Algoma Workforce Investment Committee (AWIC) has launched a $200,000 labour force study that will identify the occupations in demand in the district.
“In Canada, there’s a skills shortage, but if you try to say locally, what is that skill shortage going to be in, currently you can’t,” commented Jack McGoldrick, AWIC’s executive director.
R.A. Malatest and Associates Ltd. will be responsible for conducting the study. Consultants will interview human resource managers, business owners and employees, economic development officers and community leaders.
A final report with the conclusions of the study is expected to be released in the northern fall.
According to McGoldrick, the Comprehensive Labour Force Analysis and Workforce Development Strategy will be useful to job seekers and students, to find out what training they need, as well as educators, who will be able to determine whether they are offering the right courses.
"Industry that's considering relocating will have a look at our workforce, the age of our workforce, the educational attainment, and, more importantly, what our unemployed workforce looks like, and they would make some decisions on whether they could have a sustainable operation here," he added.
