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Tank Traders hiring for St. George Production Facility

by WPBGE | Oct 19, 2021 | Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

Tank Traders® is the largest provider of the Barbecue Propane Tank Exchange Program in Canada and growing in the USA, employing about 350 people across their facilities and depots and they are hiring for their Ontario production facility in St. George.

Their company culture thrives on idea sharing, improvements and collaboration. They have a commitment to their employees’ success and development with ongoing career conversations and growth opportunities. They have an open door policy across the organization to foster an environment of trust and mutual respect.

History of Tank Traders®:

Founded in 2001, Tank Traders started in rural La Salle, Manitoba, as a division under its parent company, Vomar Industries Inc., that started requalifying propane cylinders since 1995.

From filling and distribution to maintenance and recycling of the propane tanks, they are the only Canadian company to manage every part of the supply chain! They do this by helping their customers exchange their propane cylinder tanks with a pre-filled replacement. This in turn increases the quality of their customer support, helps the environment, as well as extending the life of the propane tanks.

Now 20 years later, Tank Traders has exponentially grown into Canada’s largest provider of the National Barbecue Propane Tank Exchange Program and operates two key businesses out of the USA market under Tank Traders® Midwest and Tank Traders® Missouri.

Their facilities and where they are located:

Tank Traders operates in 14 Canadian production facilities and driver depots, as well as 7 American production facilities and driver depots. Their head office is located in La Salle, Manitoba.

St. George, Ontario

Located in the County of Brant, between Cambridge and Brantford, the production facility takes a hands-on approach to managing part of the company’s supply chain by putting the propane tanks through various cells for refurbishing. This location produces 5,000 tanks per day during their peak season.

To learn more about available jobs at any of Tank Traders operations, visit their website for all of their current employment opportunities their Tank Traders Career Page, check out their Indeed page, or email them at hr@tanktraders.com.

Stelco hiring for Lake Erie Works and Hamilton Works

by WPBGE | Sep 28, 2021 | Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

Stelco Canada is a leading supplier of superior steel products to the North American market, employing some 2,200 men and women at their facilities and they are continuously hiring for Industrial Millwrights, Industrial Electricians, Welder Fitters, Instrumentation Technicians and Machinists. They also frequently hire Shift Managers, Management Associates, Engineers (Mechanical, Electrical, Reliability), Process Control Programmers, Finance Specialists and much more.

Stelco attests their company is rooted in a strong history of commitment to their employees and encouraging innovation, technological development and unparalleled customer-service. From its very beginnings, Stelco has consistently invested in its people and worked to ensure its facilities were equipped with leading edge technologies capable of delivering the next generation of quality, custom engineered products for the automotive, construction, infrastructure, agriculture, appliance, manufacturing and pipe and tube industries.

Asserting an innovative, forward-thinking vision has been central to Stelco’s resilience through the years. The company relays “It was a vision shared and ultimately carried forward by Stelco’s employees over the course of its iconic history, Stelco’s determined and innovative workforce has remained the company’s most valuable resource.”

Watch Stelco video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB_g8M-JV_0

History of Stelco: The Steel Company of Canada – Stelco’s original title – was given life in 1910 via the merger of Montreal Rolling Mills, the Hamilton Steel and Iron Company, and a handful of secondary companies located from Gananoque to Brantford. It was the result of a bold partnership that forecast emerging challenges and charted a path toward nation-building opportunity.

Their facilities and where they are located: Stelco’s operations are located in Hamilton and Nanticoke and are comprised of fully integrated, industry-leading facilities that are among the safest, environmentally progressive, and productive steel plants in the world.

Hamilton Works

Stelco’s Hamilton Works is driven by innovation. Commissioned in 1905 at Hamilton Harbour, Hamilton Works has evolved with the steel industry and its customers by developing and applying the sector’s most modern technology and practices. Home to one of North America’s premier zinc-coating lines, Hamilton Works’ skilled employees produce world-leading galvanized and galvannealed sheet steel that serves important Canadian sectors such as the automotive, agriculture and infrastructure industries. The 18-storey Z-Line is a world leader that annually produces 470,000 tons of product with excellent surface quality, corrosion resistance and formability.

Lake Erie Works

Stelco’s Lake Erie Works has been at the forefront of North America’s steel industry since it was built in 1980. Located centrally on the north shore of Lake Erie, it is one of the continent’s most modern and capable steel facilities. It is also the newest greenfield integrated steel making facility, and it serves as an industry flagship of productivity and environmental innovation. The skilled employees who drive the success of this leading-edge operation work in an environment which has benefited from $600 million in investments and upgrades since 2000.

To learn more about available jobs at either of Stelco’s operations, visit their website for all of their current employment opportunities at www.stelco.com or email them at careers@stelco.com

Numerous companies hiring in Grand Erie

by WPBGE | Sep 16, 2021 | Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

As labour shortages continue across the board, many local employers are making efforts to onboard employees into open positions.

Ferrero and Mott Manufacturing in Brantford are both actively recruiting for various openings.

Ferrero, the global confectionery producer which makes iconic brands such as Nutella, Ferrero Rocher and Kinder, and is one of Brantford largest employers, is looking to attract people to their Brantford operations in positions ranging from electrician and industrial millwright to production supervisor and microbiology lab technician.

Mott Manufacturing, which produces laboratory equipment at their 225, 000 square foot facility in Brantford, is seeking to fill openings that include assemblers, machine operators and MIG/TIG Welder.

Several employers have held job fairs in recent weeks including Stubbe’s Precast in Brant County who boasted offers on the spot for general labourers at their onsite job fair September 11th and the Brant Community Healthcare System held a nursing career fair September 15th.

Apotex Pharmachem in Brantford, who are looking to hire chemical operators and chemists, are holding a job fair in partnership with St. Leonard’s Community Services on September 29th. Those interested in applying for positions with Apotex can register through this link www.calendly.com/apotex-job-fair or learn more by contacting employerservices@st-leonards.com.

Other employers with the top number of job opportunities shown on Grand Erie Jobs include the well-known regional steel manufacturer Stelco Canada, who are hiring production operators among other positions for their Nanticoke and Hamilton locations. The Norfolk General Hospital is experiencing a dire shortage of medical staff and is hiring for over 40 full-time and part-time positions (RPN, RN and lab positions).

Both the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board and Grand Erie District School Board have been advertising open positions. Norfolk County has shown a recruitment surge the past month with 26 full-time and part-time positions posted and other top employers hiring include BGI Retail, Swiss Chalet, Lowe’s, VON and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

Local Labour Market 2020 – The Year of the Pandemic

by WPBGE | Mar 16, 2021 | Press Release

We now have a clearer picture of how the global COVID-19 pandemic affected the labour market and businesses of the Grand Erie area in 2020.

The Grand Erie region – encompassing the City of Brantford, Counties of Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk, as well as the indigenous communities of Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the New Credit – is home to a diverse set of employers and employees, all of whom were impacted by the pandemic.

Business owners struggled. Thousands of workers were laid off. Others adapted to working virtually. Meanwhile, people in some occupations were more in-demand than ever.

The recovery is ongoing and there is much work to be done. As businesses recalibrate, they are identifying skills in-demand that have increased significantly to adapt to the future of work. Some of these skills are: adaptability/flexibility; resilience; teamwork/interpersonal skills; digital fluency and customer relations.

The 2020-2021 Local Labour Market Plan: Recalibrating: Building a Robust Workforce in Grand Erie published by the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie, describes how most employers and employees in the Grand Erie region experienced major disruptions in 2020. The report also describes what work needs to be done in 2021 to ensure our local labour force and economy continues to recover.

Here are some highlights from what took place in the 2020 Local Labour Market.

Grand Erie Labour Force

In November 2019, Brantford hit a record low unemployment rate of 3.1%. Within the same time frame, the number of jobs in Norfolk County dropped by around 700, raising the unemployment rate there to 6%.

During the early months of COVID-19, employment dropped significantly across almost all sectors. Between January and May 2020, almost 9000 jobs were lost in the Grand Erie region, most within the service sector, construction and manufacturing. Meanwhile, employment in health and education occupations increased slightly. In June 2020, pandemic related business closures pushed up the unemployment rate in Brantford to above 12% and 10% in Norfolk County.

Businesses began to recover during the summer and fall of 2020, with employment almost at January 2020 levels according to Statistics Canada. However, many of these job gains were not in the same sectors or occupations as the jobs lost.

In 2019, males made up 59% of all full-time workers and 29% of all part-time workers. While male part-time work increased slightly in 2020, male full-time employment remained stagnant.

More part-time work within Brantford was taken up by females, who made up 71% of the part-time workforce and 41% of the full-time workforce.

An examination of sex and age-related labour force survey trends reveal, quite clearly, that COVID-19 has affected some groups more than others

Gender data also reveals some differences. Many men lost their full-time jobs in sectors such as manufacturing and construction due to COVID-19 related closures. Meanwhile, among women, part-time workers were disproportionately affected. Two of every three females that lost their jobs in March were previously employed in part-time work, mainly in sectors where this type of work is more common – like accommodations, food services and retail.

This uneven distribution of work has been amplified by the pandemic; female part-time employment grew in 2020 at a fairly steep rate. Meanwhile, many females in full-time work lost their jobs.

2020 data indicates that the year’s local youth unemployment rate was almost double that of 2019. Both participation and employment among youth have since increased, but these continue to remain below pre-pandemic levels as of December 2020.

Within the core working age group, local unemployment drops have been fairly low throughout the course of 2020 and among adults aged 55 to 64, employment grew following a dip in the spring

Population

Grand Erie’s population of an estimated 270,000 residents is aging. As of 2019, the average age of Brant residents was 41, and that of Haldimand-Norfolk was 43.5. Across all regions, younger core-working age adults (aged 25 to 44) make up the smallest proportion of the population, while older adults (aged 50 to 65) make up the largest population group.

Individuals in professional occupations (requiring university education) make up around 20% of Grand Erie’s labour force, while people in labouring occupations (requiring no formal education) make up around 15%. Of the remainder, approximately one-third are in technical and skilled occupations and the other one-third are in intermediate occupations.

Job search trends captured by Grand Erie Jobs between June and December indicate that around 40% of job seekers were looking for professional occupations such as registered nurses, retail managers and financial officers. However, only 12% of jobs posted in Grand Erie required this skill level. Inversely, people with no formal education made up around 9% of job seekers between June and December 2020, but 12% of postings were for labouring occupations such as cashiers, light duty cleaners and construction trades helpers.

Industry

Over the course of 2020, employment in Grand Erie’s goods producing sector has plummeted significantly, while the service sector has been picking up since the initial pandemic shutdowns in the spring.

Employment in Grand Erie’s goods producing sector typically dips in the late winter months. The early 2020 drop in employment within goods-producing industries does not appear particularly significant, especially when compared to the years prior. However, we saw a much slower climb in employment within this sector in the summer of 2020, and some additional jobs were lost in the fall. Much of this is because our main goods-producing industry, manufacturing, has been on the decline. These declines were offset by increases within other goods-producing sectors – such as agriculture and construction.

The service producing sector, on the other hand – which employs a lot more of our region’s workforce – is less predictable. The sector experienced a gradual decline in employment throughout 2019 and plummeted during April/May due to the pandemic. This sector has since been on the rise; since June 2020, almost 6000 individuals entered service sector jobs in Grand Erie.

The manufacturing sector continues to hire the largest number of Grand Erie residents, but this sector has decreased in workforce size over the last few years. The COVID-19 pandemic augmented this trend. Between December 2019 and December 2020, the manufacturing sector shed 2,400 jobs in Brantford – a 16% drop.

The wholesale and retail trade industry is the second largest sector by employment within Grand Erie. Over the last 5 years, employment in this sector grew by 26%. In 2020, this sector experienced the greatest job gains after a steep dip in the spring, with over 3,900 new employees gained between December 2019 and December 2020. Interestingly, in the same timeframe, the number of retail businesses dropped by 3%, mostly because of declines in the number of micro and small businesses.

Occupations

Sales and Service Occupations. Between January and March 2020, around 3,800 sales and service jobs were lost, bringing this occupational group to Jan 2016 levels. Sales and service occupations have seen significant growth since, with 7,400 more employed between May and December 2020.

Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators and Related Occupations – These occupations experienced modest growth between 2016 and 2019 but lost around 2,800 jobs between Jan and May 2020. Recovery was slow during the fall and picked up towards the winter months; between May and December, trades related employment grew by 3,400.

Business, Finance and Administration Occupations – These occupations have not changed significantly over the past 5 years, and have experienced a slow, but steady decline since early 2020. The sector gained jobs during the first few months of the pandemic but has since returned to Jan 2020 levels.

Occupations in Manufacturing and Utilities- These occupations grew by around 3000 between Jan 2016 and Jan 2020, but lost almost all these jobs in the early months of 2020. This occupational group is beginning to make strides towards recovery as of December 2020.

Occupations in Education, Law, and Social, Community and Government Services- These occupations declined by around 2,500 jobs between Jan 2016 and Jan 2020. After a slight decline in spring 2020, these occupations picked up again during the summer, but have since been on the decline.

Wages

Income data from 2014 to 2018 indicates that the proportion of low-income earners is decreasingly slightly, while the number of individuals employed at jobs paying more than $25,000 is increasing.

In 2018, the median wage in Brantford CMA was $36,380. Females made around $11,000 less on average, but the gap between male and female income is narrowing slightly.

Read about Ontario’s Labour Market

Read Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey