NEWS FOR NEWCOMERS
ACCES STREET FLEET WILL COME WHERE JOBSEEKERS ARE
The ACCES Employment Street Fleet is designed to deliver support directly to the hardest-to-reach and most vulnerable populations in the Greater Toronto Area. Image credit: DAVID CHAU.
ACCES Employment launched its new mobile employment service, the ACCES Employment Street Fleet. This retrofitted van is designed to deliver support directly to the hardest-to-reach and most vulnerable populations in the Greater Toronto Area, ensuring that underserved communities will benefit from ACCES Employment’s support in finding relevant work.
ACCES Employment’s President and CEO, Allison Pond kicked off the event with opening remarks underscoring systemic challenges and barriers to access impacting jobseekers today, and how this inspired the creation of the ACCES Employment Street Fleet.
She was joined by Sheref Sabawy, Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development and MPP Mississauga Erin-Mills and Mississauga Councillor Natalie Hart, who both spoke about the need for the programs and services that ACCES provides in local communities and the lasting impact they can have.
As attendees celebrated with an official ribbon cutting, they were also able to hear from Adaoma Patterson, Director of Community Service Investments at United Way Greater Toronto. Patterson shared the reasons that United Way donated to the project; which connects to their work transforming and injecting opportunity into underserved communities across Peel, Toronto, and York Region.
Guests also witnessed the Street Fleet in action with an employment skills workshop being conducted on site with 10 local youth where they learned how to leverage LinkedIn in their job search.
The Malton Youth Hub, a key community partner serving local youth needs, hosted a tour highlighting key programs and will partner with ACCES to deliver training in technology, personal banking, and culinary skills.
“Today marks an incredible milestone for us with the launch of our ACCES Street Fleet,” said Pond. “This initiative will allow us to better serve jobseekers facing barriers to employment by meeting them directly in their communities, building on our vision of creating a diverse and inclusive workforce for the province and Canada. None of this would be possible without the incredible support of our sponsors, funders, employer partners, board members, staff, alumni, and volunteers. I know this will have great impact on the lives of many in our community now and into the future.”
“United Way Greater Toronto has been supporting ACCES Employment since 1990, and we know that they are making an enormous difference in our city,” said Patterson. “By being nimble in their approach with Street Fleet, they will improve job opportunities and financial security for people facing multiple barriers so that no one gets left behind, strengthening communities across the city.”
“At Toronto Pearson, we know how transformative meaningful employment can be,” said Ruba Al-Nazer, Associate Director of Social Impact, Toronto Pearson. “That’s why we’re proud to support ACCES on the launch of Street Fleet - a mobile innovation that brings job opportunities directly to the community, ensuring people facing the greatest barriers can access the support, resources, and guidance they need.”
A few quick facts:
• For over 38 years, ACCES Employment has been helping underserved jobseekers and newcomers find employment, supporting over 56,000 jobseekers across seven locations in the GTA.
• ACCES Employment has over 4,200 employers in their network to help create pathways to opportunity.
• Ontario’s unemployment rate was 7.5% in March 2025, a 0.2 pt increase from the month prior, and Toronto’s unemployment rate is the second highest in the province at 8.7%. This Street Fleet initiative is intended to help reach more workers to enter the labour market.
• United Way Greater Toronto has been a long-time partner of ACCES Employment, supporting key initiatives like the annual World of Difference campaign.
• The ACCES Street Fleet is scheduled to attend 10 events across the GTA this summer alone, including local workshops at community hubs and libraries as well as showcases at significant city festivals.
Visit accesemployment.ca to learn more about the ACCES Street Fleet, and how you can partner with us.