment Partner Award (NGO, Charity, Non-Profit)
Recognizes a non-profit organization, charity, or NGO that has made a substantial impact in fostering Indigenous employment and skill development through community-driven initiatives.

Corporate Indigenous Skill and Employment Champion
Recognizes a corporation that has demonstrated exceptional leadership, commitment, and results in advancing Indigenous employment and skills development within their organization or industry.

Indigenous Skill and Employment Champion - One to Watch
Celebrates an emerging leader who is making a significant early impact in Indigenous skills training and employment. This award highlights vision, innovation, and the promise of lasting contributions to Indigenous workforce development.

Award nominations are now closed! Thanks to all who submitted.

2026 Award Winners

Indigenous Skill and Employment Educational Partner Award:

Melissa Granvosky

Melissa is the Mentorship Manager at the Indigenous Friends Association, where she leads a team that delivers person-centred mentorship within the IndigiTECH technology-training program. This initiative is not just about filling positions; it is about building long-term institutional capacity, creating career pathways, and ensuring Inuit are teaching, managing, and shaping the systems that serve Inuit learners.

Indigenous Skill and Employment Educational Partner Award:

Martha Kyak

Martha Kyak is the Executive Director of Nunavut Sivuniksavut (NS), where she provides strategic leadership to their post-secondary program supporting Inuit students as they transition to further education and careers. Since taking on this role, she has led organizational renewal focused on student success, academic quality, staff development, and long-term sustainability.

Indigenous Skill and Employment Legend (20+ years) Award:

Tammy Webb

Tammy Webb brings nearly three decades of dedicated service to the Métis Nation of Ontario, where she has played an important role in advancing culturally grounded employment and training services for Métis citizens across Ontario. Beginning her career in 1996, Tammy has contributed at every level. From delivering frontline support to managing programs and supporting teams that assist Métis job seekers in navigating education, training, and employment pathways.

Indigenous Skill and Employment Leader (30+ years) Award:

Curtis Reilly

Curtis Reilly is a vital part of the Employment Services program at the Mi'kmaq Confederacy of PEI for over 20 years. Since joining in 2005, he has grown from Employment Counsellor to Senior Program Coordinator, shaping the program through strong leadership, collaboration, and care. Under his leadership, employment services became a catalyst for opportunity, community development, and innovation.

Indigenous Skill and Employment Leader (30+ years) Award:

Sheila Kolola

Sheila has served over 30 years with the Government of Nunavut in education, administration and executive roles. She served in various leadership roles which focused on her passion around education, on-the-job training, and promoting Inuit employment in all sectors across Nunavut. She is currently the President and CEO of Kakivak Association, a non-profit community economic development organization serving Inuit in the Baffin region.

Indigenous Skill and Employment Manager Award:

Lynn White

Lynn White, is the President and CEO of ACCESS – Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society. A proud member of the Gitxaala  Nation, Lynn joined ACCESS nearly twenty years ago, beginning as Director of Finance. Through her leadership, she strengthened transparency and accountability, earning ACCESS a higher-than-optimal rating from Service Canada. 

Indigenous Skill and Employment Office Award:

SITAG Regional Coordination Team

The SITAG Regional Coordination Team supports 39 First Nation Employment Agencies across Saskatchewan, advancing Indigenous workforce development through a community-driven, Nation-to-Nation approach. As Canada’s largest ISET agreement holder, SITAG consistently maintains Optimal Capacity status, reflecting strong coordination, accountability, and high-quality service delivery. The team supports over 40 First Nations-managed agreements, ensuring communities have the tools and confidence to deliver culturally grounded employment services.

Indigenous Skill and Employment Office Award:

Anishinabek Employment and Training Services (AETS)

AETS has nearly 30 years of experience delivering demand-driven employment and training services to Northern Superior First Nations. As an Indigenous Skills and Employment Training agreement holder, AETS demonstrates leadership at the regional, provincial, and national levels. The office delivers sector-focused training aligned with labour market needs in areas such as mining, healthcare, construction, transportation, and forestry, consistently achieving strong completion and employment outcomes.

Indigenous Skill and Employment Partner (NGO, Charity, Non Profit):

Influence Mentoring Society

Influence Mentoring Society is a non-profit national initiative dedicated to strengthening the success of Indigenous post-secondary students through culturally grounded, two-way mentorship. Led by Colby Delorme, a Métis entrepreneur and respected community leader with more than 33 years of experience building businesses and advancing reconciliation through education, leadership, and economic opportunity. Influence Mentoring Society focuses on creating stronger career and learning pathways by connecting Indigenous students with mentors who provide guidance, encouragement, and real-world insight as they navigate education and early career transitions.

Indigenous Skill and Employment Partner (NGO, Charity, Non Profit):

PROSPER Initiative

The PROSPER Initiative — Promoting Opportunity through Strategic Planning and Employment Resources — is a First Nations–led partnership model advancing employment and workforce development across Saskatchewan. Launched in 2024 by SITAG, PROSPER was created to close the gap between First Nations workforce potential and employer demand. Through provincial and regional PROSPER Tables, the initiative brings together First Nations workforce agencies, employers, educators, and industry partners to align training with real labour market needs.

Corporate Indigenous Skill and Employment Champion:

Dave Tuccaro

Dave Tuccaro, Founder, President and CEO of the Tuccaro Group of Companies, is a visionary Indigenous business leader whose work has created meaningful employment and opportunity for Indigenous people across Alberta and beyond. As a member of the Mikisew Cree First Nation, Dave has built a network of seven successful companies rooted in community and economic development, with a mission to create opportunity at every level of education and employment.

Indigenous Skill and Employment Champion One to Watch:

Bryana Couture

As the Strategic Writing & Support Specialist at SITAG, Bryana Couture has made a measurable impact across Saskatchewan and beyond. She is known for her creativity and systems thinking, most notably leading the development of SITAG’s Training & Accountability System, single-handedly overseeing extensive changes to SITAG's proprietary database to improve security, usability and transparency.

Bryana has also made a strong mark through curriculum development, creating practical, accessible training materials that support over 40 First Nations and Tribal Council partners, building confidence and shared best practices across the network.

Origin of the

Indigenous Skill and Employment Awards