The Executive Director of the Four County Labour Market Planning Board does not believe the number of jobs lost to retirement over the next few years will be as severe as the numbers suggest.
Statistics indicate that about ten-thousand people working in Huron County will reach the age of 65 over the next few years. Gemma Mendez-Smith suggests while it's important to plan for that, eventuality experience indicates many people are not ready to retire when they reach 65. She believes the greater threat to the work force in Huron County is the number of young people who leave and don't come back, and Mendez-Smith says that's largely because employers and educators are not promoting the opportunities for young people that exist in Huron County.
Mendez-Smith also points out pointing young people to careers as a nurse or a lawyer and skilled trades person tends to box them in, and instead suggests they be encouraged to acquire certain skills that will give them some flexibility rather than focus on specific careers.
Mendez-Smith explains it's very difficult for a student at the grade twelve level to know exactly where they fit into a very specific and quickly changing job market. She adds co-op programs are an excellent way for students to gain real-life experience and they often find out the career they thought they wanted isn't what they thought it was, but better to find that out while they're still in school. Mendez-Smith also says educators and employers have to work more together to make sure students acquire the skills that employers are looking for.
