Empowering Indigenous Communities Through Education, Industry Partnerships & Real-World Project Delivery

The Indigenous Skilled Trades Alliance (ISTA) delivers an integrated service model that bridges education, employment, industry partnerships, and community infrastructure development. Through our strategic collaboration with United Cree—a 100% Indigenous-owned leader in heavy equipment, construction, modular infrastructure, and drilling operations—we offer a comprehensive suite of services designed to strengthen Indigenous workforce capacity and support sustainable development across communities.

Our combined ecosystem ensures Indigenous learners gain world-class training, hands-on site experience, and direct access to employment opportunities in high-demand trades and industry sectors.

Skilled Trades Training & Workforce Development

ISTA provides culturally grounded, industry-aligned trades training programs that prepare Indigenous youth and adults for meaningful careers.

Our Training Services Include:

• Pre-employment trades programs

• Plumbing technician training

• Construction fundamentals

• Alternative energy & green technology

• Environmental innovation & land stewardship

• Safety training & job-readiness development

• Mentorship, apprenticeship pathways, and career coaching

Through our partnership with United Cree, learners gain exposure to real project environments, equipment operation contexts, and career pathways across construction, mining, resource development, and industrial sectors.

Industry-Integrated Experience & Employment Pathways

ISTA partners with Indigenous-owned industry leaders like United Cree to provide work-integrated learning experiences and create seamless transitions from training into employment.

Learners Access Opportunities In:

• Heavy equipment operation

• Modular construction and fabrication support

• Field logistics and site services

• Remote project workforce accommodation

• Infrastructure development projects

• Surface & underground support roles

• Environmental and geotechnical field operations (where applicable)

United Cree’s operations across Northern Ontario and beyond create valuable employment and mentorship opportunities for ISTA participants.

Heavy Equipment Services & Operations Support

Delivered in partnership with United Cree

United Cree brings a sophisticated fleet of industrial equipment and operational capabilities that enable both training exposure and community development capacity.

Equipment & Operations Provided Through the Partnership:

• Excavators

• Dozers

• Wheel loaders

• Articulated rock trucks

• Graders

• Packers & rollers

• Site support vehicles

These assets support ISTA learners in understanding heavy equipment environments while enabling Indigenous communities to access services required for infrastructure, land development, remediation, and construction projects.

Indigenous Housing Development & Construction Support

Safe, durable housing is foundational to health, education, workforce participation, and long-term community prosperity. Through ISTA’s training-to-employment model—and in collaboration with Indigenous-owned industry partners like United Cree—we support communities in advancing housing projects that are practical, scalable, and rooted in local priorities.

What We Support

• Housing project enablement: support for planning, sequencing, and workforce mobilization

• Site preparation & civil works: earthworks, grading, compaction, and access preparation (where applicable)

• Construction workforce pathways: connecting training participants to hands-on project experience and employment-ready roles

• Modular and remote housing solutions: support for modular deployment and installation logistics for remote or rapid-build needs

• Community capacity building: strengthening local trades capacity so housing can be built, maintained, and sustained long-term

Why This Matters

Our goal is not simply to “build units”—it’s to help communities build lasting capacity: local skills, local employment, and greater self-determination in housing delivery and maintenance. By aligning culturally grounded training with real-world construction environments, ISTA helps move housing initiatives from aspiration to execution—without compromising community values or long-term sustainability.

Interested in housing support? Contact ISTA to discuss community priorities, readiness, and partnership options.

Drilling, Environmental & Resource-Sector Support Services

Enabled through United Cree’s drilling operations

Where relevant, ISTA participants may gain exposure to field contexts connected to:

• Environmental drilling

• Geotechnical site investigations

• Sonic and helicopter-access drilling

• Surface & underground core sampling

• Industrial support services

This aligns well with ISTA’s environmental innovation initiatives and prepares learners for work in exploration, environmental remediation, and land-use planning.

Why These Services Matter

Together, ISTA and United Cree create a complete workforce development pathway:

Education → Industry Experience → Employment → Community Capacity → Long-term Prosperity

This partnership model ensures Indigenous youth and adults:

• Develop skills that translate directly to employment

• Gain access to real-world mentorship and job placements

• Build experience in sectors essential to community development

• Participate in meaningful nation-building work

• Strengthen the self-sufficiency and resilience of their communities