Where talent and opportunity connect
The local resource for manufacturing and skilled trades
Manufacturers and skilled trades in Ottawa and across Eastern Ontario need fresh talent. Jobseekers of all ages and backgrounds want the labour market insight to guide and inform their career choices.
Ottawa Employment Hub is the place where business, community partners and jobseekers connect to bridge the skills gap and broaden the search for talent in the National Capital Region. The Hub is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
The proof is in the numbers
Each year, the Hub updates local Labour Market Information (LMI) for various sectors of the economy. LMI provides employers and jobseekers across the spectrum with critical insight into labour force needs, what skills are in demand and how salaries compare.
The most recent year-over-year LMI data for local manufacturing, for example, paints a compelling picture about rising labour demand and related wage gains:
The number of manufacturing jobs in Ottawa rose by 2.8 per cent, to 19,338.
The average salary in the sector locally rose by 2.5 per cent, to $64,524, while Ontario sector salaries saw little change.
The number of online manufacturing job postings jumped by 44.4 per cent, to 3,409 (#3 sector for local job ads).
The Hub is your one-stop shop
More than 70 employment and training organizations in Ottawa offer free programs and services, and financial incentives in some cases, to help employers in all sectors broaden their search for talent and build the skills of their current workforce.
Meanwhile, educators are looking to connect with employers and get them involved with WIL (work-integrated learning), to create opportunities that will promote manufacturing and skilled trades to youth and newcomers.
Ottawa Employment Hub serves as the connective tissue between all these programs and services. It takes a targeted and sector-driven approach to address the labour supply issues that face local manufacturing and skilled trades.
Whether you are an educator, student, jobseeker or employer, keep reading to learn how the Hub can help you.
The Hub connects educators, students, jobseekers, employers
Feature articles in this magazine have documented the challenges many manufacturers face to attract and retain the talent they need.
Unemployment is at record lows across most sectors of the economy. Manufacturing as a career path often suffers from a negative perception, despite the fact that many positions are highly skilled and require post-secondary education or advanced technical training.
How Ottawa Employment Hub helps
Reaching students and recent grads: Engagement with all five Ottawa-area post-secondary institutions and the four school boards to guide future programming and ensure the next generation of workers are equipped with relevant skills.
Broadening the talent pool: Partnership with umbrella organizations to help employers tap into a broader pool of talent that includes youth, persons with disabilities, and newcomers to Canada:
• Employment Ontario Ottawa Network (www.eoon.ca)
• Rideau Ottawa Valley Learning Network (www.rovln.ca)
• Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership (OLIP – www.olip-plio.ca)
• Hire Immigrants Ottawa (www.hireimmigrantsottawa.ca)
• Employment Accessibility Resource Network (EARN – www.earn-paire.ca)
• Ottawa Network for Education (ONFE – www.onfe-rope.ca)
• And more.
Launching an Employer Help Desk: A new resource to help employers make the right connections between the supply and demand side of the labour market, for their current and future needs.
Providing tools for organizational change: An online HR Toolkit and a directory of local service providers and programs helps businesses understand their HR obligations and become employers of choice by creating an inclusive and engaging workplace culture.
The Hub’s next step: The Making It in Manufacturing Resource Network
In collaboration with the Ottawa Board of Trade, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium, local businesses, school boards, and other LEPC partners, the Hub has launched Making It in Manufacturing (MIIM).
Making It in Manufacturing starts with The Hub
To better focus and align its efforts on behalf of the local manufacturing sector, Ottawa Employment Hub and its partners have created the Making It in Manufacturing (MIIM) Resource Network, with funding from the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
“We are drawing on the strength of our relationships to look at things in a different way and leverage workforce planning and development activities across the region, no matter who is funding them and where the project lives,” said Ingrid Argyle, Managing Director of the Hub.
“MIIM will give a ‘face’ to manufacturing in and around Ottawa – something we can build on to engage both the current and future workforce.”
MIIM leverages and streamlines resources for the local manufacturing sector from the dozens of funded programs and services available in Eastern Ontario from the Hub’s network of 150 partners.
What can employers, jobseekers, educators expect from MIIM?
Manufacturing-specific job fairs and other networking and educational events.
More opportunities for engagement between manufacturers and local high schools and post-secondary institutions.
Alignment with Invest Ottawa (another LEPC partner) and its Talent Strategy initiative.
Using online resources such as Magnet and LinkedIn to explore labour supply and demand, and to make connections between talent and jobs in new ways.
Get involved today
Visit MIIMOttawa.ca to learn more about MIIM activities and how you can take advantage.
Are you ready to explore a career in manufacturing?
Ottawa Employment Hub provides guidance and assistance for jobseekers, from high-school students to experienced professionals in career transition.
Its Career Gear Tool takes you through four steps to make an informed decision:
CAREER CLARITY: Looking inward to understand yourself and your toolkit
GOAL CHECK: Explore the “world of work” and what employers want
VALUE PROPOSITION: Create your compelling story
TAKE ACTION: Apply your learning and take your next step
Career Gear is a tool you can return to again and again to build skills and effectively market yourself to employers. Understand yourself and the world of work to connect with the opportunity that is right for you.
Gear up for your future today!
Visit www.ottawaemploymenthub.ca to learn more and try out Career Gear.