covid-19 Archives - Page 5 of 5 - Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie

Training program wants employers to work with

An innovative program that trains people to work in Grand Erie industry has a new name and expanded focus.

Skills2Advance is the new name for the free program, formerly known as connect2SKILLS, offered by the
Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie. The expanded focus means people will be trained to work in
manufacturing as well as warehousing-logistics.

We listened to the employers in our community who said they wanted the program to grow to train
people to work in manufacturing, which is our area’s No. 1 employer,” said Danette Dalton, the Workforce
Planning Board’s executive director. “This means we’ll be able to assist more businesses with their HR
needs.”

Dalton said Skills2Advance is looking for more businesses in both manufacturing and warehousing to
partner with. Companies can use the program at no cost to tap into needed workersto fill vacant positions
at a faster pace and are also eligible for hiring and training incentives, she said.

“Skills2Advance’s additional focus will help more people train to do more work,” said Will Bouma, MPP
for Brantford-Brant. “This means more people ready for manufacturing jobs in Brantford-Brant and we
are glad to support the work done by the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie.”

“We need effective training and retraining programs to help people and businesses get back to work,”
said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “As we carefully reopen
our economy, employers need skilled workers. Our government is proud to support programs that help
local workers and job seekers train for new careers.”

The program has a proven track record of training and placing participants in jobs. Eighty per cent of its
81 graduates found placements, which have turned into full time employment opportunities. Local
companies that have participated have included Mabe Canada, Hematite, Patriot Forge, Marco
Corporation, Brimich Logistics and Toyotetsu.

The program includes six weeks of classroom learning – currently adapted to be online – with the
opportunity for participants to have a two-week paid job placement. Students learn about lean
manufacturing, continuous improvement, dispatching, material handling, shipping/receiving and more.

Participants receive certifications in forklift/reach truck, first aid/CPR, and fall arrest. They earn three
college credits through Conestoga College. Brant Skills Centre provides training in essential and soft skills.

Skills2Advance is free to employers and participants. Participants must either be unemployed or under
employed. The Employment Ontario project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the
Government of Ontario.

For more information about the program, people can email: skills2advance@workforceplanningboard.org
Website: www.skills2advance.com

Many local workers lose work due to COVID-19: survey

More than 40% of Grand Erie residents have lost work due to the COVID-19 crisis, a new survey shows.

The Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie’s COVID-19 Worker Impact Survey of 450 people found that 37% are temporarily not working, while another 5% have permanently lost work.

The biggest impact has been on people in the sectors of accommodation and food services, retail and wholesale trade, and education. Youth (ages of 18 – 24) working part time in the retail and food sectors appear particularly hard hit.

One in three respondents said they were worried about having enough food, and paying their rent, mortgage and paying monthly bills.

The local survey’s results are consistent with those from six other workforce planning boards in Southwestern Ontario, who conducted the same survey. Collectively, Workforce Planning West surveyed 2,570 people.

“The results of this survey will give government, business, and the community a better understanding of how the COVID-19 crisis has impacted workers and their families in our region,” said Danette Dalton, executive director of the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie. “These results will also help inform where the Workforce Planning Board focuses its efforts to support our community.”

The survey asked if and how a worker’s employment status changed since March 2, their occupation, and which sector they were employed in. Questions were designed to gain insight into which groups of workers have been most affected by COVID-19 and in what ways.

In the Grand Erie region, 54% of respondents said they are working less or not at all, 27% are working the same amount, while 19% are working more, especially people working in health care, transportation and warehousing.

Other highlights from the survey of Brantford, Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk residents include:

23% of residents are working from home temporarily (13% lower than the regional average of 36%)
65% of residents are confident they will be able to find work after the COVID-19 crisis ends
80% are aware of worker supports set up by government, and 52% said the programs meet their expectations
Residents said the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), increased access to Employment Insurance and support for women’s shelters and sexual assault centres are the most important supports put in place by the government at this time
85% believe grocery stores are doing enough to support their families at this time, and 80% believe pharmacies are doing enough
50% of residents believe that our communities will be stronger after COVID-19

The COVID-19 Worker Impact Survey was open from March 26 to April 20. Grand Erie region results had a margin of error of 5%, 19 times out of 20; and the Southwestern Ontario results had a margin of error of 2%, 19 times out of 20.

Two dashboards are available to help people view and interpret the raw survey results online:

COVID-19 Worker Impact Survey Results Dashboard

Comparing Local vs. Regional Data from the COVID-19 Worker Impact Results Survey Dashboard