In 2022, community consultations across LER led to the development of the community action plan for 2022-2025. The plan unifies the work of the various workforce interest holders and service providers from the region. The priority areas are not the sole responsibility of the Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board (EMO WPDB) but rather act to guide the work of the various workforce-adjacent agencies and committees: Employment Ontario programs, Economic Development Offices, Chambers of Commerce, Small Business Centres, Community Futures, School Boards and Academic Institutions, Municipalities and a local government.
Select the Priority Area names to see the recommended initiatives
Apprenticeship and Skilled Trades Development
- Highlight and promote apprenticeship opportunities for individuals considering careers in skilled trades.
- Create and promote regional hubs for apprenticeship registrations.
- Create experiential learning programs to reduce the time between application and placement (e.g., SAO, SDF, Pre-Apprenticeship, Micro-credentials).
- Advocate for the assessment and redesign of skilled trades educational programs (e.g., admission criteria, journey-person-to-apprentice ratios).
Workforce Engagement and Development
- Increase local awareness of regional labour market needs for in-demand skills and occupations, labour supply-demand balance by industry, barriers to employment and workforce outcomes.
- Increase the number of job fairs and community networking events.
- Improve dissemination of labour market information to equity-seeking groups.
- Develop marketing strategies to re-engage unemployed individuals with employment services.
- Develop educational and professional training programs for in-demand skills and occupations (e.g., cybersecurity, IT, digital literacy).
- Increase access to upskilling, including soft skills, digital literacy, numeracy, conflict resolution, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
- Develop transportation solutions for rural communities to improve access to jobs and services.
Economic Development and Entrepreneurship
- Develop a centralized hub for services and funding resources for regional entrepreneurs.
- Organize and increase the impact of business networking activities.
- Showcase local business successes and highlight local strengths like local suppliers and other workforce strategies.
- Continue the expansion of internet connectivity in rural areas.
Supporting Youth and Vulnerable Populations
- Create targeted initiatives to re-engage older workers (e.g., part-time roles, mentoring, consulting).
- Generate innovative ways to connect with youth (e.g., hands-on training, summer jobs, robotics challenges).
- Promote and enhance youth services that connect young people with the labour market.
- Improve access to digital literacy programs and internet tools that support vulnerable populations.
- Engage equity-seeking groups (e.g., Indigenous, visible minorities, women, youth) in workforce development projects.
- Offer multi-language employment services to support diverse populations.
Equity, Inclusion, and Advocacy
- Engage landlords and employers in discussions on anti-discrimination practices.
- Develop a platform for workers to report workplace discrimination.
- Advocate for increased access to translation and interpretation services at regional employment service providers.
- Advocate for reduced processing times for temporary foreign workers.
- Advocate for living wages, benefits, and pension programs, incentivizing participation through recognized badges (e.g., Better Business Bureau, working wage employer).
- Advocate for fair access to housing and jobs, free of discrimination.
Labour Market Research and Employer Engagement
- Engage employers, industry groups, and professional associations to review and align hiring criteria with needs and remove unnecessary barriers in job postings (e.g., high school diploma or minimum experience requirements).
- Develop and promote attraction, recruitment, and retention best practices by industry, using successful regional examples.
- Engage employers in offering upskilling opportunities to improve retention
- Collaborate with placement agencies to strengthen links between job seekers and employers.
