Executive Summary

Annually, a Local Labour Market Plan (LLMP) is developed for Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth
counties to highlight movement in the local economy. In this update we will examine the number of businesses in each county and also reflect on the employment and participation rates of the region’s residents in 2015. This LLMP will provide an update on the previously presented menu of short, medium and long term community driven priorities.

From the 2014 Skills Gap Study many community actions items were identified, from soft skills training to mentorship programs to labour market strategies. We also use EmployerOne input from local businesses to develop strategies that can help employers meet their workforce needs and residents to align their training to identified needs. This helps create a system to close the recognized local skills gaps and build a strong labour market.

In January 2016, employers shared their hiring challenges for 2015. We received 425 responses up from 222 the previous year. We learned that 68% of respondents felt the availability of qualified workers was fair or poor. We believe this warrants attention by getting the skills needs communicated and developing strategies to upskill our current labour pool.