After repeatedly warning provincial lawmakers the skilled trades gap is costing the economy, the Ontario and Windsor-Essex Regional Chambers of Commerce have released recommendations to help.
The ten recommendations included in the Talent in Transition Report: Addressing the Skills Mismatch in Ontario include more apprenticeships and internships, modernizing the apprenticeship system, better promoting the Co-operative Education Tax Credit, and doing a better job selling careers in the skilled trades to youth.
The local chamber first raised its concerns earlier this year when it issued a report estimating the local economy was losing out on $600-million in activity, because of the lack of skilled trades workers. Provincially, the cost is estimated at $25-billion.
The report continues to paint a grim picture for both the local and provincial economy if companies can not fill positions with qualified personnel.
Back in March, Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber CEO Matt Marchand told BlackburnNews.com, “If you ask employers in addition to the cost of electricity and the carbon tax, what is the number one issue, they’ll say they can’t find people. It’s a conundrum because we have a declining unemployment rate but also a declining participation rate.”
It says of the six out of ten businesses who tried to recruit staff last year, 82% had trouble finding someone with the proper qualifications. At the same time, half of Ontarians say they worry their skills and expertise will be out of date in the next decade. And, there are concerns the gap will only get worse. Skills Canada estimates 40% of new jobs over the next ten years will be in the skilled trades, while only 26% of those aged 13 to 26 are considering a career in those areas.
"If improvements are not made, we will find ourselves in a situation where there are 'people without jobs and jobs without people'," says Richard Koroscil, interim president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
There have been efforts to find qualified employees. LiUNA 625 has held one job fair and intends to hold two more this month in an attempt to find 500 workers for a wide-range of local projects.
