(Photo by: Greg Murphy; Thurs; Sept 26/13)
By Greg Murphy
Loyalist College may need to play a bigger role to fill skilled labour gaps in the local manufacturing industry.
Employment rates might be up this year for Quinte, but local businesses are still having difficulty finding skilled labour.
In the Employment Outlook Survey sent from Manpower employment services, Belleville area employers are expecting a modest hiring climate for the fourth business quarter of 2013. The net employment outlook is currently at eight percent, which is a four percent point increase from the same time last year. In other words, the jobs are out there.
However, according to the December 2012 Industrial Business Retention and Expansion final report, made public from city hall, “labour continues to be the main issue facing local business.”
The report goes on to say, “the availability of skilled labour particularly around engineers, skilled trades from most every sector, and staff with professional designations, continues to be a concern for business.”
Karen Poste, manager of economic and strategic initiatives at city hall, said this issue still remains a year later, in September 2013.
“Local employers are doing the best they can. The issue simply is the pool of labour they draw from doesn’t meet the skills they want,” said Poste.
Where does Loyalist College sit in all this?
At the bottom of the report, it is stated “there appears to be a need for the college to do more manufacturing skills training.”
Poste said the city has been working with Loyalist on this matter for years.
“Loyalist is doing their part in the skills programs, but we still need to work together to meet the needs of employers in terms of the skills graduates need and the number of graduates,” said Poste.
The gap between students and employers in the labour market is not just specific to Belleville, said Ann Drennan, dean of the School of Applied Sciences Skills and Technology at the college.
“It is a widespread challenge, certainly Belleville is a part of it,” said Drennan.
There are a number of factors that come into play in the issue, Drennan said. One factor is students find it difficult to choose programs based on labour market trends.
“They don’t always know what job market trends are in the future. A lot more communication needs to be had between all stakeholders,” said Drennan.
Communication has a large part to play in the puzzle. Drennan said the college works tirelessly to enhance partnerships with local industry and is doing all it can to fill those labour gaps. She said bringing an engineering degree program to the school may be a possibility for the future.
At the end of the day, Poste says everyone has to be involved to solve the problem.
“What needs to be done doesn’t just fall on the shoulders of Loyalist. The community, parents, and students all have a role to play to explore exciting careers in local business,” said Poste.
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