training Archives - Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie

Quality of Work – New Local Survey

by WPBGE | Jul 14, 2022 | Press Release

The Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie has launched a new survey that is digging into how people perceive quality of work at their current or past workplaces.

Quality of work typically refers to a combination of things like a job’s income and benefits, job security, chance for promotion, opportunities to use skills, workplace culture and more.

For the last few years, our annual employer survey results have highlighted the growing obstacles that businesses face in finding and retaining suitable employees. Turnover triggered by quits, workplace culture and lack of work-life balance has been increasing and this has significant impacts on business operations.

With the added volatility of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to better understand the factors that influence quality of work, and to scope out the opportunities, challenges and barriers to supporting the Grand Erie labour market.

We will be examining the “quality of work” amongst workers within six industries in the Grand Erie area (healthcare and social assistance, retail trade, construction, manufacturing, accommodation and food services and agriculture.) The research will be carried out through a workforce survey that will measure the quality of work along 6 dimensions defined by Statistics Canada.

With this survey, we want to better understand what people value in a job, the workplace and their leaders. It is important to hear from workers, what attracts them to apply for a job and to stay in a job.

Many employers are experiencing labour shortages and they are competing for workers. Having a reputation of providing a good work culture and jobs can make a business stand out. The survey should help businesses, community organizations and local government learn more about what workers value in a workplace, and could prompt changes that strengthen quality of work.

Employers may learn what improvements or best practices they can implement in their workplace to give workers a stronger incentive to stay. And a good quality of work and work-life balance at a workplace can be a big selling point to potential new hires.

Individuals who complete the survey may find themselves better equipped to open up conversations with their managers about how their work quality can be enhanced. Results may also help those looking for work to identify industries that best support their quality of work goals.

Further, data collected through this survey can help community organizations/government develop better, more targeted programs and services to support our workforce’s needs.

The survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, is open to employees and job seekers 15 years and older who lives in Brantford, Six Nations, New Credit and Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk counties and will be running until September of this year. Those who complete the survey will have a chance to win a prize in a weekly draw.

The research project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Centre, a forward-looking organization that prototypes, tests and measures new and innovative approaches to skills development across Canada. To learn more about Future Skills Centre, visit: fsc-ccf.ca

Thank you to our survey sponsors:

Summer student jobs and youth resources

by WPBGE | Jun 10, 2022 | Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

Companies around the Grand Erie region are currently hiring for summer student positions. These companies include Piller’s Fine Foods, Circle Square Ranch, Maple Leaf Foods, Linde Canada and Grand River Employment and Training.

Our Grand Erie Job Board allows youth to search for summer jobs in Brantford, Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk, Six Nations and New Credit. Currently dozens and dozens of summer student job openings are posted in the area.

Many non-profit community agencies such as Community Addictions and Mental Health Services of Haldimand and Norfolk, Habitat for Humanity, Norfolk Association for Community Living, Alzheimer Society and Lions McInnes House are currently advertising for summer students under a special government program called Canada Summer Jobs. All Canada Summer Jobs are searchable here: https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/youth

The COVID-19 Pandemic has added unique challenges for youth and their ability to find employment during the past few years. Help is available to youth who lack information about employment programs and job searching tools – and with their summer job hunt.

Educational institutions and area organization such as St. Leonard’s Community Services, Brantford-Brant Business Resource Centre (BRC), CareerLink and other regional employment service providers offer various programs and services across our region to not only help young people find a summer job; but for graduating students or for youth not in school – their first full time job and to also help those interested in learning how they can start their own business.

For example, aspiring entrepreneurs ages 15 to 29 years old can apply for the Summer Company Student Grant Program offered through Brantford-Brant Business Resource Centre to students living in the City of Brantford, County of Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk Counties, and Six Nations of the Grand River.

The program lets students take the plunge into business ownership and teaches them how to problem solve, communicate effectively, and the importance of a strong work ethic. Students will also learn all aspects of running a business including how to manage their business finances, marketing and sales, customer service, building and controlling inventory and the behind the scenes work that is required to operate a successful business.

Successful applicants receive up to $1,500 to assist with start-up costs and an additional $1,500 on completion of the program.

Other Local Youth Employment Resources:

Grand Erie District School Board: Home :: Grand Erie District School Board

CareerLink: About :: Career Link

St. Leonard’s Community Services Wrap Program: Youth Employment Skills Strategy – Work Readiness and Advancement Program (WRAP) | St. Leonard’s (st-leonards.com)

Brant Skills Centre: Brant Skills Centre

G.R.E.A.T: The Student Office – GREAT (greatsn.com)

Fanshawe Community Career and Employment Services: Community Career and Employment Services (Simcoe) | Fanshawe College

City School by Mohawk: City School by Mohawk | Mohawk College

Brantford Business Resource Centre: Business Resource Centre – City of Brantford – Economic Development (advantagebrantford.ca)

First Work: First Work – Ontario’s Youth Employment Network

First Work Aspire Initiative: Home – Youth Aspire

Wilfrid Laurier University LaunchPad: LaunchPad | Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation | Students – Wilfrid Laurier University (wlu.ca)

Wilfrid Laurier University: Career and Employment Support | Students – Wilfrid Laurier University (wlu.ca)

Conestoga College: https://studentsuccess.conestogac.on.ca/myCareer

Six Nations Polytechnic: Careers | Six Nations Polytechnic (snpolytechnic.com)CareerLink: Job Seeker :: Career Link

Contact North: Welcome to contactnorth.ca | Contact North | contactnorth.ca

Canadian Mental Health Association Brant Haldimand Norfolk: CMHA Brant Haldimand Norfolk – Mental Health for All

Grand Erie Jobs: https://workforceplanningboard.org/find-jobs/

Employers to benefit from welding program

by WPBGE | May 5, 2022 | Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

Employers need welders.

There are major labour shortages across the skill trades, particularly in welding and many companies are struggling to find the workers they need. Maybe this describes your company.

In response to the need for welders in the labour market, the Workforce Planning board of Grand Erie is running a new FREE WELDING TRAINING program called Skills2Advance Welding. This short-term training is being offered in partnership with the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) Foundation, four area colleges and other training providers.

We invite businesses who need welders to partner with us.

There are two main ways to benefit from being an employer partner: businesses can send their existing employees for this free training, or they can hire graduates of the program. Or both.

Learn more here: https://www.skills2advance.com/employers-welding

About the program

Skills2Advance is a 2-week training program:

The first week of the program will be an introduction to welding, with hands-on training in core welding techniques. Participants can get their Fillet Weld Certificate from CWB. This one-week training will hopefully determine if the participants have the aptitude and interest to continue in the welding trade.
The second week will see participants gain training in forklift, reach truck, first aid, CPR and more. There is also a strong emphasis on soft skills such as workplace communication, teamwork, problem solving and conflict resolution.

This second week of training is optional for participants who are referred by their employers for skills uptraining.

Skills2Advance Welding offers two streams of training, called Mind Over Metal and Women of Steel.

The training is the same for each program, but Women of Steel allows women to learn welding alongside other women. It is part of an effort to get more women into the trades, helping to address the labour shortage employers are facing. See our website https://www.skills2advance.com/ for more information.

Get involved

As a local welding employer, you can get involved by:

Referring current (non-welding or less experienced) employees who have an interest in welding to see if they have the aptitude to pursue welding as a trade
Becoming a guest speaker for one or more of our classes, giving you an opportunity to promote your opportunities
Being on our advisory committee to help inform the program and provide input into training

By becoming an employer partner, businesses get the advantage of continuously being able to send any new or existing employees for the free training through our program. Employer partners also get first chance to review graduates of the program who are looking to find work or continue their welding education.

Employer benefits

There are many benefits to employers who get involved, including:

Get skilled & entry-level ready workers
Lower cost of training
Fill vacant positions more quickly
Skilled2Advance Welding is FREE

In late May, we will be having a virtual Information Session via Zoom that will serve as an orientation session for any businesses and organizations that are interested in getting involved. Contact us if you want to be notified about the Information Session details.

Any questions about the program can be directed to: skills2advance@workforceplannningboard.org or call 519-756-1116, ext. 223 or text Mikki at 519-732-4068

Apotex hiring event April 28th

by WPBGE | Apr 19, 2022 | Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

Apotex Pharmachem is a division of Apotex Inc., Canada’s largest generic pharmaceutical company. Apotex Pharmachem is located in Brantford and offers research, development, and manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients as well as other therapeutic medicines which contribute to improving access to medicines for millions of people worldwide.

Apotex Pharmachem employs a highly-skilled Canadian workforce and they are currently hiring for several key positions including entry level Chemical Operator and Chemical Maintenance Technician – and they are holding a recruitment event on April 28th from 9am-12pm and 1pm-5pm to interview for these positions! A college education is an asset but not required for all positions. Those interested can register for one-on-one interviews with the Apotex team through the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/Yca1kSw1NN

About Apotex Pharmachem:

Apotex Pharmachem Inc. is a fully integrated state-of-the-art Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Research & Development and Multi-Purpose Manufacturing Facility. It is the largest API producer in Canada. Founded in Brantford, Ontario and member of the Apotex Group of companies since 1996, Apotex Pharmachem is designed as a full-service model including research and development, manufacturing and distribution of our active pharmaceutical ingredients. Through creativity, innovation and continuous improvement of our facilities, processes and procedures, as well as ongoing training of our highly skilled and qualified people, we assure compliance and adherence to national and international regulatory requirements, globally recognized benchmark quality standards, and our customers’ needs.

Where they are located: 34-54 Spalding Dr, Brantford, ON

“We have an incredible team of bright, passionate, and committed individuals who are proudly dedicated to our mission of bringing a growing array of high quality, affordable medicines to healthcare systems in 115 countries around the globe.

We offer competitive pay, exceptional career development, state-of-the-art facilities, and the opportunity to work with leaders in the field. But we also offer something more… the satisfaction that comes from knowing that the medication we produce will improve the quality of human lives, and in some cases, save them. Our products, most importantly, are also accessible by people from all economic backgrounds. We’d love to hear how you could contribute to the team!”

Watch Apotex Video: https://youtu.be/UA6Z9Lq4dDA

Apotex Values

“Our culture is guided by our core values of Collaboration, Courage, Perseverance and Passion. They inform how we work as well as how we connect internally and externally with our customers, partners and other stakeholders. Our leadership team is focused on growing and sustaining the Canadian business and maintaining thousands of high-quality, highly skilled jobs in our country.”

What is Apotex doing to provide a safe experience for candidates during the hiring process?

Apotex has adapted their recruitment strategy to ensure their staff and applicants are safe by conducting interviews and onboarding online.

Their on-site measures include (but are not limited to): staggering employee shifts to reduce the size of work groups, modifying their cafeteria space to enhance social distancing, the implementation of additional cleaning and sanitization routines, robust self-assessment and screening tools, a work-from-home policy and a strict visitor screening protocol.

To learn more about opportunities at Apotex Pharmachem, visit here: Apotex Career Website

Connect with the team at Apotex Pharmachem during their hiring event April 28th and see if working for them is a fit for your future!

RECRUITMENT EVENT DETAILS:

When: Thursday, September April 28th, 9am-12pm and 1pm-5pm

Where: Make a virtual appointment through: https://forms.office.com/r/Yca1kSw1NN

Why: Hiring a Chemical Operator and a Chemical Maintenance Technician

Website: Apotex Career Website

Contact: employerservices@st-leonards.com or call 519-756-7665 for more information

Deadline: resumes accepted up to 24hrs before the event (cut off April 27, 2022 at 9am)

Presented by St. Leonard’s Community Services

Free program will train people to be welders

by WPBGE | Apr 1, 2022 | Press Release, Workforce Planning Board Of Grand Erie News

Free welding training is being offered to give 150 people a head start to work as welders, helping meet the needs of local companies hungry for workers.

The Workforce Planning Board will provide the program through its Skills2Advance Welding training arm, in partnership with the CWB Welding Foundation. Training will be delivered by four area colleges.

The two-week-long classes start in June and will be offered regularly over the next year. Participants will be recruited from Brantford, Six Nations, New Credit and Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk counties. Residents of Hamilton, Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo and Oxford County can also sign up.

Two-thirds of participants for the free welding training are expected to be women, a group that is underrepresented in the skilled trades. Only 10 per cent of welders in Grand Erie are female. There will also be opportunities for people who have a disability, youth, and other groups that are underrepresented in the trades.

Tremendous opportunity

“This is a tremendous opportunity for people to get started in the skilled trades with this high-demand occupation and start building their career,” said Danette Dalton, the planning board’s executive director. “We’re excited to work with the CWB Welding Foundation, area post-secondary schools and other community partners to give people the skills they need to succeed.”

People can find more information about the program by visiting www.skills2advance.com/welding

The CWB Welding Foundation has for years operated training programs for welders across Canada. Its Women of Steel program has trained hundreds of women since 2019, while its Mind Over Metal program has been in operation since 2014

The Women of Steel and Mind Over Metal curriculum will be delivered by instructors from Six Nations Polytechnic, Conestoga College, and Fanshawe College – Simcoe campus, using their welding shops. Mohawk College will provide training at its mobile classroom, which houses welding simulators in a truck trailer.

Minister of Labour

The one-year project is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development.

“With many tradespeople set to retire over the next decade, we need to do all we can to encourage people to consider careers in welding,” said Minister Monte McNaughton.

“Our government is proud to support this program, which will give future tradespeople, including women and people with disabilities, a head start in planning their careers, and help local employers find the workers they need to grow their business.”

It will include 30 hours of hands-on training, with the opportunity to obtain a CWB welding certification. Another 30 hours will focus on training in first aid, CPR, forklift and working at heights, and soft skills, such as problem-solving and workplace communications.

Free welding toolkit

Program participants will receive a free welding toolkit, which includes a welding helmet, and will be eligible to receive additional support to help cover other expenses, such as work boots.

When they graduate, participants will be assisted by local employment service agencies who will work with local businesses to offer on-the-job placements, which could lead to permanent positions.

“The goal is to find employment for participants, and we expect the program to be warmly received by employers,” Dalton said. “Welders are in demand, and that demand is expected to continue. We need to ensure there are new, eager workers entering the field.”

To learn more about job opportunities in welding, visit this page on Grand Erie Jobs: Welding careers