Town of Orangeville - Community Employment Services Woodstock

Transcription

March 2011
Acknowledgements
This initiative was made possible by the following community partners, who provided
a vision and contributed expertise and resources. Their efforts have created a roadmap
that if followed will support the economic vitality of the Oxford County community.
• Community Employment Services
• Chambers of Commerce in Woodstock, Tillsonburg and Ingersoll
• Fanshawe and Conestoga Colleges
• London District Catholic School Board
• Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
• Ontario Ministry of Agriculture , Food and Rural Affairs
• Oxford Small Business Support Centre
• The Elgin, Middlesex, Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board
• The City of Woodstock
• The Towns of Ingersoll and Tillsonburg
• The Township of Norwich
• The Thames Valley District School Board
• The County of Oxford
• Tillsonburg and District Multi-Service Centre
This Employment Ontario project is funded
in part by the Government of Canada.
County of Oxford Labour Force Development Strategy
Contents
1
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 9
1.1
Global Trends Impacting the Local Economy ............................................................................... 9
1.1.1
Manufacturing........................................................................................................................ 9
1.1.2
Agriculture ........................................................................................................................... 11
1.1.3
Professional Services .......................................................................................................... 11
1.1.4
Tourism and Culture ............................................................................................................ 12
1.1.5
Health Care ......................................................................................................................... 12
1.1.6
Education ............................................................................................................................ 12
1.2
Summary of Global Trends ......................................................................................................... 13
2
Background Review and Assessment ................................................................................................ 14
2.1
Oxford County Labour Force Initiatives ...................................................................................... 14
2.1.1
Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities Annual Labour Market Report: Western
Region 14
2.1.2
The Elgin, Middlesex, Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board: TOP Report
(April 2010) .......................................................................................................................................... 14
2.1.3
Labour Market Survey for Oxford County (2006) ................................................................ 15
2.2
Municipal Economic Development and Labour Force Initiatives ................................................ 16
2.2.1
City of Woodstock ............................................................................................................... 16
2.2.2
Town of Ingersoll ................................................................................................................. 17
2.2.3
Town of Tillsonburg ............................................................................................................. 17
2.2.4
Township of Norwich ........................................................................................................... 18
2.2.5
Summary of Municipal Economic and Labour Force Initiatives .......................................... 19
2.3
Regional Development Organizations ........................................................................................ 21
3
2.3.1
Southern Ontario Marketing Alliance (SOMA) .................................................................... 21
2.3.2
South Central Ontario Region (SCOR) ............................................................................... 21
2.3.3
Southwest Economic Alliance (SWEA) ............................................................................... 22
2.3.4
Summary of Regional Development Priorities .................................................................... 23
Economic Base Assessment .............................................................................................................. 24
3.1
Location ....................................................................................................................................... 24
3.2
Demographic Assessment .......................................................................................................... 24
3.2.1
Population Growth ............................................................................................................... 24
3.2.2
Immigration.......................................................................................................................... 27
3.2.3
Educational Attainment ....................................................................................................... 27
3.3
Labour Force Profile .................................................................................................................... 30
3.3.1
Labour Force by Industry .................................................................................................... 31
3.3.2
Location Quotients .............................................................................................................. 34
3.3.3
Labour Force by Occupation ............................................................................................... 35
3.3.4
The Creative Economy........................................................................................................ 38
3.4
Business Patterns Assessment................................................................................................... 40
3.5
4
Summary of Economic Base Analysis ........................................................................................ 44
Skills Assessment ............................................................................................................................... 47
4.1
Identifying the Skill Gaps ............................................................................................................. 50
4.2
Transferring Skills across Industries ........................................................................................... 52
County of Oxford Labour Force Development Strategy – Draft Report
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5
Community Consultation + SWOT Assessment ................................................................................. 54
5.1.1
Stakeholder Interviews ........................................................................................................ 54
5.1.2
Online Survey ...................................................................................................................... 54
5.1.3
Labour Force Development Summit ................................................................................... 55
5.2
SWOT Assessment ..................................................................................................................... 55
6
5.2.1
Strengths ............................................................................................................................. 55
5.2.2
Weaknesses ........................................................................................................................ 57
5.2.3
Opportunities ....................................................................................................................... 59
5.2.4
Threats ................................................................................................................................ 61
Framing the Issues.............................................................................................................................. 62
7
Charting the Course: Priorities + Actions ............................................................................................ 65
7.1
Theme One: Foster Collaboration ............................................................................................... 65
7.1.1
Priority One ......................................................................................................................... 65
7.2
Theme Two: Reinforce Career Pathways ................................................................................... 66
7.2.1
Priority One ......................................................................................................................... 66
7.2.2
Priority Two ......................................................................................................................... 68
7.2.3
Priority Three ....................................................................................................................... 69
7.3
Theme Three: Cultivate Entrepreneurs ....................................................................................... 69
7.3.1
Priority One ......................................................................................................................... 69
7.3.2
Priority Two ......................................................................................................................... 70
7.3.3
Priority Three ....................................................................................................................... 70
7.4
Theme Four: Attracting and Retaining People ............................................................................ 71
7.4.1
7.4.2
Priority One ......................................................................................................................... 71
Priority Two ......................................................................................................................... 71
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Acknowledgements
This initiative was made possible by the following community partners, who provided a vision and
contributed expertise and resources. Their efforts have created a roadmap that if followed will support the
economic vitality of the Oxford County community.
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Community Employment Services
Chambers of Commerce in Woodstock, Tillsonburg and Ingersoll
Fanshawe and Conestoga Colleges
London District Catholic School Board
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture , Food and Rural Affairs
Oxford Small Business Support Centre
The Elgin, Middlesex, Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board
The City of Woodstock
The Towns of Ingersoll and Tillsonburg
The Township of Norwich
The Thames Valley District School Board
The County of Oxford
Tillsonburg and District Multi-Service Centre
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Executive Summary
Recently, several municipal economic development offices within the County of Oxford have undertaken
the development and updating of their Strategic Plans. The Labour Force Development Strategy is
designed to support these efforts by reflecting on and giving consideration to the work already undertaken
by the County, its municipalities, and regional partners that is serving to shape the growth and
sustainability of the local and regional economies.
The Labour Force Development Strategy has been undertaken in a time of change. Changes at the
global, national and provincial level have impacted Oxford‟s key industries: Manufacturing has exhibited a
decline in employment in Ontario since 2005, well before the onset of the 2008 recession, with immense
opportunities in new and innovative industries producing high-value products; Agriculture has been in
steady decline, measured by number of farms, farmers and contribution to GDP for many years with
opportunities being seen in agri-food manufacturing and the „creative‟ food economy.
The service sector and knowledge economy are the new drivers of employment and economic growth in
Ontario, creating high-wage, professional careers that are highly valued by economic development
departments. Now is the time for a comprehensive labour force strategy to accommodate for these
changes and prepare Oxford County for the needs of the future.
Objectives
The Labour Force Development Strategy is intended to

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

Develop a comprehensive situational analysis,
Conduct a statistical assessment of skills gaps in the local labour force,
Include extensive community and stakeholder consultation to understand the County‟s strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats,
Develop themes, priorities and actions to allow the County and its partners to move forward in
comprehensive labour force planning.
Methodology
The creation of a Labour Force Development Strategy for the County of Oxford necessitates a thorough
review of the recent initiatives and strategies already in effect in the County, a clear understanding of the
current economic base of the community, a skills assessment to identify gaps in the labour force and
community consultation to gain feedback from community members and key stakeholders to inform the
priorities and actions of the strategy.
In creating the Labour Force Development Strategy a comprehensive review of the local employment,
training, education, and business development and entrepreneurship programs initiatives was undertaken
to provide context and guidance to the present strategy development process. In addition, an economic
base assessment was conducted to understand population composition and change, labour force
characteristics and industry strengths and characteristics.
As a supplement to the economic base assessment a skills assessment was conducted to investigate
more closely skilled occupations within a range of target industries, possible skill gaps in those industries
and to provide an understanding of how these skills and occupations are related or transferable across
other industries.
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Finally, community consultations were conducted to gain the experiences, opinions and ideas shared by
Oxford County‟s business community, industry leaders, community service organizations, educators and
regional institutions. The consultation process included interviews with 42 stakeholders in the region, an
online survey which received input from 211 businesses and community members, as well as, a labour
nd
force development summit held on November 2 2010 that attracted more than 75 participants. This
broad-based engagement with the community enabled considerable insight into key issues and
opportunities facing the County‟s labour force.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
The county boasts a number of strengths based on the strong employer base and quality of place in the
region. The main strengths emerging from the consultation are: a skilled and experienced workforce,
coordinated education efforts in creating education to employment pathways, home to satellite campus‟ of
post-secondary institutions, a developed agricultural base, initiatives undertaken to address shortfall in
creative workers, strong work ethic, attractive quality of place, strategic geographic position, community
and employment service providers.
In order to ensure that the labour force strategic plan is balanced, consideration must be given to the
weaknesses outlined. Weaknesses identified during the community consultations include: relatively low
levels of educational attainment, unclear employment pathways, insufficient support to small businesses,
skills shortages in key occupations, lack of skills and work ethic in youth, lack of labour market awareness
in the business community.
Opportunities are based on internal and external factors that affect the labour force and are critical to
examine in developing strategic actions for the region. Opportunities identified for Oxford include:
enhanced collaboration, developing youth leadership, developing pathways to employment, occupations
in green energy, diversifying the skills base, fostering entrepreneurship, integrating diverse community
members, and developing retention programs.
While a number of opportunities have been identified by community members, in order to capitalize on
such opportunities, consideration must be given to the internal and external threats that Oxford County
faces. Threats hinder Oxford County‟s ability to implement an effective labour force development strategy.
Threats to labour force development in Oxford are: increasing requirement for educational attainment and
demand for higher order skills, as well as, other centres with post-secondary institutions are offering
greater opportunities for young talent.
Labour Force Development Themes
Drawing on the background research, community consultations and SWOT assessment, a number of key
themes emerged. The themes include: Fostering Collaboration, Reinforcing Career Pathways, Cultivating
Entrepreneurs, and Attracting and Retaining People. Each theme considered synergies with existing
programming in developing priorities and recommended actions to undertake.
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Emerging Themes in the Oxford County Labour Force Development Strategy
Foster Collaboration
Based on the consultation with key industry and community stakeholders, as well as, the broader
business community, it was remarked that there are a number of actors implementing projects related to
labour force development in Oxford County. To be effective at a regional level will require more
leadership and collaboration among the various players.
Reinforce Career Pathways
Career opportunities in Oxford extend beyond manufacturing and agriculture to include work in other
sectors such as the creative cultural sector and the emerging green economy. In addition, occupations
and careers available within all sectors are diverse and include professional occupations such as
accounting, law, engineering and others. However, during the consultation process with key stakeholders
and the business community, it was suggested that workers and potential workers in Oxford are unclear
as to the opportunities available for careers (Career Pathways) in the County. Equally unclear are the
skills, credentials and training required to move into these careers. Understanding all of the opportunities
available will assist in meeting the goals of developing a skilled labour force and in retaining youth and
skilled workers.
Cultivate Entrepreneurs
As a primary source of employment growth for the county, entrepreneurs and small businesses have the
potential to retain and attract workers while diversifying the economy. Coordinating and enhancing
existing support provided to entrepreneurs and small businesses will assist small businesses in fulfilling
their role as the drivers of the local economy.
Attracting and Retaining People
Trends such as the aging workforce, coupled with youth out-migration indicate that in the future Oxford
County will be challenged to generate sufficient workers in emerging industries and occupations.
Retaining the existing workforce, while integral to replacing retiring workers, must be supplemented with
efforts to attract new workers to Oxford.
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Progress on Actions
At the time of writing this executive summary, Oxford County Community Employment Services has
already begun action on the first theme of Building Collaboration recommended in this Strategy. The
development of a Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Committee (MSAC) is currently underway where various
committees and partnerships have already begun to be assembled based on the following chart. The
MSAC will be responsible for overall oversight and guidance while individual committees will address
individual themes.
Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Committee
1. Municipalities (Economic Development)
2. Education (Secondary & Post-Secondary)
3. Employment Sector
4. Business Sector
5. Social Service Providers/Health
Coordinator
Centralized conduit for all information
Community
Strategic
Planning/Initiatives
“Best in Their
Class”
Lead Organizations
1.
TBD By Sub
Committees
2.
TBD By Sub
Committees
Examples:

Oxford Social
Planning Council

Healthy Communities

Oxford Youth
Wellness

Youth Strategy
Theme 2: Cultivate
Entrepreneurs
Theme 1: Reinforce
Career Pathways

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Chamber of
Commerce
Fanshawe College
Conestoga College
Thames Valley District
School Board
Workforce Planning
and Development
Board
Community
Employment Services

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
Small Business
Enterprise Centre
Oxford Small Business
Support Centre
School Board
London Catholic
School Board
Oxford Creative
Connections
Oxford Federation of
Agriculture
Chamber of
Commerce
Theme 3: Attracting
and Retaining
People

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Economic
Development
Departments
School Board (ESL
Programs)
Fanshawe College
Conestoga College
County of Oxford
Community
Employment Services
Private Sector
Immigrant Settlement
Services
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1 Introduction
Recently, several municipal economic development offices within the County of Oxford have undertaken
the development and updating of their Strategic Plans. Community Employment Services and their
regional partners wish to support these efforts by concurrently developing a Labour Force Development
Strategy. Having been retained for this work, Millier Dickinson Blais has reflected on and given
consideration to the work already undertaken by the County, its municipalities, and regional partners that
is serving to shape the growth and sustainability of the local and regional economies.
1.1
Global Trends Impacting the Local Economy
Proximity to the Greater Golden Horseshoe region and the nature and characterization of the region‟s
local industry suggests that the County of Oxford is likely to experience many of the effects of an
increasingly globalized world. Understanding these issues, while outside the immediate influence of the
County and its municipalities, will have a lasting impact on the success of local economic and labour force
development efforts and lead to more effective and appropriate actions in the long run. Labour force
development efforts are closely linked to the industries the labour force is meant to support. An
understanding of the issues and challenges facing many of the County‟s targeted industries at a national
and global level is essential to developing an informed response on how best to support business and
investment efforts at the local level.
1.1.1 Manufacturing
The Ontario economy is facing significant structural changes, and nowhere is this being felt more acutely
than in the manufacturing sector. The recent economic recession has only accelerated what has been a
decline in employment and output in the provincial manufacturing sector in recent years. As seen in
Figure 1 below, manufacturing‟s share of provincial employment has declined from 21% in 1988 to just
13% in 2008. Despite May 2010 employment counts being modestly higher than the same period in 2009,
1
total manufacturing employment of 786,000 is down 35.4% from 2005 .
Figure 1: Share of Employment by Industry, Ontario, 1988 – 2008
1
2
2
Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. Ontario Monthly Labour Market Report, May 2010.
Source: http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/economy/ltr/2010/highlights.html
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The transportation equipment manufacturing sector, which includes automotive production, has been the
hardest hit. The sector – estimated to account for 400,000 jobs in the province in 2008, declined 23.9% in
3
2008 and a further 28.7% in 2009 in terms of GDP output . Transportation equipment manufacturing
alone accounted for 55% of job losses in the South Central Ontario Region (SCOR) between 2004 and
4
2008 .
This is of particular concern for Oxford County as Woodstock, Ingersoll and Tillsonburg were among the
top 5 communities in all of SCOR in manufacturing jobs in 2001 and 2006. Automotive and automotive
parts manufacturing and fabricated metal products manufacturing are especially concentrated in Oxford
County, a point which will be elaborated further in the economic base analysis.
While there are some indications that the manufacturing industry will stabilize as the economy emerges
from recession, challenges remain; TD Economics forecasts that, even by late 2011, factory production
5
will remain about 8% lower than the levels seen a decade ago , and the continued appreciation of the
Canadian dollar and international competition will mean continued difficulties for the manufacturing
sector. The rise of service and knowledge-based industries will likely continue to displace manufacturing
employment in the provincial and local economies.
Meanwhile, there remain consistent labour force concerns in manufacturing such as: the low mobility of
the workforce; the new skill sets being required by automation and technological advancements; the
difficulty in attracting young workers to manufacturing and skilled trades professions; and the lack of
6
adequate and flexible training for in-demand skilled occupations . These points are particularly relevant in
the context of opportunities in the manufacturing sector. Opportunities for resilience and success will be
found in proactively incorporating re-training and skill enhancement, increasing research and
7
development, and increased flexibility . Businesses with these characteristics will be best positioned to
take advantage of new investments in emerging innovative industries such as bio-technology, composites
8
manufacturing, and medical device manufacturing , as well as green and renewable energy and
advanced technologies.
Driven by the Province of Ontario‟s Green Energy Act, significant investment and job creation is slated to
take root in the provincial economy in the coming years; a point supported by reports from the PeelHalton Workforce Development Group and Workforce Planning Board of York Region and Bradford West
Gwillimbury, and the Conference Board of Canada. The Conference Board of Canada estimated that
Ontario will spend nearly $2 billion from 2010 to 2014 in technology funds, and that for every $100 million
9
of investment, 1,400 jobs will be created in the province . Based on projects already under development
in the province, and forecasts from other jurisdictions, high-value jobs and opportunities in renewable
energy will be created in a variety of areas, including:


Construction labourers and sheet-metal workers (residential retrofitting)
Accountants and auditors (green enterprise development)
3
Ontario Ministry of Finance. Ontario Economic Accounts. <http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/economy/ecaccts/#pbi>
EDP Consulting. SCOR Manufacturing Review. 2009.
5
TD Economics. Industrial Outlook, 2010.
6
Elgin, Middlesex, Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board. Trends, Opportunities, Priorities (TOP) Report. April 2010.
7
Conference Board of Canada. Canada‟s Manufacturing Sector: There is a Silver Lining. June 23 2008.
8
SOMA Integrated Marketing Strategy, 2009.
9
Conference Board of Canada, The Economic and Employment Impacts of Climate-Related Technology Investments. 2010.
4
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

Research and development, scientific and laboratory technicians (green energy and
manufacturing technologies)
Engineers, concrete-forming operators (green building)
Because of the diversity of occupations and skills required by the growth of the green economy, there is
significant mobility within this sector. This will only be strengthened by the development of additional
educational and training resources that can further support the transition to new advanced manufacturing
processes. Ingersoll‟s Power Centre Campus of Conestoga College, focused on energy-related trades
and technical training, and the Fanshawe Campus in Woodstock will assist the County in this transition.
1.1.2 Agriculture
There are a number of external threats to the continued strength of the agricultural economy in Ontario
and Oxford County. Rising energy and labour costs are affecting balance sheets for agricultural
operations. This is reflected in the decreasing number of farms and average receipts throughout
10
Ontario . Like the rest of the population, farm operators are an aging demographic, and it is becoming
11
increasingly economically unviable to work full-time on farms. In addition, the nature of agricultural
enterprise is shifting to encompass more value-added business activities associated with agricultural
production; agri-food and agri-business manufacturing and processing activities, as defined by the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, generated $10.1billion in GDP in 2009 while
12
primary agriculture activities (crop and animal production generated $4.5billion . Indeed, a 2009 report
entitled „From Kraft to Craft: Innovation in Ontario‟s Food Economy‟ demonstrates that Ontario‟s food
economy has grown by 2-3% a year over the last decade, with the „creative‟ food economy sub-sector
13
growing at anywhere from 5 to 10 times that pace . Changes to the Canada Food Plan reflecting growing
trends towards healthy eating, as well as other shifts in consumer demand related to local food, food
safety and security, and ethnic crops demanded by the region‟s growing visible minority populations, will
create new agricultural opportunities.
1.1.3 Professional Services
Across the region, the province, and the country, a new knowledge-based economic paradigm is
emerging that represents an important structural shift away from the goods-producing economic base that
has driven the economy of the County and the Province for decades. Not simply theoretical, this shift has
been brought into sharp focus by employment and output data through the recent recessionary period.
14
Service-producing industries as a whole now employ 79% of Ontario‟s labour force , and have taken on
increasing significance in the provincial economy. In May 2010, service-producing industries grew by
22,500 employees – of which 12,900 were business services – while goods-producing industries lost
4,800 employees. As a high-value segment of the service economy, the professional, scientific and
technical services (PSTS) sector – which encompasses subsectors related to accounting and
bookkeeping, law, engineering and architecture, marketing and advertising, and software programming
and design – has shown particular strength. In May 2010, it employed 558,000 people – 10.9% higher
15
than May of 2009, and its highest level in five years . This sector, together with administrative and other
16
services, was responsible for 20.3% of provincial GDP in 2009 . PSTS is an important sector for labour
10
Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Agriculture
Statistics Canada. Ontario‟s farm population. <http://www.statcan.gc.ca/ca-ra2006/agpop/on-eng.htm>
12
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Ontario Gross Domestic Product for Agri-Food Industries, 2008.
13
Donald, B. From Kraft to craft: innovation and creativity in Ontario‟s food economy. 2009.
14
Statistics Canada. Labour Force Survey, March 2010.
15
16
11
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force development in Oxford County not only because it reflects employment trends in the broader
economy, but also because it provides the kind of high-wage professional careers that are diminishing in
rd
other sectors of the County economy. Among 16 industry groups in Ontario, PSTS pays the 3 highest
17
wage rate as of 2008 (29.57 $CDN/hr) .
1.1.4 Tourism and Culture
Tourism and culture has evolved into a key priority for communities looking to expand and diversify their
economic development potential. Tourism sector development is occurring within a renewed provincial
context, as the Ministry of Tourism and Culture announced in 2009 the formation of 13 new tourism
regions in the province, a realignment that was accompanied by $25 million in funding for 2009 and 2010
18
on top of the $40 million in annual funding already allocated to tourism .
Though it is seen as a growth opportunity for many jurisdictions, the sector has fared poorly in recent
years as discretionary consumer spending has fallen as a result of the recession. This trend is likely to
persist somewhat, creating a softer recovery for the tourism sector in 2010. Domestic tourism spending
19
may also suffer as the strength of the Canadian dollar drives tourists to other markets . This is especially
concerning for Oxford County, which in 2008 derived 90.9% of its tourism visitation from elsewhere in
20
Ontario . However, there are some positive signs in the industry. Trends indicate that, despite a
forecasted decline of 0.8% in overall visitation to the province in 2010, both the number of visitors and
amount of non-business spending are expected to rise by two to four per cent in the next two to three
21
years .
1.1.5 Health Care
Health care and its range of supporting industries, while not always perceived as an „industry‟ from a
traditional economic development perspective is becoming increasingly important to local and regional
economies. Unlike other sectors that are highly susceptible to external economic events and changes to
input and commodity prices, health care has a highly stable demand structure, and has secure and
consistent funding – and thus secure levels of employment and expenditures. To illustrate this demand,
the Ontario Ministry of Finance has forecasted a doubling of the senior population by 2030; it is expected
that this will increase demand for, and costs of, health care services. In addition, employment in the
health care and social assistance sector in the province increased 2.6% year over year, to a total of
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722,000 employees in May 2010 .
1.1.6 Education
It is important to discuss the important role of education – from elementary to post-secondary levels – as
a key element of the social infrastructure necessary for economic growth. Provincial investment and
policy has reflected the importance of education to the broader economy; highlights of the 2010 Ontario
budget reflect attention to lifelong learning and services for immigrant and minority groups, and increased
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demand for training services .This increased investment has been reflected in the 2.3% growth in output
in educational services in the province in the fourth quarter of 2009, building on steady gains made in the
24
previous three quarters despite the recession in the broader economy .
17
InvestinOntario.com – Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey 2008
Ontario Ministry of Finance, 2010 Ontario Budget: Sector Highlights – Strengthening Key Sectors of the Ontario Economy
19
Scotiabank Economics. Industry Trends, 2010.
20
Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Regional Tourism Profiles, 2008.
21
Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Industry Research and Forecasts, 2010.
22
23
Ontario Ministry of Finance, 2010 Ontario Budget: Sector Highlights – Strengthening Key Sectors of the Ontario Economy
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1.2
Summary of Global Trends
It is clear from the previous global trends discussion that the economies of Ontario and Southern Ontario
are experiencing a dramatic shift.
25

Manufacturing, and automotive production in particular, is declining (despite May 2010
employment counts being modestly higher than the same period in 2009, total manufacturing
25
employment of 786,000 is down 35.4% from 2005 ). The continued high Canadian dollar and
rising international competition will result in continued challenges for the manufacturing sector.
The greatest opportunities for the manufacturing sector in Ontario are:
o New and innovative industries producing high-value products. These industries will require
investment in retraining and skills enhancement as well as research and development.
o Provision of renewable and efficient energy and their related spinoffs, taking advantage of the
provisions of the Green Energy Act and the CME-SMART program.

Agriculture has been in steady decline in terms of employment and relative contribution to GDP.
External pressures including rising energy and labour costs along with international competition
will continue to challenge agriculture in Ontario. The greatest opportunities for agriculture are:
o Value added agri-food manufacturing.
o Taking advantage of trends in consumer demand towards local food and ethnic crops to
capitalize on the „creative‟ food economy.

The service sector and knowledge economy are the new drivers of employment and economic
growth in Ontario, creating high-wage, professional careers highly valued by economic
development departments.

Tourism and culture, while targeted by the provincial government as a sector for economic
growth, have also been struggling in recent years. The high Canadian dollar and economic
recession are negatively impacting both US and domestic tourists.

While education and health care are rarely perceived as „industries‟ in the traditional sense, their
role in employment generation and economic growth in the province has been significant.
Education plays a vital role in the broader economy, providing the technical education and
training necessary to re-skill workers for the new economy.
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2 Background Review and Assessment
The creation of a Labour Force Development Strategy for the County of Oxford necessitates a thorough
review of the recent initiatives and strategies already in effect in the County that have implications for the
development and sustainability of local employment and the labour force more directly. With a number of
constituent municipalities, as well as economic development and training organizations and institutions at
the County and regional level, there are a significant series of employment, training, education, and
business development and entrepreneurship programs to be considered. A review of these initiatives and
pertinent reports will be helpful to provide context and guidance to the present strategy development
process.
In addition to investigating current labour force programming, this review will be done with an eye to
identifying specific target sectors arising from key municipal, County and regional organizations. This is
relevant insofar as these target sectors and the forecasted trends for these sectors will shape the
characterization of a labour force development program.
2.1
Oxford County Labour Force Initiatives
The County of Oxford has an effective labour force planning and research infrastructure, anchored by the
Elgin, Middlesex, Oxford (EMO) Workforce Planning and Development Board. The County has also
conducted a Labour Force Survey through the Oxford Connection, a partnership between the Workforce
Planning and Development Board, Fanshawe College and the County‟s constituent municipalities. Recent
reports from both groups have been reviewed to inform an understanding of the trends and strategies
affecting the County‟s labour force.
2.1.1
Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities Annual Labour Market Report: Western
Region
26
Throughout this report, reference has been made to the Western Region . The Ministry of Training
Colleges and Universities released the most recent Annual Labour Market Report for this region in April,
2010. The report places a stark background to the labour force strategy of Oxford County. The report
makes clear the current dramatic shift away from manufacturing, the challenges to youth employment,
and long term structural challenges in the aging population.



Job losses in manufacturing in the region amounted to 35,300 in 2009, over 60% of the entire job
losses in the region directly contributing to unemployment reaching 9.6% a considerable increase
from the 6.6% unemployment reached in 2008. Employment in manufacturing has declined by
100,000 jobs since the industry peak in 2003.
Youth unemployment, while below the provincial average reached 17.6% in the region up from
13.8% in 2008
Technological advances, growing environmental movement and the aging population will become
more pronounced in the medium to long term and will be of some concern in labour force
planning.
2.1.2
The Elgin, Middlesex, Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board: TOP Report
(April 2010)
In April 2010, the Elgin Middlesex Oxford (EMO) Workforce Planning and Development Board released a
Trends, Opportunities and Priorities (TOP) Report. The TOP report reviewed recent employment and
26
The Western Region is defined geographically by MTCU as Oxford County, Dufferin County, Wellington County, Hamilton,
Niagara Region, Haldimand County, County of Brant, Waterloo Region, Perth County, Elgin County, Chatham-Kent, Essex County,
Lambton County, Middlesex County, County of Grey, Bruce County and Huron County.
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business patterns data in the EMO area (which counts all communities in Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford
Counties). The report also provides information and forecasts related to major business establishments
and closures affecting the local labour market in six key sectors: agriculture and agri-business,
manufacturing and advanced manufacturing, life sciences, information technology, health care, advanced
education.
The detailed employment and business patterns data is provided for the five sub-sectors that drive
employment in the Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford economies: agriculture, comprising animal production
and crop production; fabricated metal production; food service and drinking places; and specialty trade
contractors. Though key trends and employment patterns as they pertain to Oxford County are assessed
in Section 3 below, each of these sectors – which together employ a significant proportion of the Oxford
County labour force – are confronted with low internal labour mobility and difficulties with adequate
training programs, issues that are germane to the labour force development strategy.
In light of these issues, the TOP report outlines 6 actions that align with the primary local challenges as a
result of the data review. For each action, a review of completed programs in the EMO area is given
together with proposed initiatives for 2010-2011. The 6 action areas respond to the following challenges;
the key proposed initiatives are also provided:






Low employability skills among youth.
o Proposed Action: develop and share curricula between high schools, businesses and
colleges; focus on soft „employability‟ skills
High skill training needs, especially in skills training and critical thinking
o Proposed Action: develop a workplace literacy pilot program with a local employer
focused on Essential Skills to then share throughout the EMO area
Improve transferability of skill sets in the labour force
o Proposed Action: develop the Oxford Labour Force Strategy
Improve integration of the labour market and information sharing across the EMO area
o Proposed Action: develop a coordinated labour market information collection and
distribution network
Respond to SME challenges regarding legislation, regulation and compliance
o Proposed Action: Research and create an online guide on employer requirements –
specifically for food service and drinking places – find ways to distribute information
effectively
An increased need for service-based labour pools as the economy shifts
o Proposed Action: Identify candidates in high-demand skill areas coming out of PSE
institutions and Employment Ontario organizations – and eliminate charges for
businesses to access these pools
2.1.3 Labour Market Survey for Oxford County (2006)
In 2006, The Oxford Connection – an ad hoc organization composed of Fanshawe College‟s Woodstock
Campus, the Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board, the City of Woodstock
and the Towns of Ingersoll and Tillsonburg – commissioned a Labour Market Survey to identify the key
issues facing the local labour market in the County, and to provide recommendations to address the
recurring challenges that had been identified.
The report‟s primary focus was on industrial firms, basing its analysis and recommendations on a survey
of 38 industrial establishments in the County which together represented two-thirds of the County‟s
manufacturing labour force. The survey identified a number of key issues that can be taken as the
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impetus for the development of this strategy. First and foremost, the report recognizes the need to
develop and attract skilled and experienced labour in the County, which acts as a key economic
development attractor to draw businesses and additional unskilled labour to the County. The scope of
these issues is limited to the industrial labour force, which will be expanded upon in this strategy. Other
key issues identified were the perceived low viability of manufacturing as a career option for the County‟s
youth; the low return on investment for industrial SMEs in delivering in-house training and
apprenticeships; and the general lack of accessible training opportunities for skilled trades and technical
occupations in Oxford County.
To address the concerns resulting from the survey, the report concludes with three central
recommendations.



Address the lack of interest in manufacturing careers among young people, using the school
system to enhance skills delivery, and organized labour to better promote the career options in
the industry;
Address the shortage of skilled trades by revitalizing apprenticeships; evaluate firm-level
investments and costs for apprentices (focused on the „average investment cost‟ and „break-even
point‟ for firms), and identify the role of organized labour in promoting skilled trades; report these
costs to senior levels of government to pursue funding
Develop an ongoing projected skills needs survey mechanism to be sent to Oxford firms annually,
utilizing Fanshawe College as the lead in the absence of Economic Development Offices in all
parts of the County
This strategy shares the perspective identified in the report that “knowing precisely what industry will form
the employment base in 5-10 years is then less important than ensuring that there is an evolving supply
of skills with a broad applicability”. In other words, building the skills capacity of the labour force should be
a key outcome to position the County to capitalize on present and future opportunities.
2.2
Municipal Economic Development and Labour Force Initiatives
The following section provides a high level review of the economic development strategies and other
relevant documents published by the County of Oxford Municipalities in the last decade. It should be
noted that currently, only the Towns of Tillsonburg and Ingersoll and the Township of Norwich have
adopted economic development strategies. A brief discussion of the City of Woodstock is included
however, given its size and strategic importance to the County. Reviews are not provided for the rural
Townships of Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, South-West Oxford and Zorra as they have not
completed separate economic development strategies.
2.2.1 City of Woodstock
Although the City of Woodstock is the largest municipality in Oxford County with an established Economic
Development Department, they do not have and adopted economic development strategy. Rather, the
City depends on the work of the Southern Ontario Marketing Alliance (SOMA) to guide their economic
development efforts; the key industrial targets being renewable energy, transportation equipment
manufacturing, machining manufacturing, plastics manufacturing and food processing. Woodstock also
holds membership in the South-West Economic Alliance (SWEA) and South-Central Ontario Region
(SCOR). Plans and strategies of these organizations are reviewed in subsequent sub-sections in this
report. A brief review of current initiatives is provided below.
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Industrial Development
 The continued resilience of the automotive sector is demonstrated by the opening of Toyota
Boshuku Canada (interior parts manufacturing) in the spring of 2009, and shift expansion at the
Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant in Woodstock in 2010
 The Woodstock Economic Development Advisory Committee (WEDAC) implements development
and marketing programs, and includes at-large membership from the education, medical, legal,
automotive, construction and finance industries.
Education and Labour Force Development
 Fanshawe College‟s Woodstock Campus houses programs in business, computers, health care,
management, manufacturing and academic upgrading, which align with local target sectors
discussed elsewhere in this report.
 The Woodstock and Area Small Business Enterprise Centre has a mandate to deliver business
education and services, mentoring, and youth business programming to the community.
2.2.2 Town of Ingersoll
The Town of Ingersoll has an Economic Development Department and Youth Advisory Committee
directing programming within the Town. The development of the Fusion Youth Activity and Technology
Centre and the recent attraction of a Conestoga College „Power Centre‟ campus focused on power line
technician and other energy-related programs have been key successes. Documents reviewed as they
pertain to labour force, youth, education initiatives and economic development initiatives include
Community Strategic Plan, Downtown Revitalization Strategy, Cultural Strategy and Economic
Development monthly reports to council.
Within these documents the core areas giving indications as to the economic development strategies and
labour force initiatives in the town include:
 Ingersoll becomes a skills training, apprenticeship an education hub for south-western Ontario,
where education and educational opportunities are created.
 Be recognized as an arts and cultural training centre
 A lifelong learning and youth education feasibility study has been recommended
 The Ingersoll Youth Action Advisory Committee and Ingersoll Youth Action committee are
maintained and are responsive to the flexible needs of youth
 The 2009 announcement of an Ingersoll Campus of Conestoga College and the exploration of
dual-credit and after school programs.
 The development of a Renewable and Alternative Energy Strategy, to align with a 2010 SOMA
draft plan and the province‟s Green Energy and Economy Act. Successful business attraction
efforts, particularly with German industry, are ongoing.
 The creation of a Health Human Resources Retention and Recruitment Task Force.
2.2.3 Town of Tillsonburg
The Town of Tillsonburg re-established economic development as a formal town activity in 2006, hiring an
Economic Development Commissioner in 2007. In addition to providing core economic development
services for the town, the Coordinator is tasked with implementing the Economic Strategy completed in
2008 and reviewed below. The Town also has an Economic Development Advisory Committee. In
addition, the Fanshawe's Tillsonburg Centre provides some course programming and delivers training
locally.
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A background review of the Town‟s Economic and Municipal Strategies informed a series of
comprehensive action plans aligning a number of action areas. Those actions most relevant to labour
force issues are:
 Support development of industrial clusters in plastics, high value auto-related production, valueadded agriculture, logistics and distribution, information technology, green tech and health care
 Explore ways to leverage the hospital to provide increased economic activity by focusing on the
needs of the demographic growth areas
 Expand mechanisms to work with local employers and educational institutions to provide
knowledge to students about the advantages of careers in the trades, including arranging visits by
employers to local high schools.
 Provide flexible learning in the skilled trades (e.g. working with business and post-secondary
institutions to provide local, on-site training opportunities) and establish a trades school in the
County
 Explore options to work with educational institutions and local employers to create trades-based
apprenticeships
 Develop an inventory of community training programs; explore a satellite campus of a postsecondary institution; create a Project Manager for Education position to coordinate
education/labour force development issues
 Establish a Knowledge Transfer Task Force to work with local entrepreneurs and the Project
Manager for Education to facilitate information transfer from current businesses/sectors/older
residents to entrepreneurs and young workers in the Town
 Explore opportunities for creating a unique educational asset such as a mathematics solutions
centre or trades centre
 Initiate a plan to increase the general profile of education in the Town, and encouraging younger
families to stay
2.2.4 Township of Norwich
In addition to the County‟s three larger municipalities, the Township of Norwich has also recently hired an
economic development officer to help develop stronger relationships with the County and conduct
business retention, development and attraction efforts for the Township. The Norwich District High School
th
closed on June 30 2010, which creates issues for the capacity of the town to retain local youth and
replace the employment and labour base represented by the school and its students. In addition, Norwich
District High School was home to a Specialist High Skill Major program in Agriculture, offering courses in
Animal Science. The closure of the school has relocated the program to College Avenue Secondary
School in Woodstock. With these issues in mind, the Township‟s areas of focus are:
 Specialized agriculture – focusing on diversification and value-added activities
 Transportation and warehousing
 Construction
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 Establish a Rural Business Mentorship Program to foster cooperation and business success by
linking start-up enterprises with established businesses, and provide high school and
college/university co-op credits
 Maintain the local co-op program for high school students, and pursue opportunities to expand
the program to include college and university students through the Rural Business Mentorship
Program
 Work with local businesses to promote job opportunities for youth.
2.2.5 Summary of Municipal Economic and Labour Force Initiatives
Figure 2 provides a review of specific initiatives – either currently in effect or recommended as strategic
priorities – associated with labour force development in each municipality. A large „X‟ is provided where
that initiative is a strategic priority currently in effect in that jurisdiction; a smaller „x‟ is provided where
there has been identification of the initiative as an upcoming priority in at least one of that jurisdiction‟s
planning documents, websites and related materials.
Figure 2: Current Labour Force Programming in the County of Oxford
Oxford
County
City of
Woodstock
Town of
Ingersoll
Town of
Tillsonburg
Township of
Norwich
x
X
Secondary school programs
(targeted curriculum, co-op)
x
X
Youth employment programs
(apprenticeships etc.)
X
X
Youth advisory councils and
engagement strategies
X
Labour force & skills strategies
(general or sector)
X
Partnerships with/presence of
post-secondary institutions
X
X
Entrepreneurship and SME
development/mentoring
X
X
Essential Skills & literacy
programs
X
Arts and culture education and
programming
X
X
X
X
x
x
x
X
X
x
x
x
X
The areas of labour force development programming that are most prominent in the County are:




Youth advisory councils and engagement strategies
Partnerships with, or presence of, post-secondary institutions
Secondary school programs, including curriculum development, dual-credit, specialist high skill
major and co-op programs
Entrepreneurship and SME development, including mentorship and incubation
Figure 3 provides a similar assessment, by jurisdiction, of where common economic development
initiatives and programs have been put into effect or provided as strategic recommendations and
objectives. Once again, an „x‟ is placed where specific mention of each approach has been made in at
least one of the jurisdiction‟s reports, websites or strategic documents.
19 | P a g e
Figure 3: Current Target Sectors in the County of Oxford
Advanced Manufacturing
Oxford
County
x
Automotive & Transportation
Machining
Plastics
Agriculture and Agri-Business
x
Green and Renewable Energy
City of
Woodstock
x
Town of
Ingersoll
x
Town of
Tillsonburg
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Tourism and Culture
Transportation and Logistics
Township of
Norwich
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Life Sciences
x
Information Technology
x
Health Care
x
x
x
Education
x
x
x
x
x
x
Construction
x
Within the study area, the sectors that are targeted most often are:




Advanced Manufacturing (including automotive, plastics and machining)
Agriculture and Agri-Business (including agri-food)
Green and Renewable Energy
Transportation and Logistics
Other sectors that have been identified for growth in multiple jurisdictions include health care, education,
tourism and culture, and information technology.
Though the target sectors do not necessarily each have associated labour force strategies, at a high level
this review can help to inform where resources are being allocated to pursue jobs and investment in the
County, and thus where labour force development priorities should be focused.
This review also made it clear that sector development and labour force initiatives being employed within
the County take different forms. Clearly, much mention is made of the County‟s skilled workforce in trades
and manufacturing-related industries. Given the traditional and continued importance of those industries
to the County‟s economic base, this is appropriate and expected. Labour force planning initiatives
focused on retraining workers in these industries and expanding youth participation in skills trades and
apprenticeships are adequately reflected in existing strategies, yet there is limited collaboration or sharing
of best practices despite the fact that these jurisdictions face similar challenges.
This background review and assessment also suggests that the County could be doing more to prepare it
for the jobs and industries that will drive the economy in the years and decades ahead. While there is
recognition of the need to add value to existing manufacturing and agricultural processes, there has been
limited consideration given to the specific mechanisms that will develop a local labour force that has the
skills and knowledge to deliver that value. Furthermore, profiles of the County‟s labour force reflect the
increased importance of health care, educational infrastructure and service-based employment to the
region‟s economy. However, there is little sense that this has been accompanied by a cohesive skill
development or recruitment program to generate a talent pool that is capable of supporting these
activities – despite the fact that they have been demonstrated to provide stable, well-paying employment.
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2.3
Regional Development Organizations
The County of Oxford is a participant in a number of regional economic development and marketing
organizations in the south-west Ontario region. A review of these organizations‟ strategic planning and
sector review documents provides necessary context for both comparative analysis and local labour force
development strategies for the County.
2.3.1 Southern Ontario Marketing Alliance (SOMA)
The Southern Ontario Marketing Alliance is a regional economic development partnership comprised the
municipalities of Aylmer, Ingersoll, St. Mary‟s, St. Thomas, Stratford, Tillsonburg and Woodstock. SOMA
has a business support and investment attraction mandate. Target industries identified in SOMA‟s 2000
Integrated Marketing Strategy and 2005 Review include automotive, machining and tooling, plastics, food
processing, and green energy. In addition to this strategy, a Food Processing Sector Strategy and
Marketing Plan, and Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Marketing have also been compiled.
The strategy review points to the need for increased effectiveness and efficiency efforts in targeted
investment attraction for the SOMA region. The review and food processing sector strategy point to the
specific strengths in terms of the availability of input commodities and suppliers within the broader SOMA
region, competitive land costs, transportation and market access to attract investment in the food
processing sector. The renewable energy strategy report itself undertook a supply chain analysis for the
region in four renewable energy technologies: wind, photovoltaic, geo-thermal, and bio-mass, and
focused on regional businesses and capabilities in three „green‟ sub-sectors: environmental consulting,
green building and industrial efficiency.
All three strategies point to the region‟s proven productive labour force and comprehensive education
system as keys to new investment attraction. Both the food processing sector strategy and the renewable
energy sector strategy noted a preference for labour access and skilled workers in location decisions.
There is little mention of workforce requirements or skills upgrading aside from an accounting of the
broader region‟s environmental education assets, including Fanshawe College‟s Centre for Sustainable
Energy and Environment, the University of Waterloo‟s Institute for Sustainable Energy, Conestoga
College‟s school of Engineering and Information Technology and food-related university programs in
London and Guelph. Additionally, there is little detail on how to further develop the labour force to provide
a sustainable basis for the diversification of the region‟s economic base.
2.3.2 South Central Ontario Region (SCOR)
The South Central Ontario Region is a partnership between the Counties of Brant, Elgin, Middlesex,
Norfolk and Oxford. The mandate of SCOR as an organization is describes as follows:
1. To pursue a regional approach to economic development thus ensuring the vitality and
sustainability of our communities.
2. To harness the region‟s potential and become a rural economic powerhouse in Ontario and
Canada.
3. To establish SCOR as a strategic, integrated and globally competitive economic region.
To help accomplish this, SCOR established a Strategic Management Plan in 2009. The vision for the
document is as follows: “In 2020, SCOR has a sustainable, prosperous and diverse economy driven by
innovation. Our bountiful land, enterprising people and dynamic communities are the foundation for our
success”.
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The Management Plan supports this vision in providing 7 strategic directions, 5 of which are geared to
specific sectors. The 7 strategic directions are: Agribusiness and Food Industry, Tourism, Manufacturing,
Energy, Environment, Culture and Quality of Life, and Public Infrastructure. The Plan also establishes an
Action Planning framework to support each strategic direction with a number of these actions specifically
relating to building capacity for economic development through skills training, education, research and
diversification, and thus have direct synergies and implications for the outcomes of the Oxford Labour
Force Development Strategy.
Actions that related directly to labour force development include:

Expanding Research, Development & Commercialization: as it pertains to labour force initiatives
– provide research scholarships, internships, and a „virtual centre of excellence‟ for SCOR youth
to utilize their training to local development and commercialization; explore a Centre of
Excellence providing Rural and Agricultural Solutions to Climate Change, including the creation of
a business incubator for agricultural production and commercialization
 Recognizing Youth as Innovators: providing research and internships for SCOR youth; launch a
virtual centre of excellence; launch a youth-driven online campaign to promote a green lifestyle;
foster creativity early in life (through public education curricula); promote community voluntarism
 Implementing a Regional Communications Strategy on Skills and Retraining: driven by the
economic recession, market the dynamic regional training system by providing a „service map‟
and „decision tree‟ tools for service providers to access in aiding worker retraining; work with the
media to market the benefits of participation in training programs
2.3.3 Southwest Economic Alliance (SWEA)
The Southwest Economic Alliance represents a broad geographical region, stretching from the west end
of the Greater Toronto Area to the United States border in the southwest, encompassing 15 counties and
2.5 million residents, accounting for one-quarter of the province‟s jobs. The organization‟s identified target
sectors are summarized in Figure 4 below.
Figure 4: SWEA Target Sectors
Source: Richard Ivey School of Business. Setting Priorities for Southwest Ontario: A Collaborative Effort (2010).
As an advocacy organisation, SWEA has released research and planning documents that review the
region‟s strategic advantages. The planning documents reviewed here include the Southwest Ontario
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Vision for Competitiveness and Cooperation, Leveraging Southwest Ontario‟s Assets to Build a Global
Region, and Setting Priorities for Southwest Ontario. Within these documents, working to strengthen
institutional research capabilities, building Centres of Excellence, and promoting youth training and
development in emerging industries – were cited as key foundational priorities and assets that need to be
developed and leveraged for growth in each of these sectors. Other findings include:





Manufacturing is to maintain a central role in the economy with a shift to efficiency improvements,
innovations and value added processes to drive competitiveness
Finance and insurance and wholesale trade will become increasingly important to the regional
economy
Advocating for: an Ontario Centre of Excellence in Trade and Transportation and policies and
processes to enhance the „triple helix‟ of government-business-university applied research and
training
Knowledge, education and research infrastructure development will be key elements to future
success, given the increasing recognition that education, entrepreneurship and knowledge
workers are the keys to firm-level innovation and regional competiveness
improved regional urban-rural linkages on strategic issues such as health care, service and
infrastructure delivery, environmental planning and food security will also lead to economic
development
2.3.4 Summary of Regional Development Priorities
Based on the above review of the strategic documents of the Southern Ontario Marketing Alliance
(SOMA) South Central Ontario Region (SCOR), and Southwest Economic Alliance (SWEA), it is clear that
economic diversification is a regional priority. While manufacturing and agriculture remain the central
industrial priorities for these regional organizations, each of these organizations has also identified green
and renewable energy as an emerging sector that is targeted for growth. Tourism and culture and
transportation and logistics are also identified as target sectors. The review reflects the fact that Oxford
County is faced with similar economic opportunities and challenges as the surrounding region, and must
engage in a strategic direction that is responsive to this regional context.
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3 Economic Base Assessment
3.1
Location
Comprised of the townships of Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Norwich, Southwest Oxford
and Zorra; the towns of Ingersoll and Tillsonburg; and the City of Woodstock; Oxford County is at the
junction of Highways 401 and 403 in South western Ontario (see Figure 5). Historically, the county‟s
excellent soil and mild climate have allowed a prosperous agricultural community to develop. More
recently, the county‟s location, within 2 hours of the GTA and Windsor-Detroit has also contributed to its
success as a manufacturing centre in south-western Ontario. The following discussion provides an
overview of the County‟s current demographic, industry and occupational mix and compares the regional
community to the Western Region in Southern Ontario as well as the province as a whole.
Figure 5 – Location in Southwest Ontario
3.2
27
Demographic Assessment
Demographics refer to the characteristics of local or regional populations or population segments.
Commonly employed in economic development studies, demographic assessments look at a variety of
characteristics. The discussion herein focuses on population growth and age, educational attainment, and
mobility; factors that play an important role in determining the long term sustainability of communities.
Communities need to ensure a stable population of youth to fill places in the workplace vacated by retiring
workers and education levels and mobility factors often impact on industry attraction and unemployment.
3.2.1 Population Growth
Communities that are creating jobs and attracting people to their workforce often exhibit higher levels of
population growth. At the same time, high levels of population growth support a community‟s ability to
attract new and diverse businesses. Oxford‟s population in 2006 was 102,790; an increase of 5.8% from
1996. In the same period the Western Region increased by 8.8% while the province increased by 13.1%.
While the area‟s population is showing a steady rate of increase, the rate of increase is much less than
the broader region and the province.
27
Source: Oxford County website. 2010.
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Figure 6 shows the change in population by age cohort, revealing that the county is at some risk to
maintaining its population growth and workforce into the future. Important realizations from this graph are:


the youngest age group declined significantly (-7.7%) from 1996 to 2006
the 15-24 age group expanded by less than half the provincial rate
There are several reasons why these points are important. The declining population of the youngest
cohort suggests the region is not attracting young families. These younger age groups are a source of
population growth and labour force replacement over time. Declining populations in the 0-14 age group
and slowly growing populations in the 15-24 age group will eventually give rise to a decline in population
and puts the county at risk to a general shortage of workers and declining employment in the future.
While the working age group, those aged 25-64 increased by 8.8% this was still well below the growth of
this age group in the Western Region and Ontario as a whole.
Figure 6: Percentage Change in Population, Oxford County, 1996-2006
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
Ontario
10.0%
Western Region
Oxford County
5.0%
0.0%
-5.0%
0-14
15-24
25-64
65+
Total
-10.0%
Source: Statistics Canada Community Profiles
Population estimates provided by Manifold Data suggest that the rate of population growth in the County
increased by 6.6% to 109,617 in 2010. This is in line with Ministry of Finance population projections for
the region. Figure 7 illustrates that while Oxford‟s overall growth rate is set to increase, it will remain well
below the provincial growth rate in the coming years. The Ministry predicts the County‟s population to
reach 113,656 by 2016, an increase of 10.6% from 2006. It is positive to note that this is a higher rate of
growth than the county experienced in the 1996-2006 period. However, as can be seen in Figure 7;


the youngest age group continues to decline, and
the growth rate of the 15-24 age group is expected to decline 3.9%.
While the working age group is projected to grow by 13.1% this may not be sustainable in the future
without an inflow of workers to the region.
It is also important to point out the rate of increase in those over 65 years of age. While the region is not
being impacted to the same degree as other parts of the Province the gradual aging of the population will
have an impact on investment attraction, labour force replacement opportunities and skill levels within the
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broader workforce. As we learned earlier in this report, the growth in this age group is also directly
impacting the growth of health industries, resulting in steady demand for occupations in that industry.
40.0%
35.0%
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
Ontario
15.0%
Western Region
10.0%
Oxford County
5.0%
0.0%
-5.0%
0-14
15-24
25-64
65+
total
-10.0%
Figure 8 contrasts the rate of population growth in the urban areas with the rural areas of Oxford County.
The differences are quite remarkable. The only age group showing any notable increase in population in
the rural areas is the over 65 age group. The decline in all other age groups indicates there is a significant
shift taking place within the County as those of working age and their children „move‟ from the rural areas
to the urban areas. This shift is not uncommon in Canada, as the country continues to urbanize. From a
workforce standpoint, commuting patterns show people move freely within the county to obtain work.
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
Oxford County
5.0%
Urban Areas
0.0%
-5.0%
0-14
15-24
25-64
65+
Total
Rural Areas
-10.0%
-15.0%
-20.0%
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3.2.2 Immigration
There are two essential sources of population growth for any community: natural increase, and inmigration, attracting people (and workers) from elsewhere. The discussion below assesses the county‟s
ability to attract workers from other regions of the province and elsewhere. The preceding section noted
the population growth challenges facing the County of Oxford. With Ontario‟s future population growth
heavily dependent on the attraction of workers for other parts of the world, and Oxford‟s population
growing slowly, the County‟s ability to attract and retain residents and workers will become more
important over time.
Figure 9 shows the County‟s population by immigrant status. Immigrants currently comprise 10.9% of the
population, a much lower immigrant population as a percentage of total population than either the
Western Region (18.3%) or Ontario (28.3%).
Figure 9: Population by immigrant status, Oxford County, 2006
Immigrants
Born outside Ontario
Ontario
Western Region
Born in Ontario
Oxford
Non-Immigrants
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
The external migrant population (those that arrived from outside of Canada between 2001 and 2006) is
5% in Ontario as a whole. This compares to 2.8% for the Western Region and 1% for Oxford. By
assessing the immigrant and external migrant populations, it is clear that Ontario is successful in
attracting migrants from across Canada and around the world. The Western Region of Ontario and the
County of Oxford, in particular, have been less successful in this regard. This has the potential to impact
Oxford‟s ability to drive investment attraction efforts in the future.
3.2.3 Educational Attainment
A great deal of literature and research has been published regarding the knowledge economy. The focus
of the research is showing that a growing percentage of jobs are in occupations that require increasingly
higher levels of education. Preparing for the future economy requires that regions focus on the education
levels of their resident workforce. Regions with higher levels of education are in a stronger position to
compete for new economy jobs, industries and investment. As we shall see in the labour force discussion
that follows, those possessing higher levels of education are more resilient to job losses and economic
downturns.
27 | P a g e
Figure 10 shows the levels of education achieved by the populations in Oxford, Western Region and
Ontario. Oxford is outperforming the broader region and province with respect to apprenticeship and
college certificates; however, just over 50% (50.5%) of the population aged 25 to 64 has a high school
28
diploma or less. In the Western Region this is 43.8% and provincially only 38.6% . This leaves Oxford at
a distinct disadvantage in attracting jobs, industry and investment to the county.
Figure 10: Highest level of education, population age 25-64, Oxford County, 2006
University certificate, diploma or degree
College, CEGEP or other non-university
certificate or diploma
Apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma
Oxford
Western Region
High school certificate or equivalent
Ontario
No certificate, diploma or degree
0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0%
For those with some level of post-secondary education, Figure 11 shows education by major field of study
as a percentage of the entire work force. Oxford out performs the province in:



Agriculture
Personal, protective and transportation services
Architecture, engineering and related disciplines
Oxford lags behind the province in several areas of study considered essential to the development of a
knowledge economy including:







28
Mathematics
Computer and information sciences
Physical and life sciences and technologies
Business, management and public administration
Social and behavioural sciences
Humanities
Visual, performing arts and communications
Note: due to changes in the calculations for educational attainment, it is not possible to compare to previous census.
28 | P a g e
Figure 11: Education by major field of study, population 25 to 64 with diploma or degree, Oxford
County, 2006
Other fields of study
Health, parks, recreation and fitness
Agriculture, natural resources and conservation
Architecture, engineering, and related technologies
Mathematics, computer and information sciences
Oxford
Western Region
Ontario
Social and behavioural sciences and law
Humanities
Visual and performing arts, and communications technologies
Education
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
As shown in Figure 12, in Oxford, almost half of all men have studied architecture, engineering and
related studies (48.1%) while women have a greater focus on health, parks, recreation and fitness
(29.0%); business, management and public administration (24.2%); social and behavioural sciences and
law (11.6%) as well as education (9.3%).
Figure 12: Education by major field of study and gender, population 25-64 with diploma or degree,
Oxford County, 2006
Other fields of study
Health, parks, recreation and fitness
Agriculture, natural resources and conservation
Architecture, engineering, and related technologies
Mathematics, computer and information sciences
Social and behavioural sciences and law
Humanities
Visual and performing arts, and communications technologies
Education
0.0%
Oxford Female
10.0%
Oxford Male
20.0%
Ontario Female
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
Ontario Male
29 | P a g e
3.3
Labour Force Profile
A communities‟ labour force profile provides an understanding of the ability of the community to generate
employment for its residents. High participation rates are positive signs that workers are encouraged by
employment prospects thus participating in the labour force. A participation rate measures those that are
either employed or seeking employment. Employment rates measure the ratio of those employed to the
total population while unemployment rates measure the rates of the unemployed to those participating in
the labour force. Figure 13 shows that in 2006, Oxford was performing well in job creation with high
participation and employment rates and low unemployment rates.
Figure 13: Labour force indicators, 15+, by Place of Residence Oxford County, 2006
Participation rate
Employment rate
Unemployment rate
Ontario
67.1%
62.8%
6.4%
Western Region
67.1%
63.1%
6.0%
Oxford
69.3%
66.0%
4.8%
In this regard, Oxford outperformed the broader region and the province in employment generation in the
period 2001-2006 (Figure 14) realizing decreasing unemployment along with an increase in the labour
force.
Figure 14: Change in labour force indicators, 15+, by Place of Residence, Oxford County,
2001-2006
Labour Force
Participation rate
Employment rate
Unemployment rate
Ontario
8.2%
-0.2
-0.4
0.3
Western Region
6.9%
0.1
0.0
0.2
Oxford
7.0%
1.0
1.6
-0.9
While the global economic downturn that has been witnessed over the last two years has resulted in a
higher rate of unemployment in Oxford, participation rates have remained steady. According to Manifold
Data the unemployment rate in May 2010 stood at 7.5%. While this is an increase since 2006, the
unemployment rate in Oxford is still 2% lower than the provincial average. Clearly, the base of
employment in Oxford, particularly in automotive manufacturing, has been better positioned to weather
the recession than other elements of the provincial economy.
It was suggested earlier that higher education levels lead to lower unemployment rates. Figure 18
supports this suggestion as unemployment for those without a high school diploma exceeded the overall
unemployment rate by 2.4%. Meanwhile, those with high school certificates experienced unemployment
rates similar to the overall rate while those with apprenticeships and trades certificates were slightly below
the overall rate. Those holding a college diploma or university degree experienced unemployment 1.7%
and 1.4% less than the overall unemployment rate respectively. Clearly, a post-secondary education has
increased the potential for employment in Oxford.
However, it is also important to note that those aged 15-19 and 20-24 experienced unemployment rates
much higher than all other age groups in all education categories (Figure 15). These high levels of
unemployment may be directly related to lower levels of work experience. As work experience increases,
so does employment. This would indicate the importance of job training and work experience programs
for youth aimed at the county gaining greater output from this underutilized age group. Increasing the
30 | P a g e
employment levels for youth will also assist the county with maintaining its young population and
stemming the tide of youth outmigration experienced elsewhere.
Figure 15: Unemployment by Age and Education, by Place of Residence, Oxford County, 2006
All Age
Groups
4.8%
7.2%
4.9%
4.5%
3.1%
3.4%
Total - Highest certificate, diploma or degree
No certificate, diploma or degree
High school certificate or equivalent
Apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma
College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma
University certificate, diploma or degree
15-19
13.0%
12.8%
13.3%
25.0%
16.7%
0.0%
20-24
10.0%
15.6%
10.3%
0.0%
4.2%
16.7%
45 years
and over
3.1%
3.0%
2.6%
4.3%
3.8%
2.2%
25-44
3.4%
5.0%
3.6%
5.0%
2.2%
2.6%
65 years
and over
1.8%
0.0%
0.0%
7.1%
3.6%
0.0%
Source: Statistics Canada Tabulations for the Elgin, Middlesex, Oxford Local Training Board
3.3.1 Labour Force by Industry
Understanding the pattern of employment by industry and the employment growth within those industries
is an important consideration in the development of appropriate training and education programs that
support local industry. It can also show the level of concentration or diversification of employment and
attention to the risks that a community might face with respect to a concentration in a single industry. In
the county of Oxford, the largest portion of the resident labour force (24.4% in 2006), is employed in
manufacturing. By 2010 this is estimated to have risen to 25.1% of all workers (see Figure 16).
Figure 16: Labour force by industry, Oxford County, 2001, 2006, 2010
2001
All industries
11 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
21 Mining and oil and gas extraction
22 Utilities
23 Construction
31-33 Manufacturing
41 Wholesale trade
44-45 Retail trade
48-49 Transportation and warehousing
51 Information and cultural industries
52 Finance and insurance
53 Real estate and rental and leasing
54 Professional, scientific and technical
services
55 Management of companies and
enterprises
56 Administrative and support, waste
management and remediation services
61 Educational services
62 Health care and social assistance
71 Arts, entertainment and recreation
72 Accommodation and food services
81 Other services (except public
administration)
91 Public administration
2006
2010
Total
Share
Total
Share
% Change
2001-2006
Total
Share
% Change
2006-2010
52,195
4,910
165
235
2,820
13,110
2,460
5,360
3,210
620
1,685
645
100.0%
9.4%
0.3%
0.5%
5.4%
25.1%
4.7%
10.3%
6.2%
1.2%
3.2%
1.2%
56,030
4,035
155
230
3,110
13,650
2,650
5,680
3,505
640
1,760
655
100.0%
7.2%
0.3%
0.4%
5.6%
24.4%
4.7%
10.1%
6.3%
1.1%
3.1%
1.2%
7.3%
-17.8%
-6.1%
-2.1%
10.3%
4.1%
7.7%
6.0%
9.2%
3.2%
4.5%
1.6%
61,911
4,454
156
171
3,593
15,537
2,850
6,393
3,810
725
2,031
590
100.0%
7.2%
0.3%
0.3%
5.8%
25.1%
4.6%
10.3%
6.2%
1.2%
3.3%
1.0%
10.5%
10.4%
0.4%
-25.6%
15.5%
13.8%
7.6%
12.5%
8.7%
13.3%
15.4%
-10.0%
1,470
2.8%
1,955
3.5%
33.0%
2,159
3.5%
40
0.1%
35
0.1%
-12.5%
30
0.0%
1,420
2,210
4,420
620
2,930
2.7%
4.2%
8.5%
1.2%
5.6%
1,910
2,455
5,025
860
3,380
3.4%
4.4%
9.0%
1.5%
6.0%
34.5%
11.1%
13.7%
38.7%
15.4%
2,027
2,668
5,603
832
3,690
3.3%
4.3%
9.0%
1.3%
6.0%
2,415
1,430
4.6%
2.7%
2,610
1,725
4.7%
3.1%
8.1%
20.6%
2,802
1,791
4.5%
2.9%
10.4%
-14.5%
6.1%
8.7%
11.5%
-3.2%
9.2%
7.3%
3.8%
Source: Statistics Canada Community Profiles and Manifold Data Mining
In Oxford, the largest employers by industry (accounting for 44.6% of all employment) in 2010 were:
 Manufacturing (25.1%)
 Retail Trade (10.3%)
 Health Care and Social Assistance (9.0%)
31 | P a g e
However, the fastest growing industries between 2006 and 2010 were:
 Construction (15.5%)
 Finance and Insurance (15.4%)
 Manufacturing (13.8%)
Figure 17: Labour Flow by Industry, Oxford County, 2006
Net Import (+)
/ Export (-) of
Jobs
Total - All Industries
-5,395
-100
-35
22 Utilities
-40
23 Construction
-1,645
31-33 Manufacturing
1,525
41 Wholesale trade
-270
44-45 Retail trade
-275
-810
-145
-415
-120
54 Professional, scientific and technical
-440
55 Management of companies and enterprises
-10
56 Administrative and support, waste
management and remediation services
-620
-375
-595
-205
-100
81 Other services (except public
-270
-450
Source: Statistics Canada; REDDI tabulations
Figure 17 indicates the difference between the resident employed labour force in each industry, and the
number of jobs within the County in each industry. A negative (-) figure indicates that the County exports
workers in that sector to take jobs in other jurisdictions; a positive (+) figure shows where the County
imports workers from elsewhere. In total, Oxford County exports 5,395 workers, over 10% of the total
labour force, with the greatest concentrations being in the construction, transportation and warehousing,
and administrative and support services sectors. In fact, the only industry in which Oxford County imports
workers is manufacturing, where there are 1,525 more jobs than resident labour force in the County as of
2006. This reinforces the prominence of the manufacturing economy that is further discussed in the
following figures.
The discussion that follows looks at the concentration of local employment relative the performance of the
broader region and Ontario. In Figure 18, agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation and warehousing
stand out as industries with employment concentrations well above Ontario and the Western Region
(shown in green). The concentration in manufacturing is of particular concern given the rate of
manufacturing job losses recorded in Ontario in recent years.
32 | P a g e
Figure 18: Concentration of Employment by Industry, by Place of Residence, Oxford County, 2006
22 Utilities
23 Construction
31-33 Manufacturing
41 Wholesale trade
44-45 Retail trade
54 Professional, scientific and technical services
56 Administrative and support, waste management
and remediation services
81 Other services (except public administration)
Ontario
1.8%
0.4%
0.8%
5.9%
13.9%
4.7%
11.1%
4.7%
2.7%
4.9%
2.0%
7.3%
0.1%
Western
Region
3.7%
0.2%
0.9%
6.2%
18.6%
4.2%
11.0%
4.6%
1.6%
3.6%
1.5%
4.7%
0.1%
Oxford
7.2%
0.3%
0.4%
5.5%
24.4%
4.7%
10.1%
6.3%
1.1%
3.2%
1.2%
3.5%
0.1%
4.9%
6.7%
9.4%
2.2%
6.4%
4.7%
5.4%
4.4%
6.8%
10.1%
2.4%
7.0%
4.7%
3.4%
3.4%
4.4%
9.0%
1.5%
6.0%
4.7%
3.1%
Source: Statistics Canada special tabulations for Elgin Middlesex Oxford Local Training Board
As can be seen in Figure 19, manufacturing in Oxford is particularly concentrated in transportation
equipment manufacturing. Within this sub-industry, Oxford is more heavily concentrated in motor vehicle
and motor vehicle parts manufacturing than either the Western Region of the province as a whole. This
confirms SCOR‟s findings, in a 2009 Manufacturing Review, that Woodstock, Ingersoll and Tillsonburg
were among the top 5 communities in all of SCOR in manufacturing jobs in 2001 and 2006. The SCOR
report also stated that transportation equipment manufacturing alone accounted for 55% of job losses in
29
the region between 2004 and 2008 , reaffirming the risk in being too heavily concentrated in a single
industry.
Figure 19: Manufacturing Industry Employment, Oxford County, 2006
31-33 Manufacturing
336 Transportation equipment
3361 Motor vehicle
3362 Motor vehicle body and trailer
3363 Motor vehicle parts
Ontario
13.9%
19.8%
31.6%
3.7%
52.5%
Western
Region
18.6%
27.0%
31.6%
4.6%
54.7%
Oxford
24.4%
36.2%
35.3%
3.1%
56.9%
Source: Statistics Canada special tabulations for Elgin Middlesex Oxford Local Training Board
29
EDP Consulting. SCOR Manufacturing Review. 2009.
33 | P a g e
3.3.2 Location Quotients
Location Quotients are a commonly used tool in local/regional economic analysis. They assess the
concentration of economic activities within a smaller area relative to the overarching region in which it
resides. For the purposes of this study we have calculated location quotients that compare Oxford‟s
industry sector concentration relative to the Province of Ontario (the comparator).
A location quotient greater than 1.0 for a given sector indicates a local concentration of economic activity
as compared to the province, which may equate to a competitive advantage. Location Quotients equal to
1.0 for a given sector suggest that Oxford has the same concentration of economic activity as the
province. Finally, a location quotient of less than 1.0 indicates a concentration of economic activity that is
less than the province and may point to a gap or disadvantage in attracting this form of business or
industry.
In theory, industrial or business concentration that is greater than the comparator average may represent
the export base of the municipality. It is in a municipality‟s best interest to understand the nature of these
industries in designing labour force strategies that support and strengthen the export base and overall
economic health of the community. Figure 20 shows the location quotients for the industrial sectors of
Oxford County and the Western Region.
Figure 20: Location quotients by resident labour force, Oxford County, 2006
31-33 Manufacturing
41 Wholesale trade
81 Other services (except public administration)
23 Construction
44-45 Retail trade
56 Administrative and support, waste management and
remediation services
22 Utilities
54 Professional, scientific and technical services
Western
Region
2.11
1.34
0.96
0.89
1.01
1.07
1.09
1.05
0.99
1.11
0.58
Oxford
County
4.08
1.75
1.32
1.00
0.99
0.95
0.94
0.93
0.91
0.71
0.70
0.92
1.02
0.74
0.77
0.63
1.12
0.67
0.65
0.61
0.70
0.65
0.64
0.60
0.57
0.53
0.48
0.48
0.43
In Figure 20, green denotes LQs above 1.25. These LQ‟s are high and indicate a distinct competitive
advantage as it relates to the attraction and retention of business in these industry sectors. In this
instance, agriculture, manufacturing and transportation related employment has a higher local
concentration than is being experienced in the broader Western Region. While agriculture is a strength for
34 | P a g e
Western Ontario, it is even more pronounced in Oxford. The same can be said for manufacturing and
transportation and warehousing employment.
While there is an interest in building on a community‟s export base, this must be viewed with caution. As
was noted in the preceding discussion, Oxford‟s concentration in manufacturing put it as risk to downturns
in that sector. Building on the strengths and diversifying manufacturing activities within the sector may
assist in reducing this risk.
In the figure, blue denotes LQs between 0.75 and 1.25 and is often viewed as an opportunity to drive
additional growth and investment in a region. These industries also present opportunities to build the
export base while diversifying the economy and reducing the risk inherent in being too heavily
concentrated in a single industry. In this regard, health care and construction will be discussed later in this
report.
A performance of less than 0.75, however, illustrates a weaker economic performance and suggests a
reliance on the import of goods or the lack of activity or services in this sector. These industries are
indicated in red in Figure 20. Regional weaknesses mirror those at the County level with arts,
entertainment and recreation, utilities and educational services being the exceptions. The concentration
of colleges and universities and the presence of several larger urban areas in the Western Region
contribute to the area‟s strength in education as well as arts, entertainment and recreation.
3.3.3 Labour Force by Occupation
While understanding the industrial concentration in Oxford is important, from a labour force perspective,
an occupational profile can be even more relevant. Industry employment alone does provide an
understanding of the skills capacity within a local workforce and how these skills or talents are deployed
across the economy. Within any industry, people are employed in a wide range of occupations. Indeed,
some occupations have a level of mobility across multiple industry sectors. In addition, as occupations
are directly related to education and field of study, there is value in gearing labour force development
programs to occupational development. Not surprisingly, Figure 21 suggests that Oxford has a relatively
high concentration of occupations unique to manufacturing, primary industry, and trades, transport and
equipment operators. Conversely the county has a lower concentration of occupations in social science,
education, natural and applied science, business and finance and management.
Figure 21: Employment share by occupation, Oxford County, 2006
A Management occupations
B Business, finance and administration occupations
C Natural and applied sciences and related occupations
D Health occupations
E Occupations in social science, education, government service and religion
F Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport
G Sales and service occupations
H Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations
I Occupations unique to primary industry
J Occupations unique to processing, manufacturing and utilities
0.0%
Oxford
5.0%
Western Region
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
Ontario
35 | P a g e
However, Figure 22 shows that occupations in natural and applied sciences, social science and education
are the fastest growing occupations in Oxford. Occupations in social science and education; art, culture,
recreation and sport; as well as occupations unique to processing and manufacturing are also showing
high levels of growth.
Figure 22: Change in employment by occupation, Oxford County, 2001-2006
E Occupations in social science, education, government service and religion
H Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations
J Occupations unique to processing, manufacturing and utilities
-20.0%
-10.0%
Oxford
0.0%
Western Region
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
Ontario
Figure 23 displays the actual employment in each occupation for 2001 and 2006 with estimates for 2010.
From 2006 to 2010 there continues to be high levels of growth in occupations related to social sciences,
education and government service. Occupations in health, as well trades, transport and equipment
operators also showed positive growth. These occupations may require additional local education
programs to support continued growth in the future. As the growth rate of individual occupational
categories will change over time any efforts to forecast the demand for these occupations or skills will be
essential to developing the workforce required in the coming years.
Figure 23: All occupations, 15+, Oxford County, 2001, 2006 and 2010
2001
All Occupations
B Business, finance and administration
occupations
C Natural and applied sciences and related
occupations
E Occupations in social science, education,
government
service
religion
F
Occupations
in art,and
culture,
recreation and
sport
H Trades, transport and equipment operators
and related occupations
J Occupations unique to processing,
manufacturing and utilities
2006
Total
52,195
4,900
Share
100.0%
9.4%
Total
56,025
4,155
Share
100.0%
7.4%
7,155
13.7%
7,920
1,565
2,335
3.0%
4.5%
2,500
840
10,935
%
Change
2001-2006
2010
%
Change
2006-2010
7.3%
-15.2%
Total
61,898
4,566
Share
100.0%
7.4%
14.1%
10.7%
8,647
14.0%
9.2%
2,075
2,645
3.7%
4.7%
32.6%
13.3%
2,276
2,983
3.7%
4.8%
9.7%
12.8%
4.8%
1.6%
21.0%
3,255
1,000
12,175
5.8%
1.8%
21.7%
30.2%
19.0%
11.3%
3,703
965
13,611
6.0%
1.6%
22.0%
13.7%
-3.5%
11.8%
10,300
4,970
19.7%
9.5%
10,940
4,195
19.5%
7.5%
6.2%
-15.6%
12,120
4,547
19.6%
7.3%
10.8%
8.4%
6,705
12.8%
7,665
13.7%
14.3%
8,481
13.7%
10.6%
10.5%
9.9%
Source: Statistics Canada Community Profiles and Manifold Data Projections
36 | P a g e
Figure 24 shows the difference in occupations between men and women. More than half of women are
engaged in occupations related to sales and service and business, finance and administration. More than
half of men are engaged in occupations related to trades, transport and equipment operators and
manufacturing.
Figure 24: Occupation, men vs. women, Oxford County, 2006
All Occupations
E Occupations in social science, education,
government service and religion
H Trades, transport and equipment operators and
related occupations
J Occupations unique to processing, manufacturing
and utilities
Men
29,925
8.6%
5.9%
5.8%
0.9%
Women
26,100
6.1%
23.6%
1.3%
9.0%
3.0%
1.1%
14.9%
9.1%
2.6%
29.6%
33.1%
10.0%
4.0%
4.6%
16.8%
10.2%
From an age perspective, some occupations are more at risk than others. Those occupations with older
workers might require programs to encourage youth to enter the occupation in order to fill the gap from
retiring workers. Figure 25 shows that occupations most at risk are:




Management
Business, finance and administration
Trades, transport and equipment operations
Primary industry (farming)
Each of these occupations has high percentages of workers over the age of 45. Occupations unique to
primary industry are most at risk with 12% of all workers over the age of 65. While farming has been
declining in importance over time, there is high probability this decline will accelerate in the future as few
younger workers enter these occupations as older workers retire. Occupations least at risk, with high
levels of younger workers are sales and service, art, culture, recreation and sport (see Figure 25).
37 | P a g e
Figure 25: Occupation by age group, employed workforce, Oxford County, 2006
Total-all occupations
Management Occupations
Business, Finance and Administration
Occupations
Natural and Applied Sciences and Related
Occupations
Health Occupations
Occupations in Social Science, Education,
Government Service and Religion
Occupations in Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport
Sales and Service Occupations
Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators and
Related Occupations
Occupations Unique to Primary Industry
Occupations Unique to Processing, Manufacturing
and Utilities
15-24
years
17.1%
3.4%
25-44 years
42.0%
43.5%
45 years
and over
40.9%
53.2%
65 years
and over
3.2%
4.3%
10.0%
39.5%
50.4%
2.8%
10.4%
11.5%
58.8%
48.7%
31.1%
39.8%
1.5%
1.5%
5.8%
56.2%
38.0%
3.1%
28.4%
36.1%
32.8%
31.3%
38.8%
32.6%
3.7%
3.5%
10.7%
22.0%
43.1%
33.2%
46.3%
44.7%
2.5%
12.0%
15.5%
49.8%
34.7%
0.2%
Source: Statistics Canada Tabulations for Elgin, Middlesex, Oxford Local Training Board
3.3.4 The Creative Economy
An essential component in determining a community‟s level of innovation or creativity is an understanding
of the degree to which a workforce is skilled or specialized. These types of occupations are often referred
to as the creative occupations or the „creative class‟ of workers.
In the book The Rise of the Creative Class, Professor Richard Florida details the significant societal and
economic impact that the creative class of worker is having on both local and international economies and
the shifts being made to attract and retain this type of workforce, as more and more economic developers
realize the importance of this aspect of a workforce. He defines the creative class as including people in:




science and engineering,
architecture and design,
education,
arts, music and entertainment.
He also includes the broader group of creative professionals in:
 business and finance,
 law,
 health care and related fields.
As the various classes of workers that comprise an economy are defined on the basis of occupation,
consideration must be given to the availability of occupation data from Statistics Canada; in particular the
38 | P a g e
30
National Occupation Classification codes (NOCs) . These classification codes have been matched
against Dr. Florida‟s occupational categories for the creative class of worker.
Based on this approach creative economy occupations in Canada are said to comprise the following:
31
Figure 26: Creative economy occupations
Creative Economy Occupations
Professional Occupations in Natural and Applied
Sciences
Finance and Insurance Administration
Occupations
Technical Occupations related to natural and
Applied Sciences
Professional Occupations in Health
Teachers and Professors
Nurse Supervisors and Registered Nurses
Professional Occupations in Art and Culture
Technical and Related Occupations in Health
Technical Occupations in Art, Culture,
Recreation and Sport
Judges, lawyers, psychologists, social
workers, ministers of religion and policy and
program
Source: Richard Florida, the Rise of the Creative Class, 2002. Millier Dickinson Blais, 2009
In the 2009 report, Ontario in the Creative Age, Florida pushes this concept further by positioning creative
occupations in the context of four additional broad kinds of work.
 Creative occupations – the growing number of workers who are paid to think. These include
scientists and technologists, artists and entertainers, and managers and analysts.
 Routine-service occupations - where the work involves little autonomy occupations and is
focused on the delivery of services, for example, food-service workers, janitors and clerks;
 Routine-physical occupations - consisting of people who use physical skills and carry out
repetitive tasks (for example, tradespersons, mechanics, crane operators and assembly line
workers);
 Routine-resource occupations - including mining, forestry and agriculture.
What is apparent from the creative occupational categories is their ability to cut across industry sector
lines in a way that can impact both traditional and emerging industries and the degree to which these
occupations translate to a well-paid and highly skilled workforce. This is particularly true if one considers
32
the skills needed for creative occupations are more heavily weighted towards analytical and social
33
intelligence skills, both of which play a significant role in a knowledge driven economy.
In Oxford 22.3% (Figure 27) of the resident labour force is employed in creative class occupations as
noted above. This is considerably lower than the provincial average of 34.7%. More concerning is that the
percentage of creative occupations is declining. With the creative economy being projected to grow in the
future, the lack of creative workers and occupations in Oxford may leave the county at a disadvantage in
growing a diverse, high value economy.
30
Refer to Appendix I for NOC definitions
Refer to Appendix II for Creative Occupation definitions
32
Examples of occupations that require the highest level of analytical thinking skills include surgeons, biomedical engineers,
dentists, accountants, plumber, art directors etc.
33
Examples of occupations that require the highest level of social intelligence skills include psychiatrists, chief executives,
marketing managers, lawyers, sports coach, film directors etc.
31
39 | P a g e
Figure 27: Comparative creative employment, Oxford County, 2001 and 2006
2001
23.0%
28.7%
34.8%
Oxford
Western Region
Ontario
2006
22.3%
28.9%
34.7%
In 2010 Oxford creative employment continued to decline to 22.2% (Figure 28). Total creative
employment is increasing over time (2001-12,005; 2006-12,500; 2010-13,727) in Oxford but not as
quickly as other occupations leading the percentage of creative occupations to decline.
Figure 28: Creative employment in Oxford County, 2001, 2006 and 2010
A0 Senior management occupations
A1 Specialist managers
A2 Managers in retail trade, food and accommodation
services
A3 Other managers, n.e.c.
B0 Professional occupations in business and finance
B1 Finance and insurance administration occupations
C0 Professional occupations in natural and applied
sciences
C1 Technical occupations related to natural and applied
sciences
D0 Professional occupations in health
D1 Nurse supervisors and registered nurses
D2 Technical and related occupations in health
E0 Judges, lawyers, psychologists, social workers,
ministers of religion, and policy and program officers
E1 Teachers and professors
F0 Professional occupations in art and culture
F1 Technical occupations in art, culture, recreation and
sport
Total All Creative Occupations
2001
420
1,170
2006
380
900
2010
392
1,023
1,650
1,660
555
725
1,545
1,330
605
745
1,657
1,493
637
745
770
905
1,063
795
340
730
605
1,165
285
905
570
1,213
336
1,004
696
435
1,310
255
730
1,430
315
896
1,608
328
585
12,005
690
12,500
637
13,727
Source: Statistics Canada Community Profiles and Manifold Data Mining
3.4
Business Patterns Assessment
Statistics Canada‟s Canadian Business Patterns data provides a record of business establishments by
industry and size. Sources of information are updates from the Statistics Canada survey program and the
Business Number registration source collected from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The business
data collected for Oxford County includes all local business which meets at least one of the three
following criteria:



Have an employee workforce for which they submit payroll remittances to CRA; or
Have a minimum of $30,000 in annual sales revenue; or
Are incorporated under a federal or provincial act and have filed a federal corporate income tax
form within the past three years.
40 | P a g e
The Canadian Business Patterns Data records business counts by “Total”, “Indeterminate” and “Subtotal”
categories. The establishments in the “Indeterminate” category include the self-employed (i.e. those who
do not maintain an employee payroll, but may have a workforce consisting of contracted workers, family
members or business owners). It should be noted that the Canadian Business Patterns data uses CRA as
a primary resource in establishments counts; therefore, businesses without a Business Number or
indicating annual sales less than $30,000 are not included. The population of these small, unincorporated
34
businesses is thought to be in the range of 600,000 in all of Canada.
A detailed review of the business patterns data for December 2009 for Oxford County provides an
understanding of the key characteristics that define the county‟s business community. When combined
with the broader industry analysis, the Business Patterns information will assist in refining sector
understanding.
In contrast to the labour force discussion, business growth in a community is a better measure for
determining the capacity of a community to support and sustain a business operation either by the
availability of a needed workforce, accessibility to market, or the ability to move goods and people as part
of day to day operations.
There are a total of 7,806 businesses in Oxford County (Figure 29), 60% of which are „indeterminate‟ in
nature suggesting no regular payroll. This typically represents the self-employed or cottage industries
within a community. Agriculture, at 23.1%, accounts for the largest number of businesses in the county.
Agriculture also accounts for the highest number of self-employed businesses operations at 29.7%. Other
than agriculture, the largest concentration of businesses is found in:



Construction – 855 businesses, 11% of all businesses
Retail Trade – 690 businesses, 8.8% of all businesses
Transportation and Warehousing – 573 businesses, 7.3% of all businesses
If only businesses with employees are considered the largest numbers of businesses are found in
(outside of agriculture):




Construction – 415 businesses, 12.4% of businesses with employees
Retail trade – 411 businesses, 12.2% of businesses with employees
Other services – 334 businesses, 9.9% of businesses with employees
Manufacturing – 267 businesses, 8.0% of businesses with employees
Figure 30 shows the relative size of businesses with employees. There are 3,358 businesses with
employees of which 1,808 or 53.8% have fewer than 5 employees. If we expand this to include
businesses with less than 10 employees this accounts for 75.4% of all local businesses. This, coupled
with the high level of self-employment confirms that businesses within the county are largely small in
nature. This is relevant in the context of a labour force development strategy as the size of a business
often impacts its ability to access or conduct training programs, attract skilled workers, participate in
student mentorship programs and collaborate with others in research and development. Actions and
initiatives will need to target and be designed to serve these smaller businesses.
34
It should also be noted that expanded abilities to identify „inactive‟ business units since June 2008 have resulted in a greater
number of establishments removed from June to December 2008. This may also affect the establishment counts from 2003 to 2008.
41 | P a g e
Figure 29: Businesses by size, Oxford County, December 2009
Total
7806
1808
9
12
855
390
348
690
573
33
304
561
509
263
253
45
267
97
224
555
10
Total All Industries
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
Mining
Utilities
Construction
Manufacturing
Wholesale Trade and Distribution
Retail Trade
Transportation and Warehousing
Information
Finance and Insurance
Real Estate, Rental and Leasing
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Management of Companies and Enterprises
Administrative Support and Waste Management Services
Education
Health Care and Social Services
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
Accommodation and Food Services
Other Services
Public Administration
Indeterminate
4448
1321
2
5
440
123
146
279
357
12
217
464
310
226
134
26
61
47
57
221
0
Subtotal
3358
487
7
7
415
267
202
411
216
21
87
97
199
37
119
19
206
50
167
334
10
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Business Patterns Data, December 2009
Figure 30: Businesses with employees, Oxford County, December 2009
Mining
Utilities
Construction
Manufacturing
Retail Trade
Information
Education
Other Services
Subtotal
3358
487
7
7
415
267
202
411
216
21
87
97
199
37
119
19
206
50
167
334
10
1-4
1808
336
1
2
247
77
85
160
138
4
43
73
145
23
64
10
96
19
44
241
0
5-9
724
99
2
1
95
52
59
129
34
5
10
20
23
6
26
2
46
18
35
62
0
10-19
423
38
3
2
52
33
40
71
15
4
12
4
26
4
15
2
32
6
44
20
0
20-49
249
12
1
2
19
47
10
32
23
6
18
0
3
3
7
3
16
5
29
9
4
50-99
78
2
0
0
2
23
7
9
4
2
1
0
0
0
5
1
8
1
12
1
0
100-199
46
0
0
0
0
19
0
9
1
0
2
0
2
0
2
1
4
1
2
1
2
200-499
25
0
0
0
0
14
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
3
0
1
0
3
500 +
5
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
Figure 31 shows the changes in business formation over time. For this study, the data from December
2009 is being compared with data from December 2004. This information needs to be viewed with
caution. Business Patterns data is collected at a detailed level and categorizes businesses by North
American Industrial Classification (NAIC). NAIC industries at the broadest level are defined by 2 digit
industry codes. These broad industries are shown in the tables here. Each broad industry is further
subdivided into more detailed sub-industries. Business Patterns data collects information to the 6 digit
industry level. From December 2004 to December 2009 the 6 digit categories have changed somewhat
42 | P a g e
and some businesses maybe have been reclassified. In addition, where it is observed that the
indeterminate category has declined and the subtotal category increased, it is possible that the smaller
indeterminate businesses transitioned into the subtotal category. Unfortunately, it is not possible to
determine from this data how many businesses „graduated‟ during the period.
Figure 31: Change in number of businesses, Oxford County, December 2004-December 2009
Mining
Utilities
Construction
Manufacturing
Retail Trade
Information
Education
Other Services
Total
-71
-100
-3
0
-15
-34
-36
-82
52
-9
70
38
41
-1
-4
-4
44
4
-28
-4
0
Total
-0.9%
-5.2%
-25.0%
0.0%
-1.7%
-8.0%
-9.4%
-10.6%
10.0%
-21.4%
29.9%
7.3%
8.8%
-0.4%
-1.6%
-8.2%
19.7%
4.3%
-11.1%
-0.7%
0.0%
Indeterminate Indeterminate Subtotal Subtotal
-95
-2.1%
24
0.7%
-4
-0.3%
-96
-16.5%
1
100.0%
-4
-36.4%
-1
-16.7%
1
16.7%
-68
-13.4%
53
14.6%
-37
-23.1%
3
1.1%
-37
-20.2%
1
0.5%
-76
-21.4%
-6
-1.4%
38
11.9%
14
6.9%
-9
-42.9%
0
0.0%
83
61.9%
-13
-13.0%
45
10.7%
-7
-6.7%
9
3.0%
32
19.2%
13
6.1%
-14
-27.5%
-4
-2.9%
0
0.0%
-1
-3.7%
-3
-13.6%
21
52.5%
23
12.6%
-2
-4.1%
6
13.6%
-32
-36.0%
4
2.5%
-34
-13.3%
30
9.9%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
Overall there was a decline of 71 businesses or 0.9% over the 5 year period to December 2009. The
largest loss in business count occurred in agriculture and, despite the fact that this industry is dominated
by the self-employed, most of the business losses occurred in those businesses with employees. Other
significant losses occurred in retail and wholesale trade. Retail and wholesale trade businesses depend
on other export oriented businesses for survival, and follow general economic trends of growth and
decline. Given the recent economic recession, a decline in these industry categories is not unexpected.
Significant areas of business growth occurred in:




Finance and insurance (29.9% growth)
Health care and social services (19.7% growth)
Transportation and warehousing (10.0% growth)
Professional, scientific and technical services (8.8% growth)
43 | P a g e
3.5
Summary of Economic Base Analysis
The economic base analysis covered three key areas with implications for labour force planning in Oxford
County: demographics, labour force, and business patterns. From this assessment there are
considerations that will play significantly in the development of a labour force strategy for the County.


Oxford‟s population growth rate, migration patterns, and education levels are all areas of concern for
the County in sustaining economic growth in the future.

The population in Oxford increased by only 5.8% between 1996 and 2006 as compared to a
provincial increase of 13.1% in the same period. This low rate of population growth is a concern
as the County seeks to replace retiring workers in the future. Compounding this are:
o Declining populations of those under the age of 14
o Very slow rates of population growth in the 15-24 age group
o Inability to attract migrants and new Canadians to the area.

Just over 50% of the population aged 25 to 64 holds a high school certificate or less. Almost
20% of the population have no high school diploma compared to the provincial average of
13.6%. These education levels coupled with declining or slowing growth of the population in the
younger age cohorts will leave the county at a disadvantage in competing for investment in
higher skilled industries such as advanced manufacturing and professional, scientific and
technical services. The County is performing well in the area of trades and apprenticeships
education as well as college diplomas, but well below the province in the attainment of university
degrees. Areas of study in Oxford focus on architecture and engineering while the area has
fewer people with degrees and diplomas in mathematics, computer and information
technologies as well as physical and natural sciences.

Oxford‟s income levels have been steadily increasing to 2006, but with declines occurring after
the onset of the recession in 2008. Household incomes remain below the provincial average
which may impact residents‟ ability to achieve further training and educational opportunities.
Manufacturing and specifically automotive manufacturing has held a significant role on shaping the
performance of the regional labour force in recent years:

Participation rates and employment rates exceeded provincial and regional levels in 2006.
Unemployment was also well below broader regional levels. This reflects the continued health of
the manufacturing sector in the 2001 to 2006 period. Since the recession, participation rates
have declined and unemployment has increased. However, Oxford continues to outperform the
broader region and the province in this regard. This may be, in part, due to the presence and
continued success of Toyota relative to other North American car manufacturers.
Unemployment levels for those with college diplomas and university degrees are well below
those without, indicating that higher levels of education lead to employment resilience and
flexibility. Additionally, youth experience extremely high levels of unemployment compared to
the general population, suggesting the County may want to place more emphasis on youth
training and employment programs.

Manufacturing is overwhelmingly the largest industrial employer, accounting for 25% of the
residential labour force. Within manufacturing, transportation equipment manufacturing
accounts for 36.2% of employment. This sub-sector continues to grow at a healthy rate and has
44 | P a g e
a very high LQ driven in part by the presence of the Toyota manufacturing facility in Woodstock
and CAMI Automotive in Ingersoll. Agriculture has a very high LQ and, while suffering from
employment declines, employed 7.2% of the resident labour force in 2006. Transportation and
warehousing also exhibits a high LQ, reasonably high levels of employment and high levels of
employment growth. Construction, while posting a moderate LQ and employment levels is the
fastest growing industry based on labour force. While accommodation and food services
performs well, other aspects of tourism and culture such as arts, entertainment and recreation
and information and culture are underperforming other regions.


From an occupational standpoint, sales and service occupations lead with trades, transport and
equipment operators; processing and manufacturing; and business, finance and administrative
occupations also begin significant employers. Reflecting the shift towards service producing
knowledge based industries, the fastest growing occupations are in natural and applied
sciences along with social science and education.

Occupations at risk as a result of an older labour force include farming with 12% of workers over
65; management, business, finance and administration, trades, transport and equipment
operators all exceed the average with over 40% of workers over the age of 45. Given their
importance and rate of growth, the County needs to address the training and attraction of youth
into these occupations.

Employment in the creative economy is well below the provincial and Western Region averages
and, contrary to broader trends, is declining in Oxford. This is an additional signal that Oxford
faces challenges in shifting to the new economy based on knowledge and innovation.
Business patterns can show unique insight into the areas of industrial growth in a region through both
the total number of business, but also understanding the relative size of businesses and
entrepreneurial activity.

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting along with construction have the largest numbers of
business establishments with 1,808 and 855 establishments respectively. These industries
account for 34.1% of all businesses in the County. However both of these industries
experienced a decline in business counts between 2001 and 2006. Retail trade and
transportation and warehousing also account for large numbers of businesses.

Overall, business counts have been declining in Oxford with the largest decreases in agriculture
and retail and wholesale trade. Increases were noted in finance and insurance; transportation
and warehousing; health care and social services; and professional, scientific and technical
services.

The overwhelming majority of businesses are small businesses with 60% of all recorded
businesses being indeterminate in nature, meaning no employees of self-employed, cottage
based businesses. Of the businesses with employees, 53.8% have fewer than 5 employees and
75.4% have less than 10 employees. Industries more heavily concentrated in smaller
businesses are construction; transportation and warehousing; and professional, scientific and
technical services. Small businesses may require additional assistance in accessing or
providing training programs for their employees.
45 | P a g e

The industries experiencing growth in the indeterminate category, an indicator of entrepreneurial
activity, are finance and insurance; health care and social services; real estate, rental and
leasing; and transportation and warehousing.

Industries showing growth in the number of businesses with employees include construction;
professional, scientific and technical services; and health care and social services.
46 | P a g e
4 Skills Assessment
In this section, the report looks more closely at the skilled occupations within a range of target industries,
identifies possible skill gaps in those industries and provides an understanding how these skills and
occupations are related or transferable across other industries. The outcome of this section will be to
focus on the skills needed to support growing and targeted industries, while also understanding what
occupations are the most transferable for those upgrading their skills or just beginning to consider their
career development. The focus on skilled occupations reinforces the importance of education attainment
in terms of developing a quality workforce.
While an assessment of the needs for basic skills training is also important for the county, this section will
discuss those higher order skills considered necessary to drive economic growth in the county‟s target
industries. This review draws from the observations derived from the background review, several global
themes that are impacting the Ontario economy more generally, and the results of the economic base
assessment. Determinants include:





Targeted sector attraction and retention efforts on the part of local municipalities;
Established priorities of such organizations as SWEA, SCOR and SOMA;
Research conducted by the Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board
(EMOLTB);
Global trends impacting industrial and economic growth in Ontario; and
LQ, employment levels, change in employment, and business formation as noted in the economic
base assessment.
From this review 6 industries have been selected for further investigation as to the skills that they require,
and Oxford‟s competitive position on the basis its ability to provide these skilled workers. Sub-industries
within each industry are selected based on employment alone. The industries and sub-industries to be
discussed are:
Agriculture – is identified in seven (7) municipal and regional strategies, represents significant
employment and is the largest segment of business establishments in Oxford. Agriculture also has
connections to renewable energy strategies identified.

111-112 Farms; represents 3,565 workers or 96.5% of sector employment
Construction – represents significant employment, employment growth and business establishments.
EMOLTB has also identified specialty trades contractors as an industry with high employment growth in
need of skills training. Construction also has connections to the renewable energy sector.

238 Specialty trades contractors; 1,830 or 58.9% of sector employment
Manufacturing – is the single largest employer in Oxford and is represented through advanced
manufacturing and renewable energy in seven of the strategies reviewed.




336 transportation equipment manufacturing; 4,710 workers or 36.6% of sector employment
332 fabricated metal product manufacturing; 1,335 workers or 10.4%
333 machinery manufacturing; 1,300 workers or 10.1%
331 food manufacturing; 1,255 workers or 10.1%
47 | P a g e

326 plastics and rubber products manufacturing; 990 workers or 7.7%
35
Transportation and warehousing – is represented in four of the strategy documents and represented
significant employment, employment growth, and business establishments.

484 Truck transportation; 1,515 workers or 57.1% of sector employment
Professional, scientific and technical services – is a rapidly growing employment growth area and is
highlighted by the EMOLTB TOP report as a high growth industry requiring skills training.

541 Professional, scientific and technical services (entire sector)
Health – is widely recognized as a sector that will continue to grow in the future demanding an
increasingly diverse set of skilled workers. Health is third largest employer by industry in the county.




622 Hospitals; 1,440 workers or 30.8% of sector employment
623 Nursing and residential care facilities; 1,245 workers or 26.6%
621 Ambulatory health care services; 1,025 workers or 21.9%
624 Social assistance; 975 workers or 20.8%
Statistics Canada divides occupations into 10 overarching classifications meant to encompass a broad
spectrum of occupations. Each classification is further divided into major groups identifying the
occupations as professional, management, skilled, technical, intermediate, elemental, or helpers and
labourers. These major groups give a clearer picture of the education levels required for the position and
the transferability of the skills acquired in each occupation.
For the purposes of this report, we are defining „skilled‟ occupations in accordance with the 2006 National
Occupation Classification System‟s Major Group (2-digit) designations. These include: professional,
management and skilled occupations designations. From this, the leading occupations for each industry
are displayed at a greater (3-digit) level of detail. For a complete list of Major Group and 3-digit
occupations refer to Appendix II. By selecting these skilled occupations we are able to demonstrate the
nature of jobs and competencies present in the workforce that are considered most transferable across
industries and most applicable to the region‟s target sectors and emerging occupational fields.
In completing this analysis, the report has relied on data provided by the Elgin Middlesex Oxford
Workforce Planning and Development Board. This data relates occupational employment (3 digit NOC
level) by industry (4 digit NAIC level) allowing us to create the occupation by industry figures shown here.
Figure 32 displays each of the skilled worker occupational categories and the total number, across all
industries, of the resident labour force in each category. The highest number of skilled workers is found in
trades and skilled transport and equipment operators followed by middle and other management
occupations. Later in this discussion it will become clear that these skilled occupations are in evidence
cross a variety of industries suggesting a high degree of transferability and employment opportunity.
35
At the time of writing it was brought to the attention of the authors that this statistic may have changed post closure of the DDM
facility in Oxford in 2009.
48 | P a g e
Figure 32: Total number of skilled workers in all industries, Oxford County, 2006
Skilled Occupations (National Occupational Classification
System, 2006)
Total
Employment
(Oxford, 2006)
Major Group 00 Senior Management Occupations
380
001 Legislators and Senior Management
380
Total
Employment
(Oxford, 2006)
Skilled Occupations (National Occupational Classification
System, 2006)
Major Group 41 Professional Occupations in Social Science,
Education, Government Services and Religion
2165
011 Administrative Services Managers
012 Managers in Financial and Business Services
013 Managers in Communication (Except Broadcasting)
021 Managers in Engineering, Architecture, Science and Information Systems
325
235
20
125
411 Judges, Lawyers and Quebec Notaries
412 University Professors and Assistants
413 College and Other Vocational Instructors
414 Secondary and Elementary School Teachers and Educational Counsellors
415 Psychologists, Social Workers, Counsellors, Clergy and Probation
416 Policy and Program Officers, Researchers and Consultants
031 Managers in Health, Education, Social and Community Services
160
Major Group 42 Paraprofessional Occupations in Law, Social
Services, Education and Religion
Major Group 01-09 Middle and Other Management Occupations
041 Managers in Public Administration
051 Managers in Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport
061 Sales, Marketing and Advertising Managers
062 Managers in Retail Trade
063 Managers in Food Service and Accommodation
3775
60
40
340
1155
390
064 Managers in Protective Service
065 Managers in Other Services
10
70
1090
421 Paralegals, Social Services Workers and Occupations in Education and
Religion, n.e.c.
315
511 Librarians, Archivists, Conservators and Curators
512 Writing, Translating and Public Relations Professionals
513 Creative and Performing Artists
40
95
175
Major Group 52 Technical and Skilled Occupations in Art, Culture,
Recreation and Sport
685
071 Managers in Construction and Transportation
072 Facility Operation and Maintenance Managers
081 Managers in Primary Production (Except Agriculture)
091 Managers in Manufacturing and Utilities
350
125
0
390
Major Group 11 Professional Occupations in Business and Finance
605
Major Group 62 Skilled Sales and Service Occupations
111 Auditors, Accountants and Investment Professionals
112 Human Resources and Business Service Professionals
460
145
621 Sales and Service Supervisors
622 Technical Sales Specialists, Wholesale Trade
623 Insurance and Real Estate Sales Occupations and Buyers
624 Chefs and Cooks
625 Butchers and Bakers
626 Police Officers and Firefighters
627 Technical Occupations in Personal Service
2695
1090
Major Group 51 Professional Occupations in Art and Culture
521 Technical Occupations in Libraries, Archives, Museums and Art Galleries
522 Photographers, Graphic Arts Technicians and Technical and Co-ordinating
Occupations in Motion Pictures, Broadcasting and the Performing Arts
523 Announcers and Other Performers
524 Creative Designers and Craftspersons
525 Athletes, Coaches, Referees and Related Occupations
Major Group 12 Skilled Administrative and Business Occupations
100
95
180
1165
350
280
20
85
25
200
360
2720
375
140
490
770
230
360
350
121 Clerical Supervisors
122 Administrative and Regulatory Occupations
123 Finance and Insurance Administrative Occupations
124 Secretaries, Recorders and Transcriptionists
265
745
745
940
Major Group 21 Professional Occupations in Natural and Applied
Sciences
910
Major Group 72/73 Trades and Skilled Transport and Equipment
Operators
211 Physical Science Professionals
212 Life Science Professionals
213 Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Chemical Engineers
214 Other Engineers
215 Architects, Urban Planners and Land Surveyors
216 Mathematicians, Statisticians and Actuaries
217 Computer and Information Systems Professionals
30
85
295
125
30
25
320
721 Contractors and Supervisors, Trades and Related Workers
722 Supervisors, Railway and Motor Transportation Occupations
723 Machinists and Related Occupations
724 Electrical Trades and Telecommunication Occupations
725 Plumbers, Pipefitters and Gas Fitters
726 Metal Forming, Shaping and Erecting Trades
727 Carpenters and Cabinetmakers
435
45
700
440
145
860
425
728 Masonry and Plastering Trades
729 Other Construction Trades
731 Machinery and Transportation Equipment Mechanics (Except Motor
Vehicle)
732 Automotive Service Technicians
733 Other Mechanics
734 Upholsterers, Tailors, Shoe Repairers, Jewellers and Related Occupations
735 Stationary Engineers and Power Station and System Operators
736 Train Crew Operating Occupations
737 Crane Operators, Drillers and Blasters
738 Printing Press Operators, Commercial Divers and Other Trades and
170
370
Major Group 22 Technical Occupations Related to Natural and Applied
Sciences
221 Technical Occupations in Physical Sciences
1165
60
222 Technical Occupations in Life Sciences
223 Technical Occupations in Civil, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
224 Technical Occupations in Electronics and Electrical Engineering
225 Technical Occupations in Architecture, Drafting, Surveying and Mapping
226 Other Technical Inspectors and Regulatory Officers
227 Transportation Officers and Controllers
228 Technical Occupations in Computer and Information Systems
Major Group 31 Professional Occupations in Health
120
230
275
95
150
50
185
1190
311 Physicians, Dentists and Veterinarians
312 Optometrists, Chiropractors and Other Health Diagnosing and Treating
313 Pharmacists, Dietitians and Nutritionists
314 Therapy and Assessment Professionals
315 Nurse Supervisors and Registered Nurses
180
0
35
75
905
Major Group 32 Technical and Skilled Occupations in Health
570
321 Medical Technologists and Technicians (Except Dental Health)
235
322 Technical Occupations in Dental Health Care
323 Other Technical Occupations in Health Care (Except Dental)
95
245
continued, above right
5695
Major Group 82 Skilled Occupations in Primary Industry
840
750
135
135
10
15
65
170
2170
821 Supervisors, Logging and Forestry
822 Supervisors, Mining, Oil and Gas
823 Underground Miners, Oil and Gas Drillers and Related Workers
824 Logging Machinery Operators
825 Contractors, Operators and Supervisors in Agriculture, Horticulture and
Aquaculture
826 Fishing Vessel Masters and Skippers and Fishermen/women
0
0
10
10
2150
0
Major Group 92 Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities Supervisors
and Skilled Operators
585
921 Supervisors, Processing Occupations
922 Supervisors, Assembly and Fabrication
220
330
923 Central Control and Process Operators in Manufacturing and Processing
Source: Statistics Canada special tabulations for Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development
Board
49 | P a g e
40
4.1
Identifying the Skill Gaps
Figure 33 lists the total employment and the proportion of skilled occupations within each of the 12
industry sub-groups (3-digit NAIC) identified at the outset of this section. With only 47.8% of the County‟s
labour force employed in skilled occupations, Oxford lags the provincial average of 55.5%. Specialty
trades; professional, scientific and technical services; and hospitals show the greatest concentration of
skilled workers, all above 70%. Yet in each of these cases, the provincial percentage of skilled workers is
higher than Oxford. Truck transportation; food manufacturing; plastics and rubber products
manufacturing; and transportation equipment and manufacturing all have skilled workforces below 30%.
In almost all industries, Oxford‟s level of skilled workers falls below that of Ontario. The notable
exceptions to this are seen in farms, fabricated metal products manufacturing, truck transportation and
nursing and residential care facilities. From this perspective, to remain competitive, Oxford needs to raise
the level of skilled workers in almost all industries.
A skilled labour force is an increasingly important factor in attracting business and investment to a
community. The region‟s lower overall percentage of skilled workers may represent a disadvantage in
both attracting investment and growing business investment in the some of the region‟s targeted sectors.
While these results highlight the issue of a lower overall skilled labour force and identifies those
occupations where there is a higher degree of skill, it does not specifically identify the skills and
occupations that are lacking in the region. For example, results suggest that local specialty trades
contractors (NAIC 238) lags the province in the percentage of skilled trades and that the leading skilled
occupations include electrical trades and telecommunications occupations. We don‟t yet know if the
region is underrepresented in electrical trades and telecommunications occupations. In order to better
understand the skills gaps in these industries it will be necessary for the economic developers and related
organizations to engage local businesses in a discussion of the needs and gaps in the local labour force.
This will be carried out in phase II of this project as part of the stakeholder consultation process.
Understanding the skills and occupations needed by these industries can assist in developing training
programs and inform marketing and attraction efforts of the local municipalities.
It should be noted that Figure 33 displays only the top 10 skilled occupations by employment in each
industry sector. There were a total of 93 skilled occupations across all industries.
50 | P a g e
Figure 33: Skilled workers in selected target industries, Oxford County, 2006
Employment by Occupation
All Industries
Farms (111-112)
Specialty Trades
Contractors (238)
Food manufacturing
(311)
Plastics and rubber
products manufacturing
(326)
Fabricated metal
products manufacturing
(332)
Machinery
manufacturing (333)
Transportation
equipment
manufacturing (336)
Truck transportation
(484)
Professional, scientific
and technical services
(541)
Ambulatory health care
services (621)
Hospitals (622)
Nursing and residential
care facilities (623)
36
Oxford
Ontario
56,025
6,473,735
Total-skilled occupations
26,765
3,592,005
% Skilled occupations
47.8%
55.5%
3,845
97,565
2,280
53,990
59.3%
55.3%
1,830
215,255
1,335
168,095
73.0%
78.1%
1,385
85,370
330
27,025
23.8%
31.7%
1,030
67,380
275
18,815
26.7%
27.9%
1,385
90,960
795
49,175
57.4%
54.1%
1,395
66,210
780
42,465
55.9%
64.1%
4,945
178,580
1,420
64,885
28.7%
36.3%
2,135
100,575
340
14,965
15.9%
14.9%
1,960
471,625
1,545
401,710
78.8%
85.2%
1,160
184,255
690
126,725
59.5%
68.8%
1,480
187,865
1,065
141,260
72.0%
75.2%
1,290
114,705
595
48,600
46.1%
42.4%
36
Leading Skilled Occupations by Industry Employment in Oxford County
Contractors, Operators and Supervisors in Agriculture, Horticulture and Aquaculture;
Secondary and Elementary School Teachers and Educational Counsellors; Paralegals, Social
Services Workers and Occupations in Education and Religion; Managers in Retail Trade;
Secretaries, Recorders and Transcriptionists
Contractors, Operators and Supervisors in Agriculture, Horticulture and Aquaculture; Finance
and Insurance Administrative Occupations; Secretaries, Recorders and Transcriptionists; Life
Science Professionals; Legislators and Senior Management
Other Construction Trades; Electrical Trades and Telecommunication Occupations;
Machinery and Transportation Equipment Mechanics (Except Motor Vehicle); Masonry and
Plastering Trades; Contractors and Supervisors, Trades and Related Workers
Supervisors, Processing Occupations; Managers in Manufacturing and Utilities; Contractors,
Operators and Supervisors in Agriculture, Horticulture and Aquaculture; Machinery and
Transportation Equipment Mechanics (Except Motor Vehicle); Technical Occupations in
Physical Sciences
Supervisors, Processing Occupations; Machinists and Related Occupations; Supervisors,
Assembly and Fabrication; Machinery and Transportation Equipment Mechanics (Except
Motor Vehicle); Computer and Information Systems Professionals
Machinists and Related Occupations; Metal Forming, Shaping and Erecting Trades;
Contractors and Supervisors, Trades and Related Workers; Managers in Manufacturing and
Utilities; Machinery and Transportation Equipment Mechanics (Except Motor Vehicle)
Machinists and Related Occupations; Metal Forming, Shaping and Erecting Trades; Machinery
and Transportation Equipment Mechanics (Except Motor Vehicle); Civil, Mechanical, Electrical
and Chemical Engineers; Managers in Manufacturing and Utilities
Metal Forming, Shaping and Erecting Trades; Supervisors, Assembly and Fabrication;
Machinists and Related Occupations; Electrical Trades and Telecommunication Occupations;
Automotive Service Technicians
Automotive Service Technicians; Secretaries, Recorders and Transcriptionists; Finance and
Insurance Administrative Occupations; Managers in Construction and Transportation; Clerical
Supervisors
Secretaries, Recorders and Transcriptionists; Finance and Insurance Administrative
Occupations; Computer and Information Systems Professionals; Auditors, Accountants and
Investment Professionals; Judges, Lawyers and Notaries
Physicians, Dentists and Veterinarians; Secretaries, Recorders and Transcriptionists; Other
Technical Occupations in Health Care (Except Dental); Nurse Supervisors and Registered
Nurses; Medical Technologists and Technicians (Except Dental Health)
Nurse Supervisors and Registered Nurses; Medical Technologists and Technicians (Except
Dental Health); Secretaries, Recorders and Transcriptionists; Therapy and Assessment
Professionals; Other Technical Occupations in Health Care (Except Dental)
Nurse Supervisors and Registered Nurses; Chefs and Cooks; Paralegals, Social Services
Workers and Occupations in Education and Religion; Other Technical Occupations in Health
Care (Except Dental); Managers in Health, Education, Social and Community Services
Only the top 10 skilled occupations by employment are represented in „leading skilled occupations by industry‟
51 | P a g e
4.2
Transferring Skills across Industries
By examining more closely the occupations associated with industries, the diversity of skills within any
given industry and the relationships between industries with respect to complementary skills and
occupations become clear. In creating Figure 34, only the top 10 skilled occupations by employment were
selected from each of the 12 sub-industries present in the county of Oxford. In selecting only the top 10, a
total of 50 distinct occupations were found to be represented. Of these leading skilled occupations, 6
were found to be present in at least 5 of the target industry sub-sectors. This transferability of occupations
across industrial sectors reinforces their importance as a target of regional training and education
programs. Targeting these occupations will create both supply side and demand side labour force
benefits. Workers gain as their transferable skills open up work possibilities in multiple industries and
industry gains from the growth and development of a broad and skilled labour force on which to draw.
However, as Figure 34 illustrates, these skilled occupations transfer far beyond the targeted industries to
benefit other industries in the County. The third column of the table displays the other industries in the
region in which these occupations are in demand. As an example, legislators and senior management are
represented in farms, food manufacturing, plastics and rubber products manufacturing, fabricated metal
products manufacturing, machinery manufacturing, truck transportation and nursing and residential care
facilities. However, they are also working in 23 other non-target sectors from religious, grant making, civic
and professional and similar organisations to electrical equipment, appliance and component
manufacturing.
Understanding these broad interconnections between occupations and industries helps understand the
importance of labour force training and development and reinforces the benefits gained from focusing
programs on the skills and occupations needed by the targeted sectors. The reverse is also true. Broad
industry representation creates more opportunities for workers in any skilled occupation to obtain
employment and will assist in attracting workers to the region.
52 | P a g e
Figure 34: Transferable skilled occupations, Oxford County, 2006
Skilled Occupation
Representation in Target Sectors
Representation in Other Sectors
Legislators and Senior
Management (001)
111-112 Farms; 311 Food manufacturing; 326 Plastics and rubber products
manufacturing; 332 Fabricated metal products manufacturing; 333
Machinery manufacturing; 484 Truck transportation; 623 Nursing and
residential care facilities
813 Religious, grant-making, civic, and professional and similar organizations; 524
Insurance carriers and related activities; 532 Rental and leasing services; 417 Machinery,
equipment and supplies wholesaler-distributors; 221 Utilities; 314 Textile product mills; 913
Local, municipal and regional public administration; 236 Construction of buildings; 812
Personal and laundry services; 335 Electrical equipment, appliance and component
manufacturing; and 13 others
Machinery and
Transportation
Equipment Mechanics
(Except Motor Vehicle)
(731)
111-112 Farms; 238 Specialty Trades Contractors; 311 Food manufacturing;
326 Plastics and rubber products manufacturing; 332 Fabricated metal
products manufacturing; 333 Machinery manufacturing; 336 Transportation
equipment manufacturing
811 Repair and maintenance; 417 Machinery, equipment and supplies wholesalerdistributors; 327 Non-metallic mineral product manufacturing; 331 Primary metal
manufacturing; 481 Air transportation; 221 Utilities; 314 Textile product mills; 236
Construction of buildings; 812 Personal and laundry services; 212 Mining (except oil and
gas); and 6 others.
531 Real estate; 561 Administrative and support services; 417 Machinery, equipment and
supplies wholesaler-distributors; 488 Support activities for transportation; 323 Printing and
Administrative and
111-112 Farms; 238 Specialty Trades Contractors; 311 Food manufacturing;
related support activities; 523 Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial
Regulatory Occupations 484 Truck transportation; 621 Ambulatory health care services; 623 Nursing
investment and related activities; 911 Federal government public administration; 331
and
residential
care
facilities
(122)
Primary metal manufacturing; 813 Religious, grant-making, civic, and professional and
similar organizations; 611 Educational services; and 21 others.
Secretaries, Recorders
and Transcriptionists
(124)
111-112 Farms; 238 Specialty Trades Contractors; 484 Truck transportation;
541 Professional, scientific and technical services; 621 Ambulatory health
care services; 622 Hospitals
611 Educational services; 813 Religious, grant-making, civic, and professional and similar
organizations; 561 Administrative and support services; 531 Real estate; 913 Local,
municipal and regional public administration; 524 Insurance carriers and related activities;
811 Repair and maintenance; 713 Amusement, gambling and recreation industries; 417
Machinery, equipment and supplies wholesaler-distributors; 624 Social assistance; and 10
others.
Managers in
Manufacturing and
Utilities (091)
111-112 Farms; 311 Food manufacturing; 332 Fabricated metal products
manufacturing; 333 Machinery manufacturing; 336 Transportation equipment
manufacturing
331 Primary metal manufacturing; 323 Printing and related support activities; 321 Wood
product manufacturing; 322 Paper manufacturing; 314 Textile product mills; 326 Plastics
and rubber products manufacturing; 415 Motor vehicle and parts wholesaler-distributors;
312 Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing; 325 Chemical manufacturing; 334
Computer and electronic product manufacturing; and 6 others.
Electrical Trades and
Telecommunications
Occupations (724)
517 Telecommunications; 221 Utilities; 312 Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing;
238 Specialty Trades Contractors; 326 Plastics and rubber products
811 Repair and maintenance; 327 Non-metallic mineral product manufacturing; 331 Primary
manufacturing; 332 Fabricated metal products manufacturing; 333 Machinery
metal manufacturing; 314 Textile product mills; 212 Mining (except oil and gas); 813
manufacturing; 336 Transportation equipment manufacturing
Religious, grant-making, civic, and professional and similar organizations; 335 Electrical
equipment, appliance and component manufacturing; and 3 others.
Source: Statistics Canada special tabulations for Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board
Oxford Labour Force Development Strategy Draft Report 53 | P a g e
5 Community Consultation + SWOT Assessment
Key inputs into the creation of the labour force development strategic plan for Oxford County are provided
by existing community plans and strategies, a detailed economic base analysis, a skills assessment, and
the community consultations. The community consultations are of importance since the experiences,
opinions and ideas shared by Oxford County‟s business community, industry leaders, community service
organizations, educators and regional institutions were integral to informing the goals and actions of the
strategy. The consultation process included interviews with 42 stakeholders in the region, an online
survey which received input from 211 businesses and community members, as well as, a labour force
nd
development summit held on November 2 2010 that attracted more than 75 participants. This broadbased engagement with the community enabled considerable insight into key issues and opportunities
facing the County‟s labour force. The emergent themes gathered from the consultation led to an
assessment of the County‟s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the development
of the labour force. The following is a summation of the critical points that emerged from this process.
5.1.1 Stakeholder Interviews
A full summary of findings from the stakeholder interviews can be found in Appendix I. Overall,
respondents believed that the labour force in the County had a lower level of education when compared
to the Ontario average. It was highlighted that those who left the county for higher education usually did
not return. Respondents also stressed the need for skills in construction trades, green energy and
technology, health, and hospitality occupations. Moreover, a significant area consensus in the interviews
was the need for „character development‟ in youth, as well as, the development of „soft skills‟. The
growing dichotomy between the work ethic of older generation and the youth was also a point of
discussion and concern as it relates to future labour force development.
The interviews also pointed at a trend of educators engaging students through experiential learning;
connecting youth with employment pathways and the opportunity for further education at local institutions
such as Fanshawe College and Conestoga College. The presence of such institutions were identified as
not only benefitting youth, but providing the opportunity for skills upgrading for those who have been in
the workforce for a number of years and corporate training for employers. Despite the pathways to
employment available in the county, the employment environment is extremely competitive. It was
suggested by respondents that employers are overwhelmed by applications for work, suggesting a
demand for employment in the county. In addition, the recession has posed significant challenges to the
labour force in accessing employment opportunities. Youth have felt the pinch of the recession as well,
since employers indicated taking on a co-operative education student during hard economic times is
difficult. Another impact of the recession was the perceived exodus of workers to other parts of Ontario
and Alberta. Overall, collaboration was identified as significantly better in the county now than it was a
decade ago, though respondents suggested there was still room for improvement.
5.1.2 Online Survey
The results of the Labour Force Development Survey can be found in Appendix II. The majority of
respondents were small businesses with 1-4 permanent employees, mainly in manufacturing, retail trade
or agriculture with their corporate or head offices located in Oxford County. The majority of respondents
rated the county‟s level of education, experience, skills and work ethic somewhere between „fair‟ and
„good‟, suggesting room for improvement. Interestingly, the survey results demonstrated that respondents
could typically predict their workforce needs only 1-3 months ahead and lacked any formal retention
program for experienced employees. Of those companies with formal training programs, the majority of
those programs were internal, while engagement with local post-secondary institutions or regional
organizations was negligible. More than half of the respondents indicated that they did not expect any
Oxford County Labour Force Development Strategic Plan 54 | P a g e
workforce shortages, however; of those who did predict such shortages expected them in the next year in
the trades, transport or equipment operators category, as well as, engineering, health and service
occupations. This speaks to the economic base of the region and the heavy influence it has on labour
force demand and supply. More than half of the respondents indicated that they recruit within the county
to fill local positions; this was mirrored in the stakeholder interviews previously discussed. Finally, the loss
of skilled or experienced employees is a concern to over half of the respondents, where benefits and
wages play a significant role in the decision made by experienced employees.
5.1.3 Labour Force Development Summit
nd
On November 2 2010, community members from across Oxford County gathered in Ingersoll to discuss
key issues and opportunities as it relates to workforce development and identify strategies and actions for
moving forward. The proceedings from the summit can be found in Appendix III. Issues and challenges
identified included matching workers‟ training and skills to job needs, youth retention, and the
engagement of secondary school students. Participants suggested the need for an intergenerational
strategy that would begin to bridge the dichotomy between younger and older members of the labour
force, also reflected in the stakeholder interviews. Other quick win identified included the introduction of
incentives for businesses to invest in their employees (through training programs, etc), increased
communication between business, educators and the public, and the need for discussion around new
investment opportunities and employment pathways. A discussion of skills highlighted the need for multiskilling and greater “soft skills” in employees. Participants agreed that technical skills alone will not suffice
in today‟s workforce - character, work ethic and interpersonal skills are seen as just as crucial as
knowledge. This line of discussion strongly related to the development of youth in the county. Youth
issues were a strong focus at the summit, where much discussion revolved around how to engage youth
and retain talent in the county. Participants looked to long term priorities for the county and identified a
number of areas including succession planning, maintaining youth engagement initiatives, creating easier
entry to employment for all, supporting small businesses, attracting new Canadians in a meaningful way
and addressing curriculum and co-operative education needs at secondary schools. The summit
concluded with a discussion of roles and responsibilities that would ensure effective implementation of the
plan.
5.2
SWOT Assessment
A SWOT Assessment (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) was developed to gain insight
into Oxford County‟s ability to support and grow a skilled and innovative labour force. The strengths and
opportunities identified by community members will work to shape the strategic plan. The weaknesses
and threats will inform recommendations to ensure that the county‟s strengths can be capitalized on and
the recommended opportunities can be achieved.
5.2.1 Strengths
The unique strengths of Oxford County‟s labour force identified during the community consultations are of
importance to highlight and discuss as these strengths directly influence the recommendations made in
the labour force development strategic plan. The county boasts a number of strengths based on the
strong employer base and quality of place in the region. The main strengths emerging from the
consultation are discussed below.
Skilled and Experienced Workforce
The County is home to a highly skilled workforce, especially in occupations related to manufacturing,
construction trades and agriculture. The level of skill and experience is considered a strength because it
positions the county well when discussing opportunities in these industries and related industries. Skills in
equipment operations, metal fabrication, and electrical systems can be leveraged in the green economy,
an emerging area of opportunity in Oxford. Looking to the future, this foundation of skilled and experience
labour have the potential to mentor the next generation through knowledge and skills transfer.
Education to Employment Pathways
The secondary and post-secondary institutions in the county work together to bridge students into career
pathways. A number of secondary schools in Oxford County have been cited as offering the School to
Work Initiative (dual-credits) for students who want to take both secondary and post-secondary courses
and earn college credits as part of their OSSD. In addition, the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)
program is also another opportunity at the secondary school level that creates pathways for youth to enter
career streams. Specialist programs offered at local secondary schools include agriculture, construction
and technical trades (College Avenue Secondary School), arts and culture (Woodstock Collegiate
Institute) and transportation (Glendale High School and Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute). Such
educational programming also works to foster relationships between different organizations in the region,
such as secondary and post-secondary educators and employers creating pathways for youth to enter the
workforce.
A further strength of the region is the emphasis on experiential learning. Many of the secondary schools
in the county have high uptake in their co-operative education programs. Collaborative relationships
between secondary schools in Woodstock have emerged, where meetings are held to determine student
placements. This collaboration enabled the pooling of employers contacts and resources, eliminates
duplicated efforts to place students, and permits enhanced matching and efficiency.
Post-Secondary Satellite Campuses
Oxford County is home to satellite campuses of Fanshawe College (Woodstock) and Conestoga College
(Ingersoll). While this is deemed a strength for the region the local Colleges could collaborate further on
curriculum development and need to remain abreast of the latest labour market trends to ensure that their
programming is relevant to the needs of the county businesses.
Developed Agriculture Base
The agriculture industry in Oxford County is undergoing significant change. However, the community
consultations revealed a trend of youth interested in agriculture attaining more formal education at
institutions such as the University of Guelph and returning to Oxford County to pursue agriculture as a
career. In addition, the strong agriculture base holds the potential to fuel a knowledge-intensive economy
focused on value-added business activities and green energy.
Support for Entrepreneurship
The County of Oxford is home to a number of local organizations that have made supporting
entrepreneurship a priority. Of note are the Fusion Youth Activity and Technology Centre, the Oxford
Small Business Centre and the Woodstock and Area Small Business Enterprise Centre. These
organizations are viewed as strengths in the region because they foster entrepreneurship at all ages and
stages in life cycle.
Creative Labour Force
While the economic base analysis indicated that Oxford County is below the provincial average with
respect to creative occupations and employment in creative industries, there are a number of initiatives
undertaken by the County and lower-tier municipalities that address this issue. Notably, the Town of
Ingersoll has created a Cultural Strategy (2006) with the goal of developing a cultural policy and a cultural
facilities needs assessment to encourage the development of creative cultural industries in the town.
Additionally, the County has created a Cultural Plan (2009) built upon more than 450 cultural resources
and 600 heritage resources with the goal of promoting a broad range of cultural activities across the
region. Oxford Creative Connections is an organization that was created as a vehicle for enhancing
communications within the Oxford cultural community to promote the development of creative cultural
business and entrepreneurs in the region.
Strong Work Ethic
The labour force in Oxford County is characterized as having a strong work ethic and as being “loyal”,
with the exception of the youth population. Despite perceptions of youth, the strength of the work ethic
among the existing labour force can work to attract employers to the region. Oxford County has a strong
agricultural and manufacturing tradition, characterized by a hardworking labour force that pride
themselves on a high quality of work.
Internal Training Programs
A number of employers engaged in the consultation process suggested that most of their training
programs for employee skills-upgrading are done internally. In addition, some of the larger employers
indicated that as part of their benefits package, employees can select whether they want to complete a
certificate at a local college or through distance education. This kind of investment into human capital is
an important input into keeping the labour force skills and works to improve knowledge transfer between
the employer and employee.
Attractive Quality of Place
Quality of place including affordability and small town charm are important factors for attracting and
retaining talent in the county. The community consultation effort revealed that members of the labour
force were attracted to the county because of its family friendly nature and opportunities for recreation in
the region.
Strategic Location
Respondents indicated that the location of the county is a key advantage in accessing a skilled labour
force. Oxford County is strategically located in a catchment area for skilled workers from London,
Brantford, and Kitchener-Waterloo. However, employers who participated in the community consultations
alluded to the fact that many of their employees are locally sourced. The post-secondary education
institutions as well as the community service organizations/employment services play an integral role in
facilitating.
Community + Employment Service Providers
The county has a number of employment assets which are considered a strength in the region.
Organizations such as the Women‟s Employment Resource Centre, Community Employment Services,
and the regional Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board all offer valuable
labour market information and employment programming to enhance the opportunities available in the
region. Both community and employment service organizations in the region are well connected to
community members and employers and act as repositories of information as well as relationship builders
between various stakeholders. These organizations are well positioned to take on a leadership role in
community supporting labour force development.
5.2.2 Weaknesses
This section discusses the internal weaknesses in the region pertaining to the labour force that are
hindering the regions‟ ability to capitalize on the above discussed strengths. In order to ensure that the
labour force strategic plan is balanced, consideration must be given to the weaknesses outlined.
Education Attainment
A number of respondents rated education levels of the local labour force as between fair and good. Many
respondents described „older‟ members of the labour force, especially in manufacturing and agricultural
occupations as lacking their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). In light of the recent economic
recession and downturn in manufacturing, those who possess their OSSD or less have experienced
challenges trying to reintegrate into the labour force. According to 2006 Statistics Canada Census of the
Population, 50.5% of the population of the county has a high school diploma or less. Emphasis on
education attainment is critical to growing knowledge occupations in professional services, which is of
broad importance to the provincial economy.
Employment Pathways Unclear
The community consultations highlighted the lack of knowledge on what employment pathways existed in
the county. It was suggested that skills need to become more technological and specialized to meet the
current needs of green energy and agri-business. However, it was noted that greater emphasis is needed
in the communication of what the employment pathways are and what the core competencies are needed
to enter such pathways.
Support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
SMEs provide a source of employment to the labour force in the county, yet meeting the needs of SMEs
has been identified as a common gap. Post-secondary institutions in the region such as Fanshawe and
Conestoga College have been identified as trying to tailor their programming to the needs of SMEs in the
county through business administration courses, however; greater entrepreneurship education in areas of
management, finance and human resources is seen as critical to labour force development. Employment
service providers and other community organizations can pool their resources to support SMEs in the
county.
Skill Shortages
Perceived skills shortages in the future include occupations in trades, transport or equipment operators,
management, sales and service. Respondents also believed that there are shortages in professional
occupations such as engineering and health. This is a significant weakness as professional services
industries are considered important for the county given the growth of these industries in the broader
economy and provide a high-wage career options that is diminishing in other sectors of the regional
economy.
In addition, dual-trend skills are in demand but are not currently being supplied by the labour force.
Examples provided in the consultation included: A millwright and electrician combination or welders with
project management experience.
Competitive Employment Environment
The community consultations revealed that employers are overwhelmed by applications for work, but
there aren‟t enough positions available to satisfy the demand for employment. This filters down to the
high school level, where many employers cannot accommodate co-operative education students because
they don‟t have the capacity to take on students.
Perceived Lack of Skills + Work Ethic among Youth
The youth population in the county has been described as having “a culture of entitlement” by a
significant number of respondents during community consultation. While this trend is not unique to the
county, it is a significant barrier to the development of the future labour force and strains the relationships
between the experienced members of the labour force and youth. Youth have also been described as
needing to develop the interpersonal and communication skills necessary to gain employment and
succeed in the workplace. The lack of „soft skills‟ in youth are considered a barrier to entering
employment.
Lack of Public Transportation
The lack of connectivity by way of public transit has been identified as a hindrance to youth engaging in
co-operative education. An identified barrier that students face when attempting to find a co-op placement
includes their method of transportation to and from work. Many students either do not have a driver‟s
license or access to a personal vehicle, making it difficult to move within the County. The lack of public
transport limits the mobility of all members of the county who lack a personal vehicle and need to
commute to their place of work.
Labour Market Awareness
Respondents suggested that there is a lack of labour market awareness in the county. Labour market
surveys are conducted by the Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board;
however, the consultations discovered that many businesses in the community are unaware of this
information. In addition, businesses have responded that having knowledge of what employment
programs and resources are available can be helpful to the recruitment process. In addition, knowledge of
which programs are Federal, Provincial and Municipal/Regional are helpful to employers new to the
region.
5.2.3 Opportunities
The consultation process enabled stakeholders and community members in Oxford County to identify
opportunities for labour force development in both the short and long term. The opportunities identified
below represent the main consensus points from consultation respondents. The opportunities discussed
are based on internal and external factors that affect the labour force and are critical to examine in
developing strategic actions for the region.
Enhance Collaboration
While collaboration between organizations, educators and businesses have been cited in the
consultations as having improved, there are opportunities to improve these relationships through greater
communication and the creation of career pathways for the current and future labour force. Opportunities
for collaboration included the Advisory Committees at the Colleges, where businesses can share the
programs/courses offered at the post-secondary level. Moreover, employers have collaborated with
Secondary Schools in the County through their co-operative education program. A large disconnect
identified between colleges and businesses are skills such as resume building, especially in technical
occupations. Enhanced collaboration can ease such disconnects and further the development of the
labour force.
Build Leadership in Youth
Many respondents suggested that to build a stronger work ethic in the youth of today, greater effort
should be directed at building leaders. Leadership conferences and mentoring programs are potential
methods to instil in youth the characteristics that would enable success in the labour market. While the
Fusion Youth Centre carries out programming in this area, the opportunity for connections to be made
with secondary school and other organizations to enhance the leadership and character skills of youth.
Develop Pathways to Employment
A key theme emerging from the community consultation is the need to develop pathways to employment
opportunities and the need to reinforce the existing pathways in place. With the realization that not all
youth are necessarily entering post-secondary education, finding a fit for this element of the population is
critical to workforce retention. Other cohorts of Oxford County residents may also require more support
and guidance as to what pathways exist and how to enter them. The community consultations also
suggested that more emphasis is needed on the opportunities associated with a diverse set of industries
and occupations rather than simply reinforcing manufacturing.
Green Energy Occupations
With a provincial shift towards green energy, Oxford County has an opportunity to drive the diversification
of its local and regional economy. Green energy is tied to the presence of existing agricultural and
manufacturing and utilities industries, all of which are present in the county. Stakeholder consultation
suggests that youth are highly interested in green technology occupations (particularly with the region‟s
utility companies), however, the technical skills and knowledge base is lacking and will require further
development.
Diversify Skills Base
The opportunity to diversify the skills base by building upon skilled trades, growing health occupations,
professional services and creative cultural occupations is of considerable interest to the county. To
succeed in this effort required educators (both secondary and post-secondary) to develop the talent for
these occupations and seek out the career pathways that will attract people to these opportunities.
Foster Entrepreneurship
It has been identified that in the County there is a „good‟ culture of entrepreneurship. However, a big
challenge is the viability of business ideas and the technical skills to put together a business plan and
secure the financing to open a business. Some respondents believe that this skill can be enhanced
through post-secondary programs in business administration offered in the region, and at the high school
level. At the high school level suggestions such as bringing local entrepreneurs in to the school to talk
with youth could be an effective means of promoting entrepreneurship. At a broader level, mentoring
initiatives could be an opportunity to nurture entrepreneurship at all levels.
Integrate Diverse Community Members
The consultations noted that the county is experiencing a demographic shift that is similar to the rest of
Ontario. Meaning, the combined effect of an aging population and youth out-migration pose serious
challenges to replacing retiring workers. Attracting and retaining talent from other parts of Ontario and
further afield could be an opportunity for the county to build a labour force with a broader range of skills
and experiences. Newcomers to Canada bring with them experiences and skills that could benefit the
region. Building an open and inclusive community will ensure that into the future, talent is attracted to the
county, bringing with them their skills, knowledge and innovative ideas.
Develop Retention Programs
Retaining home grown talent in the region is a critical component of sustaining a local labour force.
Despite the need to replace the retiring workforce, over half of the businesses who responded to the
community consultation survey indicated that they do not have retention or succession plan. People
attraction and retention are critical elements of building a strong labour force.
5.2.4 Threats
While a number of opportunities have been identified by community members, in order to capitalize on
such opportunities, consideration must be given to the internal and external threats that the county faces.
If such threats are not addressed, the ability to benefit from the strengths and opportunities identified by
the community is limited. The following threats hinder Oxford County‟s ability to implement an effective
labour force development strategy.
Education Attainment
Respondents believe that a threat to meeting the current needs of the labour force is the high proportion
of those who lack their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), and that sourcing professionals is
becoming an issue requiring greater attention. In addition, a threat to the education attainment in the
county is the closure of Norwich District High School in Fall 2010. The community consultation revealed
that Specialist High Skill Major programming from Norwich District High School was relocated to College
Avenue Secondary School in Woodstock. The closure of a high school creates youth retention issues in
the town and to educate and grow their future labour force.
Exodus of Talent
The general trend, not only in Oxford County, but many communities in Ontario is that youth choosing to
educate themselves in post-secondary institutions outside of the region typically do not return as they
start to build a career elsewhere. Since the recession began in 2008, community members have identified
that some skilled labour, especially in trades and manufacturing, have left the county to look for
opportunities further afield. The consultations suggested that many went to the larger urban centres in
Ontario to seek employment, while some went to Alberta to utilize their skills. The challenges with
retention of skilled workers pose a threat to maintaining a strong labour force into the future.
6 Framing the Issues
Oxford County‟s economic development history has been successfully driven by agriculture and
manufacturing. These two industries are a case in point of the dramatic ways in which economies can
shift over time. While today‟s „emerging‟ economy has been referred to as the knowledge economy or the
creative economy, one thing is certain – the shift to a green and more advanced manufacturing sector will
result in the need for workers with a different and more diverse set of higher order skills and education.
These shifts are happening at the same time as another dramatic shift in our economy, the demographic
shift - The work force is aging. While Oxford County has been somewhat successful in avoiding the
painful transition away from traditional manufacturing, it cannot avoid the undeniable aging of the work
force. The Ontario Ministry of Finance is predicting the population over the age of 65 will increase by over
25% in the next 10 years, greatly outstripping the growth in the working age population. With the
population under the age of 14 set to decline in the coming decade the concern over replacement
workers will intensify over time.
Based on the background review, community consultations and considering the issues and actions
identified by local agents in Oxford County, the labour force development strategy needs to address five
broad issues:
 Integrated and collaborative planning
 Youth engagement
 Structurally unemployed
 Entrepreneurial activity and small business growth
 Long term attraction of people
Integrated and Collaborative Planning
In the formation of this report, the consultations conducted made clear that there are a number of
initiatives and actions related to work force development taking place in the county. The actors and
agencies involved include:
 Municipal Economic Development Departments
 Community Employment Services and other employment service agencies
 Community Service Providers
 Secondary Schools and Community Colleges
 Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Development and Planning Board
 Oxford Small Business Resource Centre
 Woodstock and Area Small Business Enterprise Centre
 Fusion Youth Activity and Technology Centre
 4H, Oxford Junior Farmers Association and the Oxford Federation of Agriculture
 Local Businesses in Oxford County
However, efforts are not always coordinated and benefits are not always maximized or shared equally
throughout Oxford. Collaborating for integrated and coordinated economic and workforce development
planning will be the cornerstone to the successful implementation of the recommendations set out in this
strategy.
Youth Engagement
Community consultations and existing strategies and initiatives suggest that youth engagement is of
primary concern to Oxford County. There is anecdotal evidence that, upon High School graduation, youth
leave the county seeking education and work experiences not available in Oxford County. This is evident
in the proportion of the population aged 15-24. There is also concern in the fact that the unemployment
rate for those aged 15-24 is significantly higher than those aged 25-64. Finally, it is felt that the „system‟
focuses on streaming youth into pathways requiring some level of post-secondary education; however, at
the same time, there is an understanding that youth issues and pathways-to-work issues are not „one size
fits all‟.
In order to retain youth, Oxford County needs to capitalize on and re-orient existing programming to
ensure educational opportunities match the realities of work opportunities and communicate and support
all pathways to work, including professional and non-professional careers. In addition, it is felt that an
intergenerational strategy that adopts more mentoring opportunities will encourage youth to remain in
Oxford.
Structurally Unemployed
The purpose of the labour force development strategy is to take a longer term view in building the
structure and process to develop the labour force needed for Oxford County in the future. However, it is
not possible to separate this work from the current realities of the recession that struck the region in 2008
and 2009. The recession has brought to the fore the inherent weaknesses in Ontario‟s economy and the
dependence on manufacturing. For too long, Canadian manufacturers had relied on the low value of the
Canadian currency as a competitive advantage without investing in technology to improve productivity.
The resulting lay-offs revealed the lack of education and low level of skills present in the manufacturing
labour force and a realization that large numbers of experienced workers required skills development and
training programs and pathways to new kinds of work.
Support for Entrepreneurs
Small business is the engine of growth in the Canadian economy. The same is true of Oxford County
where businesses with no employees comprise 60% of all businesses in Oxford County and businesses
employing 1-4 employees comprising another 23% of all businesses. Clearly these small businesses form
an essential component of Oxford‟s economy. This is particularly true in agriculture, (73% of agriculture
related businesses having no employees), as well as transportation and warehousing (62% of businesses
having no employees). While manufacturing has a larger share of medium and large businesses, small
businesses remain an important contributor to a local economy. Developing entrepreneurial support
programs to develop and grow small enterprises offers opportunities to strengthen and diversify the
economy, while maintaining traditional industries like agriculture. Entrepreneurship also creates
opportunities for youth and is a primary avenue for Oxford to both retain youth and encourage former
residents to return.
Longer Term Labour Force Attraction
The Employment Replacement Ratio for Oxford County is an indicator of the need to attract workers to
the county. This ratio is the percentage of younger workers (aged 15-24) in relation to older workers
(aged 55-64) and indicates whether the younger labour force is sufficient to replace those workers moving
into retirement. A ratio of 1 is the minimum required ratio in order to replace retiring workers. In Oxford
County the Employment Replacement Ratio was 1.4 in 2001. By 2006 this had declined to 1.19.
Understanding that in the same time period the population of those under the age of 14 declined it is likely
the downward trend in replacement ratio will continue leaving Oxford County short of workers in the
medium term.
At the same time, Oxford has been less successful than other places in attracting workers both from other
places in Ontario and Canada, but also from other countries. While attracting workers from other places in
Ontario or Canada is one strategy, the nation as a whole faces declining birth rates and potential labour
force shortages. According to Statistics Canada, Canada is already in the position whereby immigration
comprises the majority of labour force replacement. It follows that in the future; places like Oxford County
will also need to look to immigration to replace retiring workers.
7 Charting the Course: Priorities + Actions
Drawing on the background research, community consultations and SWOT Assessment, a number of key
themes emerged. The themes include: Fostering Collaboration, Reinforcing Career Pathways, Cultivating
Entrepreneurs, and Attracting and Retaining People (Figure 35). Within each theme are a number of
priorities actions recommended. In preparing a labour force development strategic plan, consideration
has also been given to the efforts of other select communities/regions that have faced similar challenges.
Lessons drawn from these case studies are presented in Appendix IV.
Figure 35: Emerging Themes in the Labour Force Development Strategy
Theme 2:
Theme 3:
Reinforce Career
Pathways
Cultivate
Entrepreneurs
Theme 1:
Theme 4:
Foster
Collaboration
Attracting and
Retaining People
Labour Force
Development
Strategic Plan
7.1
Theme One: Foster Collaboration
Based on the consultation with key industry and community stakeholders, as well as, the broader
business community, it was remarked that there are a number of actors implementing projects related to
labour force development in Oxford County. To be effective at a regional level will require more
leadership and collaboration among the various players.
7.1.1 Priority One
To foster integrated and collaborative workforce and economic development planning in Oxford.
Actions:
Collaboration includes those engaged in economic development, community development, industry
support and business development and employment services.
1. Develop a multi-stakeholder advisory committee to build on existing strengths, reinforce
synergies and eliminate duplication of effort.
2. Document all relevant programs and organisations with directives or actions related to the three
themes set out below (Career Pathways, Entrepreneurship and Attracting and Retaining People).
3. Establish an understanding of existing networks and partnerships between these organisations.
4. Identify the „Best in Class‟ in assigning the lead organisation for each of the following initiatives.
5. Implement routine follow up and monitoring for each recommendation.
Synergies with Existing Programming:
 Economic Development strategies and activities for the Towns of Ingersoll and Township of
Norwich include developing skills training, apprenticeships, and youth retention.
 Southern Ontario Marketing Alliance plans to diversify the economy by building on a productive
labour force and comprehensive education system.
 The Town of Tillsonburg has identified a number of collaborative initiatives as part of their 2008
Economic Development Strategy, including taking an inventory of community training programs.
Tillsonburg has also established a Project Manager for Education to coordinate education and
labour force development issues in the town.
 The Town of Ingersoll Economic Development Department has identified the need to support the
growth of the local green economy through support for the solar industry in partnership with
global businesses located in the Town such as InTech Clean Energy and communication with the
37
Ontario Power Authority and other government agencies and departments .
 Community Employment Services and other employment service agencies training, workshops
and job matchmaking services to assist residents seeking employment.
 Elgin, Middlesex Oxford Workforce Development and Planning Board labour force research and
support for labour force development projects.
 Woodstock and Area Enterprise Centre and Oxford Small business Centre supports to small
business.
 Education providers and Ingersoll Fusion Youth Centre career support for youth.
7.2
Theme Two: Reinforce Career Pathways
Career opportunities in Oxford extend beyond manufacturing and agriculture to include work in other
sectors such as the creative cultural sector and the emerging green economy. In addition, occupations
and careers available within all sectors are diverse and include professional occupations such as
accounting, law, engineering and others. However, during the consultation process with key stakeholders
and the business community, it was suggested that workers and potential workers in Oxford are unclear
as to the opportunities available for careers (Career Pathways) in Oxford County. Equally unclear are the
skills, credentials and training required to move into these careers. Understanding all of the opportunities
available will assist in meeting the goals of developing a skilled labour force and in retaining youth and
skilled workers.
7.2.1 Priority One
To develop a Career Pathways approach of connected education and training programs to enable
individuals to secure a job.
Actions:
The Career Pathways approach considers a variety of industries and occupations including skilled trades
and professional occupations in growth and emerging industries (green and creative).
37
Ingersoll Economic Development Committee Meeting, March 2010
1. Increase level of high school collaboration to include all high schools in Oxford. During community
consultation, it was highlighted that four high schools in Woodstock collaborate in the allocation of
co-op placements. This can be scaled up to include all high schools throughout the county and
expanded in scope to deliver pathways information to students (refer to point 4) and enlarge the
roster of employers.
2. Coordinate a single annual business survey program in the county to identify emerging industries
and occupations and collect detailed information regarding business needs, training
requirements, labour force growth projections, skills requirements and ability to accommodate
coop and apprenticeship placements. Disseminate this information to the Oxford Labour Force
Planning Committee (established in Theme One) and relevant stakeholders. The Elgin Middlesex
Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board and some economic development offices in
Oxford conduct regular business surveys. These efforts need to be coordinated and enhanced to
provide comprehensive County specific information.
3. Utilize information from the business survey program and additional economic information (MTCU
Western Region annual Labour Survey) to define the career pathways available in Oxford County
and the skills, credentials and requirements to enter these pathways.
o Two client groups: youth and those already in the workforce.
o School to Work program is an existing program in the county that can be adapted to
perform this work.
4. Package and deliver career pathways information to client groups. High Schools in Oxford are
best positioned to serve those still in school. Colleges, Community Employment Services and
Employment Ontario service agencies are best positioned to serve those already in the work
force (second careers).
5. Align cooperative education and apprenticeship work placements to priority areas identified by
business surveys and economic development and labour market research.
6. Develop an online „matching service‟ to deliver pathway information and opportunities available to
client groups in Oxford. This online matching service will allow for the posting of job placements in
the County and resumes for County residents seeking employment.
7. Track, monitor and follow up with those entering the pathways program. Develop monitoring
mechanisms for those entering pathways and not achieving their career goals.
Synergies with Existing Programming:









Business surveys conducted by the EMO Workforce Planning and Development Board.
Business surveys conducted by Economic Development offices throughout Oxford.
Hire Local Talent initiative by EMO Workforce Planning and Development Board.
Dual credit/School to Work Initiative.
Specialist High Skills Major programming at secondary schools in Oxford County.
High School co-operative education placements.
Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program
o Thames Valley District School Board, London District Catholic School Board
Economic development offices efforts to link employers with educational institutions and youth to
careers in skilled trades including Town of Tillsonburg Economic Development Department‟s
efforts to connect local businesses with educators to provide knowledge to students about career
opportunities in Oxford
Town of Tillsonburg‟s Economic Development strategy suggested the expanded effort to
collaborate with local employers, educational institutions to provide knowledge to students about
the advantages of careers in the trades through arranging visits by employers to local high
schools.



The Town of Tillsonburg‟s Economic Development Strategy also suggests that conducting an
educational needs assessment can ensure that the skills requirements of local employers can be
met in the present and in the future.
The Ingersoll Chamber of Commerce works with the secondary schools to promote the
Manufacturing in Action initiative, enabling secondary school students to tour manufacturing
companies with the desire to promote manufacturing as a career option.
Town of Ingersoll Economic Development Department has plans with the Thames Valley District
School Board, Conestoga College, Fusion Youth Centre and Oxford Technical Training Centre to
38
offer programs after high school hours in partnership with local business and industry .
7.2.2 Priority Two
To support the labour force pathways of workers without post-secondary education or a high school
diploma.
Actions:
Community consultations made it clear that any labour force development and career pathways program
must not be limited to skilled and professional workers but also those workers without post-secondary
education.
1. Build on the Ontario Skills Passport Work Habits tool being developed by the Business Education
Network. This needs to be distributed to High Schools through workshops designed for both
educators and students. This tool also needs to be delivered to Employment Ontario service
agencies in Oxford County.
2. Pilot the EMO Workforce Planning and Development Board employer literacy program in Oxford
County.
3. In the pathways business surveys (see Priority One, Action 2) collect information regarding real
skills needed for jobs in Oxford; answering whether a High School Diploma or GED is required or
can specific literacy and numeracy skills be met by candidates without a diploma or GED.
4. Extend the activities of the Fusion Youth Activity and Technology Centre to the broader
community. Seek ways to deliver similar programming through partner agencies in other areas of
Oxford County.
Synergies with existing programming
 Confidence and character building programs of Ingersoll‟s Fusion Youth Activity and Technology
Centre.
 Youth and career counselling programs in local area High Schools.
 Oxford Small Business Resource Centre can provide business counselling and small business
loans to grow entrepreneurs in the region.
 Community Employment Services, Women‟s Employment Resource Centre and other
employment service providers can collaborate on their programming for this population and
communicate the training and employment options available.
 Fanshawe College and Conestoga College continuing education programs for skills upgrading.
 Oxford Technical Training Centre provides the ability to train potential employees and bridge
them into either further education or a career pathway in a technical occupation.
38
Ingersoll Economic Development Committee Meeting, March 2010
7.2.3 Priority Three
To institute an internal mentoring program for local area companies in industries targeted by the
economic development strategies to develop and retain skilled workers.
Actions:
A review of best practices found that mentoring within a company improves worker satisfaction,
productivity, employee development and retention.
1. Identify existing businesses in Oxford that are champions in mentoring employees to assist in
developing an employer guide to mentoring (Action 2 below) and serve as an example to other
employers.
2. Develop and distribute an Employer Guide to Mentoring to assist companies in linking
experienced workers with less experienced workers.
3. Target businesses in emerging industries and high demand or at risk occupations within industry.
Synergies with Existing Programming
 The Town of Tillsonburg‟s Economic Development Strategy sets out that their future desirable
state includes mentoring activities, facilitated through a Knowledge Transfer Task Force
7.3
Theme Three: Cultivate Entrepreneurs
As a primary source of employment growth for the County, entrepreneurs and small businesses have the
potential to retain and attract workers while diversifying the economy. Coordinating and enhancing
existing support provided to entrepreneurs and small businesses will assist small businesses in fulfilling
their role as the drivers of the local economy.
7.3.1 Priority One
To coordinate services across the county in meeting the three priorities of developing entrepreneurs:
opportunity creation, entrepreneurship education and start-up support.
Actions:
Developing entrepreneurs requires support programs throughout the business lifecycle. Support begins
with the identification of a business idea and continues through the growth of the enterprise.
1. Cluster employment assets in the region (including but limited to: The Fusion Youth Activity and
Technology Centre, Oxford Small Business Resource Centre and Woodstock and Area Small
Business Enterprise Centre).
2. Move entrepreneurs through the cycle (opportunity creation, entrepreneurship education and
start-up support):
o Fusion Youth Centre, High Schools and Oxford Small Business Centre assist in idea and
business plan development.
i. Develop a youth entrepreneurship development initiative that connects with
Summary Company and includes an entrepreneurship challenge and
entrepreneurship programming in Oxford High Schools
o Fusion Youth Centre, Colleges, Small Business Centre provide leadership training as
well as training in core competency areas such as marketing, finance and relationship
management.
o Introduce potential entrepreneurs to the Woodstock and Area Enterprise Centre for startup services and support. Extend virtual services beyond the Centre to include nonresident business clients.
3. Strengthen and build relationships with the business community to develop a funding/angel
network to support start-up and small businesses in Oxford County.
 Oxford Small Business Centre start-up business loans, workshops, resources, and one-to-one
assistance for entrepreneurs.
 Woodstock and Area Enterprise Centre business start-up services and support
o Youth Programming: Summer Company and the High School Business Plan Competition
 Town of Tillsonburg Knowledge Transfer Task Force facilitating knowledge transfer between
current business owners and young entrepreneurs
7.3.2 Priority Two
To encourage entrepreneurship in agriculture in order to remain competitive, realize new opportunities
and retain youth.
Actions:
The statistical review and community consultations pointed to the continued importance of agriculture to
the county and specific actions are required to realize new opportunities and retain youth.
1. Reinforce the increasing requirement for education in the agricultural industry by building a career
path at the high school level. The Specialist High Skills Major is a good example of this.
2. Work with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture to develop a succession program for local area
farmers.
3. Collaborate with the Oxford County Junior Farmers Association, the 4H and the Oxford County
Federation of Agriculture to mobilize farmers and develop a mentorship and small business
development program enabling knowledge transfer and business support from one generation to
another.
 Oxford Federation of Agriculture
 4H of Oxford County
 Specialist High Skills Major programming in Agriculture at College Avenue Secondary School,
Woodstock.
 Oxford Junior Farmer‟s Association
7.3.3 Priority Three
To establish a business-to-business mentoring program for small businesses and entrepreneurs in Oxford
County to assist entrepreneurs become successful, growing small businesses.
Actions:
Community consultations with small businesses and their support networks suggested mentoring may be
an effective way to assist more entrepreneurs in becoming established small businesses.
1. Connect established small businesses with new business owners.
2. Develop a new business mentoring guidebook that includes how to create and maintain effective
mentorships, how to access business resources and tools and a small business check-up
allowing businesses to self-assess those areas of their business needing improvement.
3. For the core creative industries coordinate services through Oxford Creative Connections.
 Oxford Creative Connections
 Woodstock and Area Small Business Enterprise Centre
 Oxford Small Business Resource Centre
7.4
Theme Four: Attracting and Retaining People
Trends such as the aging workforce, coupled with youth out-migration indicate that in the future Oxford
County will be challenged to generate sufficient workers in emerging industries and occupations.
Retaining the existing workforce, while integral to replacing retiring workers, must be supplemented with
efforts to attract new workers to Oxford.
7.4.1 Priority One
To develop a youth engagement strategy to address issues of youth retention and attraction.
Actions:
Youth have traditionally been the primary source of labour force replacement. They remain a cornerstone
in developing a future labour force.
1. Create a youth engagement guide in collaboration with existing youth committees and councils.
Convene youth to identify issues and challenges and develop actions to be implemented that
meet the needs and demands of youth
2. Develop an Oxford promotions campaign displaying the benefits of living and working in Oxford
3. Ensure all youth have access to career pathways information
4. Expand access to internships, summer jobs and professional development opportunities for youth
5. Annual forum on recruitment and retention
 Ingersoll Economic Development Department initiatives related to education and labour force
development including the Youth Action Advisory Committee, exploration of dual-credit after
school programs and life-long learning and youth education feasibility study.
 Town of Tillsonburg Economic Development Departments efforts to connect local businesses with
educators to provide knowledge to students about career opportunities in Oxford.
7.4.2 Priority Two
Lay the groundwork for labour force attraction in the medium by focussing on attracting workers and
professionals to fulfil the needs of existing and emerging industries and occupations, including those with
a high number of retiring employees. Oxford should not be limited to attracting workers from other Ontario
communities but also New Canadians arriving from other countries.
Actions:
Statistics indicate that younger workers are no longer sufficient to replace retiring workers. Communities
everywhere must attract workers from elsewhere to ensure a health and sustainable labour force and
economy.
1. Develop a promotional campaign that builds on the strategic location of Oxford County in
attracting skilled workers. Reinforce the fact that local employers hire locally and 90% of the
resident labour force works in Oxford.
2. Look to attracting diverse skills and occupations to support emerging industries in promotional
campaigns.
o Target programs at colleges and universities throughout Ontario
o Work with employers to enhance their worker attraction efforts
3. Link the career pathway online portal (theme two recommendation one) to job search engines
throughout Ontario and Canada

The preparation of the labour force development strategic plan indicated that there is limited
programming in the area of attracting external workers or New Canadians.
Appendix I
Summary of Stakeholder Interviews
List of Organisations and Companies Interviewed
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
Bonduelle
Norpack
Kerry Ingredients
Erie Thames Power
Pro Terra Solar
Woodstock Hydro
Verspeeten Cartage
Kinsdale Carriers
SixThirtyNine Photography
Execulink
Uvalux
DeJong Transportation
CTS Excavating
Rich Mayo Sensible Solutions
Brant Form Teck ltd.
Woodstock General Hospital
Woodstock and Area Community Health Care Centre
Woodstock Collegiate Institute
College Avenue Secondary School
Thames Valley District School Board
Fanshawe College
Fanshawe College
Oxford Creative Connections
Tourism Oxford
Southwestern Ontario Youth For Christ
Employment Ontario
Employment Ontario
Employment Ontario
Women‟s Employment Resource Centre
United Way of Oxford
Ingersoll Fasters/Infatool Action Centre
OMAFRA
OMAFRA
EDO Tillsonburg
EDO Woodstock
Community Employment Services
CAW Local 88
CAW Local 636
Town of Ingersoll – IT Department
Oxford County Federation of Agriculture
Junior Farmers Association
Ingersoll Chamber of Commerce
Oxford County Labour Force Development Strategic Plan
Stakeholder Interview Summary
1. What industry best describes the area you work in?
Category
Industry Employers (Agriculture, Transportation & Logistics,
Utilities, Telecommunications, Manufacturing, etc.)
Health Care Sector
Educators
Tourism & Culture
Youth Organizations
Community Service Providers
Province (OMAFRA)
Unions
Municipal Government
Chamber of Commerce
Regional Organizations
Total Interviews
Number of Interviews
13
2
5 (secondary: 3, postsecondary:2)
3
2
6
2
2
5
1
1
42
2. What are the key advantages for [the Town/Oxford County] in developing and retaining a
skilled labour force?

Respondents have indicated that the location of the county is a key advantage in retaining a
skilled labour force. Oxford County is strategically located in a catchment area for skilled
workers from London, Brantford, and Kitchener-Waterloo.

The “rural work ethic” of the labour force has been cited as an advantage in the region by
numerous respondents. The labour force is generally described as „loyal‟.

The region has a fair amount of skilled trades. Despite the current high unemployment levels,
respondents believe there is an opportunity to retain these workers.
3. How would you rate the Oxford County labour force with respect to:
a) Education

Generally, respondents described the level of education as “low” the County.

A number of respondents from the business community stated that they source their
employees locally. In the cases where they cannot, there is a large commuter shed for
the region, and they can access professionals from the surrounding communities and
larger urban centres.

There is a shortage of professionally-trained people to fit into health and engineering
occupations.
b) Skills

In manufacturing and trades, skill levels are high as many have been employed in these
industries for decades.

Youth on the other hand, need to develop the interpersonal and communication skills
necessary to gain employment and succeed in the workplace.
o Necessary to focus on the building of youth skills (both technical and „soft‟ skills).

Skills prevalent also in agriculture: While farmers may be aging, there is a younger
generation that is interested in agriculture and who are educating themselves (either at
the college/university level, or increasingly at the high school level through the Specialist
High Skills Major program).
c) Experience

Similar responses to “Skills” discussion above; there are a number of highly experienced
agriculture and manufacturing workers.

Youth are increasingly gaining experience through experiential learning/Co-operative
education programs at the high school level.
d) Work Ethic

The work ethic is generally rated as high. Respondent believe that “farmer mentality” of
an honest day of work is prevalent in the workforce.

However, there have been a noticeable shift in the youth population, where they‟re work
ethic has been highly criticized by respondents. Numerous comments regarding a „sense
of entitlement‟, poor attitude, absenteeism and tardiness have been noted.
o This has been noticed in the school environment as well, where Secondary and
Post-secondary respondents have noticed that students are lacking the „attitude
for success‟, handing in assignments late, missing deadlines, generally poor
attitude in the classroom.
4. Have you noticed that there have been any changes in any of these areas in recent times?
How so?

Respondents have found that the Fanshawe and Conestoga campuses located in the
region have increased the available talent pool.
o
Businesses are increasingly paying for their employees to upgrade their skills on
their own time through continuing education offered at the local post-secondary
institutions.

Skills need to become more technological and specialized: Agri-businesses is becoming
knowledge/technology-driven (i.e: crop planting, GPS specific etc.). Respondents noted
that a better job needs to be done in the communication of what the employment
pathways in the agriculture industry are and what the core competencies are to enter
such pathways.

Respondents have indicated that the workforce is multicultural and that the County needs
to adapt.
5. Do you feel there are gaps in any of these areas in the current labour force to meet current
labour needs of Oxford County?


The existing gaps identified were in relation to the lack of education attainment by the
labour force. The proportion of those who lack their OSSD is a concern to meeting the
County‟s labour force needs. In addition, it has been identified that sourcing professionals
locally is an issue.
Meeting the needs of SMEs has been identified as a common gap in the region
(Fanshawe trying to customize their programming to address this).
6. What factors do you think influence skilled workers to move to your area?

The two most frequent factors identified by respondents were:
o
Employment opportunities in the region and availability of high-skilled
occupations.
o
Quality of life available in Oxford County: many value the small town/rural
environment and community; emphasis on the arts, affordable cost of housing
and access to recreation and larger urban centres.
 Suggestions from respondents regarding methods to hold high school students to the
region included: securing more skilled positions, more jobs, more training.
7. Are skilled workers leaving? Why?
 Since the recession began in 2008, many who were able moved to Alberta seeking
employment opportunities.
 Generally, students educated in the region (at Fanshawe or Conestoga) choose to
remain in the region if there are available employment opportunities.

The region is not necessarily losing skilled workers, but losing youth who are skilled.
 Jobs are in the larger urban centres, so many have left to find alternatives to
manufacturing.
8.
What kinds of training programs are available for companies in your industry?

Employment Ontario programs: Apprenticeship and Second Career programs most
popular. These training programs are delivered by various service providers in the region
(i.e.: Community Employment Services, Women‟s Employment Resource Centre, etc.).

Fanshawe College (Woodstock) and Conestoga College (Ingersoll) diploma programs,
corporate training program and school of continuing education.

A number of businesses have in-house training programs available to their employees
that are well utilized and in some cases, mandatory.

Some employers, as part of their benefits package, allow employees to pick a training
program/certificate to upgrade their skills and the employer will pay for 100% of it.
9. What is the rate of uptake in these training programs?

Respondents suggested that the rate of uptake for the Second Career program has
declined significantly since 2008, as many started to find employment, or were re-hired
by their previous employer.

The apprenticeship program has varied uptake. For high school students who complete
co-operative education, they are sometimes entitled to log their hours towards an
apprenticeship designation (depending on the sector in which they are employed);
however, the process of becoming an apprentice has been criticized by respondents as
being too onerous, in turn, discouraging youth apprentices.

Respondents who are employers in the region suggested that a number of training
programs are provided in house to employees (though seminars, webinars, online
courses, corporate training). Some indicated that as part of their benefits package,
employees can select relevant external training programs (continuing education,
certificates at the local colleges) and it will be paid for 100%.
10. Do you foresee any future skills shortages in the County? What skills?
 Skilled Trades (tool and die, millwrights, electricians)
o Construction Trades
 Availability of labour capable of dual-skill jobs (i.e.: millwright + electrician combined, or
welders with project management experience).
 Engineers
 Doctors/Other Health Professionals
 Electrical Technology and renewable energy technology.
 Computer Skills/Information Technology Skills
 Training is needed in Robotic technology
 Agriculture: animal husbandry
a) What skill is currently in high demand: Construction Trades
Respondents have indicated that the secondary schools in the region are making positive strides
towards integrating the trades into their curriculum. Of note is the SHSM program and the School
to Work Initiative (where high school students can take College courses). However, some
respondents emphasize that secondary schools/school boards should try to capture students into
the trades and bridge them into a career. Respondents have indicated that the top skill currently
in demand in the County is in construction trades.
Additionally, post-secondary institutions in the region (Fanshawe and Conestoga) have been
identified as building positive relationships with employers in the region, to allow students access
to internships/co-op terms. This connection to employers has been identified as critical to the
process of building the labour force. While the region‟s colleges have been described as “working
hard”, commentary around their role in the region has included the need for them to stay on top of
labour market trends in order to make their curriculum relevant.
11. What kinds of changes would you like to see in the programs offered to meet expected
skills shortages?

Respondents suggested that service providers could cater their programming to a more
diverse demographic, rather than just one cohort.

Knowledge of Programs: Businesses have responded that having knowledge of what
employment programs and resources are available can be helpful to the recruitment process.
In addition, knowledge of which programs are Federal, Provincial and Municipal/Regional are
helpful to employers new to the region.
12. Are companies in your industry recruiting outside the area? How? Are they successful?
If not, where are they going instead? (to what industry?)

Many employers in Oxford County make an effort to source their employees locally. However,
outside recruitment becomes necessary for professional occupations such as: doctors,
engineers among other high-skilled positions.

Respondents have identified that the local colleges are starting to provide the necessary
talent pool; however, as the economy recovers, more jobs will become available for skilled
workers.
13. Has there been a change in students in recent years? How have they changed? Why?

Respondents suggest that students are more interested in gaining experience in practical
“hands-on” fields of employment; therefore experiential learning/co-operative education are
viewed as critical at the secondary school level.

An interest in renewable energy and green technologies has been noticed; and school boards
are attempting to accommodate these interests in the curriculum; however, building the
fundamental competencies is critical.

It is believed (from anecdotal evidence) that students are not necessarily going straight into
University or College, but in many cases going into the workforce right after secondary
school.

There has been a noticeable increase in occupations in the hospitality sector (chefs, etc.).
When asked whether there are employment opportunities in this sector, respondents
generally replied “yes” and indicated that the economic structure of the region has changed
somewhat and will continue to change in the future.
14. Are there any opportunities for businesses to collaborate on their business needs and
work with the college to adapt courses to meet those needs?

Through Advisory Committees at the Colleges, businesses have the opportunity to share the
programs/courses offered at the post-secondary level.

Local businesses did not indicate whether they partner with each other to meet business
needs.

Some respondents identified a lack of communication between the different bodies; and
between Fanshawe and Conestoga.

Employers have collaborated with Secondary Schools in the County through their cooperative education program. An identified barrier that students face when attempting to find
a co-op placement includes their method of transportation. Many students either do not have
a driver‟s license or access to a personal vehicle, making it difficult to move within the
County.

A large disconnect between colleges and businesses on skills such as resume building,
especially in technical occupations.

In agriculture, this type of relationship with secondary schools becomes a challenge (the
placement of students).
15. Where can the Economic Development Office be most effective in ensuring that the local
labour force has the skills required to secure employment and promote business
development and economic growth?

Create opportunities in the region to try and mitigate the labour flow to surrounding regions.

Develop an inventory of employers in the region and track their business size, number of
employees and trends that are happening to provide real-time information to municipal staff
and other partners responsible for labour force development.

Develop a database of community training programs (to reduce duplication of efforts); build
relationships with local organizations and the business community.
16. How can the Economic Development Office better work with the County, agencies (CES),
and the Training Board to improve labour force development in the community?

Many respondents believe that there is a high level of collaboration between various bodies
in the region.

Suggestions included the development of a formalized relationship between the local
government and organizations and agencies such as Community Employment Services
(CES). In addition, respondents suggested that more implementation efforts are necessary by
way of quarterly meetings between the various stakeholder groups and the local government.
Respondents believe that many initiatives are ad hoc and reactive rather than proactive.

Other Discussion Points:

Entrepreneurship: It has been identified that in the County there is a „good‟ culture of
entrepreneurship. Support mechanisms for entrepreneurship include the Small Business
Centre, however, a big challenge is the viability of business ideas and the technical skills to
put together a business plan and raise the capital to open a business. Some respondents
believe that this skill can be enhanced through post-secondary programs in business
administration offered in the region, as well as, at the high school level. At the high school
level suggestions such as bringing local entrepreneurs in to the school to talk with youth
could be an effective means of promoting entrepreneurship. There are also opportunities for
students to become entrepreneurs in basic, service-based industries (i.e.: cleaning windows)
that pay well. The County is not a place for high-technology entrepreneurship at is it a skill
that has been identified as lacking in the region, as well as, the economic base does not
encourage this type of entrepreneurship.
o Mentoring: deemed a good initiative, but entrepreneurs don‟t have the time to mentor
another entrepreneur.

Collaboration: Collaboration between various organizations, businesses, educators (including
secondary schools, the school board and post-secondary) are positive aspects for labour
force development in the region. Collaboration is much higher than it was ten years ago and
respondents believe that it is improving (especially between the school board, colleges and
businesses). However, respondents who are employers and entrepreneurs in the region
suggested that there needs to be greater partnering among various organizations and
collaboration.

Agriculture: A challenge with agriculture: financial viability, especially for small, familyoperated farms. 100 acres isn‟t viable any longer as the markets have become too tight.
Farms that are getting larger are taking advantage of the technology coming down the pipes
and learning how to devise a business plan. Difficulty for young people to get started in
agriculture because of the capital needed to start up a farm. Youth who are interested in
returning to their family farm to take over the business are following the trend of getting
formal education. A number of youth from Oxford County go to the University of Guelph, or to
the Ridgetown campus to earn a degree or diploma (at very least) in agriculture.
Respondents suggested that formal education is increasingly necessary to compete as
agriculture has become highly technological.
o Trend: Farmers moved to Oxford County during the 1990‟s from Holland and bought
farm land. They were able to do this because land values decreased in the early-80‟s
and stagnated until the 90‟s. There are not as many immigrants from Holland now
following this trend, and respondents are unsure as to whether it has to do with cost
of land, or barriers by government bodies on either side of the border.
o Mentoring: through family, no formalized mentoring

Manufacturing: manufacturing in action tours (Ingersoll chamber of commerce, Ingersoll EDO
and the workforce training board – brought kids into Ingersoll to do tours in Ingersoll to show
them that manufacturing does have a career path).
Conclusion









Low level of education across the County in comparison to the Ontario average.
Necessity for youth to develop both technical and „soft‟ skills.
Skill base needs to be broadened (to include Arts and Culture, Information Technology and
Agriculture rather than just on manufacturing/skilled trades); facilitated through the SHSM
program at the secondary school level.
Extremely competitive employment environment; currently, employers are overwhelmed by
applications for work.
Popular Employment Programs: Employment Ontario funded programming - Second Career,
Apprenticeships.
o Downturn in manufacturing created a demand for alternate employment options.
Work Ethic dichotomy between the older generation and the youth population of workers.
o Younger workers need „character-building‟ and leadership skills.
The role of secondary and post-secondary institutions in the region: to create pathways for youth,
to build fundamental technical, soft and personal skills to succeed in the workplace; to create a
bridge between the growing talent pool and employers in the region.
Numerous programs: need to be cognizant of what resources are available and to remove the
duplication of efforts/services in the region.
Skills shortages: trades, engineering, health, information technology.

Collaboration in the region has improved significantly, however; there is always room for more
communication and the inclusion of other organizations to contribute to labour force development.
Appendix II
Oxford County Labour Force Development Strategic Plan Survey Results
Oxford County Labour Force Development Strategic Plan Survey Results
Total Number of Respondents (12/02/10): 211
Total Completed: 137 (64.9%)
1. What is your company’s main business sector of activity in Oxford County?
0.0%
20.0%
Other Services
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
27.1%
Retail Trade
11.5%
Agriculture
10.9%
Arts, Culture and Recreation
6.8%
Construction
6.3%
Food and Accommodation Services
5.2%
4.7%
4.2%
Health Care and Social Assistance
4.2%
Wholesale Trade
3.6%
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
3.1%
2.6%
Educational Services
2.6%
Information and Culture
1.6%
1.6%
Utilities
1.6%
Administration and Support
1.6%
Waste Management and Remediation Services
1.0%
Mining
0.0%
Management of Companies or Enterprises
0.0%
Other responses:




Manufacturing (10.4% of all respondents)
Natural Resources
Alternative Health
Religious
2. How many permanent employees are there at your company in Oxford County?
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
1-4
80.0%
100.0%
48.0%
5-9
19.1%
10-19
9.3%
9.8%
20-49
50-99
4.9%
100-199
4.9%
200-499
3.9%
500 or more
60.0%
0.0%
3. How many temporary or contract workers are there at your company in Oxford County?
0.0%
None
1-4
5-9
10-19
20-49
50-99
100-199
200-499
500 or more
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
47.3%
34.5%
6.4%
4.4%
3.9%
2.5%
0.0%
1.0%
0.0%
4. Is your company’s corporate head office located in Oxford County?
No
25.6%
Yes
74.4%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
5. What best describes your company?
0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%
We are located in Oxford County
only
We have multiple locations
throughout Ontario/Canada
We are a multi-national
70.0%
21.7%
8.2%
6. Please rate Oxford County’s workforce in terms of:
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
7. How far in advance can you typically predict your workforce needs?
1-3 Months
29.6%
Less Than 1 Month
22.8%
4-6 Months
14.8%
1-3 Years
11.6%
Uncertain
9.0%
7-12 Months
8.5%
4-5 Years
2.6%
6 Years or more
1.1%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
8. Does your company have a formal retention program for experienced employees?
No
53.4%
Yes
23.3%
Uncertain
Currently Under
Development
0.0%
16.9%
6.3%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
9. Does your company have a formal training program?
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
Yes
100.0%
60.6%
No
Uncertain
80.0%
33.1%
6.3%
10. Please indicate which formal training method(s) your company is currently using. Select
all that apply.
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
Internal company training programs
80.0%
100.0%
75.2%
Internal mentoring system
48.7%
Internal videos or training manuals
46.0%
Apprenticehips
20.4%
Tuition refund program
23.9%
Fanshawe College
15.9%
University of Western Ontario
3.5%
Private College
4.4%
Programs offered by the Oxford Small… 0.0%
Programs offered by OMAFRA
6.2%
Programs offered by Employment Ontario
5.3%
Other
20.4%
Other Responses:
 Government Training
 Operators and Labourers Union
 UBT Training Courses & Webinars
 Private Training
 Acute Safety Training
 Canadian Security Institute
11. If your company does not have any formal training programs, please explain why you
don’t access available external training programs (e.g: Fanshawe, OMAFRA, etc).



Many respondents answered that there was „no need‟ for formal training programs, or that the
business was too small, or were „one-person‟ operation and not requiring a formal training
program.
Other responses included: costly, time-consuming, or they are not aware of the training
programs.
There was a particular respondent who believed that formal training centers are not „job specific‟
enough to be useful.
12. What types of programs are required by your company?









IT/web-related
Design/CAD
Aquaculture
WHMIS + Job/Task-specific safety training
Food Handling
Customer Service
Real Estate training
Certified Machinists/Tool and Die
Agricultural training (livestock and crop specific)
13. Please indicate if you are aware of and have accessed (used for training or recruitment)
any of the following Oxford County Community Employment Services programs (select all
that apply).
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Resource
Centre
Posting of your
job vacancies
Aware
Hiring
Access to
Apprenticeship Labour market
assistance
government
information
information
including
wage subsidies
screening and
matching
Not Aware Accessed Not Accessed
14. Please indicate the primary reason(s) your company does not use these programs?



A significant number of „other‟ responses noted that there was “no need” for these training and
recruitment methods.
Other responses included that the business was too small, not aware of these recruitment options
or that jobs were not open long enough to post.
Additional responses included:
o The business has an internal HR department responsible for hiring.
15. How easily can you find information regarding the Human Resources issues facing your
organization?
Not applicable
18.0%
Very easily
15.0%
Easily
35.9%
Somewhat difficult
25.7%
Very difficult
5.4%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
16. For which Human Resources issues do you need information or support? Select all that
apply.
Labour Laws
49.6%
Health and Safety Issues
41.6%
Recruiting
41.6%
Payroll
28.3%
Training and Continuing Education
26.5%
Workforce Trends
Employee Retention
Other
0.0%
25.7%
15.0%
4.4%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
Other Responses:
 Employment Insurance
 Specializes positions like Engineering
 Many respondents noted that they did not require external HR information or support.
17. Is your company currently experiencing or do you anticipate experiencing a workforce
shortage?
Uncertain
10.4%
No, and we are not anticipating a
workforce shortage
57.7%
No, but we are concernced that there
may be a workforce shortage in the
future
19.6%
Yes, we are currently experiencing a
workforce shortage
12.3%
0.0%
20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%
18. When are you anticipating a workforce shortage to occur?
Within the Coming Year
42.6%
1-3 Years
4-5 Years
36.1%
13.1%
6-10 Years
4.9%
More than 10 Years
3.3%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
19. In which of the following categories are you currently or anticipating experiencing a
workforce shortage?
Trades, Transport or
Equipment Operators
41.1%
Management
28.6%
Sales and Service
21.4%
Occuapations Unique to
Processing, Manufacturing…
19.6%
Occupations Unique to Primary
Industry (Agriculture)
14.3%
Arts, Culture, Recreation or
Sport
8.9%
Business, Finance or
Administration
7.1%
Health
3.6%
Social Science, Education,
Government Service or…
0.0%
Natural and Applied Sciences
0.0%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
Other Responses:
 The majority of „other‟ respondents stated that Engineering occupations were experiencing a
shortage.
 Other shortages include: Health, Construction, Mental Health Counseling, Transport occupations
as well as, kitchen help and wait staff.
20. What types of skills or occupations will your company require in the future? Please be
specific in your response. i.e: Chemical Engineers rather than Engineers.


The majority of responses were regarding Engineering occupations, followed by technology,
followed by manufacturing.
Construction/Trades, Health and Marketing/Sales occupations were identified but somewhat
smaller than the above listed occupations.
21. Please indicate in which occupation in the EDUCATION SECTOR you anticipate shortages
to occur. Please select all that apply.
Specialized Educational
Therapists
40.0%
Teachers
26.7%
Equipment Technicians
20.0%
Social Workers
20.0%
Consellors
20.0%
Psychologists
15.6%
Early Childhood Educators
6.7%
English as a Second
Language (ESL)…
4.4%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
22. Please indicate in which occupations in the HEALTH CARE SECTOR you anticipate
shortages to occur. Please select all that apply.
Doctors
75.9%
Registered Nurses
51.7%
Research Assistants
Technicians
Human Resource
Coordinators
15.5%
10.3%
8.6%
Managers
5.2%
Pharmacists
5.2%
Sales
Representatives
3.4%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
23. Please indicate in which occupations in the TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS SECTOR
you anticipate shortages to occur. Please select all that apply.
Machinery and Transport
Equipment Mechanics
61.7%
Automotive Service
Technicians
36.2%
Managers
21.3%
Supply Chain Managers
14.9%
Sales
12.8%
Supervisors
6.4%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
24. Please indicate in which occupations in the FINANCE, INSURANCE AND PROFESSIONAL
BUSINESS SERVICES SECTOR you anticipate shortages to occur. Please select all that
apply.
Sales
28.6%
Human Resources
25.7%
Auditors
22.9%
Project Coordinators
20.0%
Lega./Medical Administrators
20.0%
Accountants
Lawyers
Bank Managers
Financial Managers
17.1%
14.3%
11.4%
11.4%
Investment Managers
8.6%
Investment Analysts
8.6%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
25. Please indicate in which occupations in the MANUFACTURING SECTOR you anticipate
shortages to occur. Please select all that apply.
Millwrights
50.8%
Tool and Die/Machinists
44.1%
Welders/Pipefitters
35.6%
Heavy Duty Mechanics
33.9%
Production Workers
28.8%
Engineers
25.4%
Production Supervisors
13.6%
Press Operators
11.9%
Senior Management
11.9%
Programmers
10.2%
Researchers
8.5%
Computer Designers
6.8%
Sales
6.8%
Accounting/Financial
5.1%
Supervisors
1.7%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
26. Please indicate how your company recruits employees.
Electronic Media
43.8%
Print Media
41.1%
Networks
35.7%
Community Organizations
29.5%
Government Agencies
27.7%
Recruitment Agents
16.1%
Industry Associations
15.2%
Universities
Forieng Workers Program
11.6%
0.9%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
Other Responses:
 While some respondents noted that they do not recruit, of those who do recruit; the majority of
other responses included “Word of Mouth” as a means of communicating job opportunities and
recruitment.
 Other respondents provided that the use of Job Fairs, the Apprenticeship program and Private
Head Hunters are all ways of gaining access to employees.
27. Does your company actively recruit outside of Oxford County to fill local positions?
No
54.7%
Yes
Uncertain
38.0%
7.3%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
28. Is the quality of life in Oxford County a positive factor in attracting employees?
No
32.8%
Yes
0.0%
67.2%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
29. Please indicate any formal non-work support you provide to new employees and their
families.
No Support Offered
54.2%
Social Engagments
20.3%
Finding Housing
20.3%
Finding a Family
Doctor/Dentist/Lawyer/Account
ant
15.3%
Connecting with Language or
Cultural Associations
10.2%
Sourcing Schools
10.2%
Other
0.0%
6.8%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
Other Responses:
 Mental Health
 Childcare
30. From your experience dealing with employees recruited outside of Oxford County, please
rate the extent to which the following issues enhance the appeal of the area to potential
candidates.
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Not At All
Very Little
Somewhat
Very Much
Other Responses:
 Job availability
 Easy travel within the community and to other centres
 Employees living in London, Ontario can access Oxford for employment opportunities
31. Is losing skilled or experienced employees a concern to your company?
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
Yes
80.0%
100.0%
56.2%
No
39.4%
Uncertain
4.4%
32. To the best of your knowledge do the skilled or experienced employees who leave your
company stay in the Oxford County area?
Don't Know
45.2%
Yes
31.2%
No
0.0%
23.7%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
33. Please rate the extent to which the following factors may encourage a skilled or
experienced employee to leave.
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Not at all
Very Little
Somewhat
Very Much
Other Responses:
 Wages
 Retirement
 Entry-level/Part-Time staff opportunity
34. Additional Comments


More interaction with high school is necessary to steer students into career; equal emphasis on
all pathways (trades, university, etc).
Diversification of sectors is needed; rather than drawing on automotive, put focus on professional
services that will attract people to a small town.
Appendix III
Oxford County Labour Force Development Summit Proceedings
OXFORD COUNTY
LABOUR FORCE SUMMIT
SESSION HIGHLIGHTS
NOVEMBER 2, 2010
REVISION O
In Association with:
MillierDickinsonBlais
Queen’s University Executive Decision Centre
Facilitators: Erik Lockhart, Lauren Millier
Ph#: 613 533-6681
E-mail: [email protected]
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ 101
1.0 – Issues and Challenges ................................................................................................... 102
2.0 – Opportunities (Short term) .............................................................................................. 104
3.0 – Stakeholder Roles .......................................................................................................... 107
3.1 – For the top 7 opportunities .......................................................................................... 107
3.2 – Overall roles................................................................................................................ 108
4.0 – Long Term Priorities ....................................................................................................... 109
Executive Summary
Attached are meeting proceedings from the Oxford County Labour Force Summit held on
November 2, 2010 in Ingersoll. The purpose of the Summit was to explore issues, ideas and
strategies related to the labour force. The group explored four questions:
1. What are the key issues & challenges as we think about the workforce in Oxford County?
2. Quick Wins. What are some specific opportunities that could generate short term results
while positioning our workforce for longer term success?
3. Roles. What actions can the government and / or private sector take in the short term to
strengthen our workforce or capitalize on identified opportunities?
4. Longer term priorities. What actions can be taken to develop the labour force over the
longer term?
Issues and Challenges
1. Matching workers' training and skills to job needs: Need youth education, mentorship and
training to meet employment opportunities.
2. Low education levels...including lack of literacy and numeracy skills.
3. Youth retention in area…There are few Incentives for youth to return to the area.
4. Lack of Education and training opportunities: Continuing education, corporate retraining skills development.
5. Business does not necessarily understand the changes in the workforce and in future
employees.
6. Local opportunities for grads with post secondary degrees are difficult to find
7. Perception of lack of work ethic/integrity/character development of young // there is a
perceived gap in motivations between youth & older workforce.
8. Engage high school youth going directly into the workforce ... work placement experience
and actually hiring the co-op students that work for you.
Quick Wins
1. Integenerational strategy. Specific youth developed strategy - bring youth together and get
their input.
2. Understanding the needs of Oxford County - A common table to open up the communication
gap between business, educators and the public.
3. Need employer buy-in or nothing will work ...encourage businesses to take responsibility for
the training and development of skills among current and potential employees.
4. Up to date and area specific labour market trend info for Secondary and Post-Secondary
staff…compile area data base based on labour skills/needs.
5. Incentives for businesses to invest in their employees ...apprenticeship grant for small and
entrepreneurial business (not tax credit).
6. Provide education opportunities for companies on transferrable skills ...multi skilling e.g.
Both soft skills and hard skills required thru education & employer promoted development.
7. Increase community promotion for creating new coop opportunities (for all pathways).
...Business needs to make co-op placements meaningful.
Editor‟s Notes:
a. The symbol // indicates that two similar ideas have been merged together.
b. This document contains the meeting proceedings and is not intended as a “Final Report”
Oxford Labour Force Development Strategy Draft Report 101 | P a g e
1.0 – Issues and Challenges
What are the key issues and challenges that need to be addressed as we think about the
workforce in Oxford County?
Note: the group brainstormed over 40 ideas. These were merged into the following 15 items
and then prioritized.
Voting Results
Multiple Selection (maximum choices = 5) (Allow bypass)
Number of ballot items: 15
Total number of voters (N): 71
Total
36 1. Matching workers' training and skills to job needs ...Youth education, mentorship and
training to meet employment opportunities i.e. health care.
33 2. Low education levels ...lack of literacy and numeracy skills.
32 3. Youth retention in area...Incentives for youth to return to the area.
31 4. Lack of Education and training opportunities ...Continuing ED, corporate retraining - skills
development.
29 5. Business does not necessarily understand the changes in the workforce and in future
employees.
- Integration of older skilled based labour force into today's educational focused workplace
environment.
27 6. Local opportunities for grads with post secondary degrees are difficult to find.
26 7. Perception of lack of work ethic/integrity of young workforce // youth character
development //perceived gap in motivations between youth & older workforce.
25 8. Engage high school youth going directly into the workforce ...work placement experience
and actually hiring the co-op students that work for you.
25 9. What to do with the unemployed ...aging unemployed workforce - Gap analysis directed
towards unemployed to employed.
20 10. Education needs to value the employment pathway... Promoting all 4 pathways to youth
- University, College, Apprenticeship and World of Work and celebrating each one.
16 11. Succession planning/training/especially for owner operated and small business's
...Best practices for small business combined with training for displaced under educated
workers.
16 12. Job Security - workers need to know that there are more than just temporary
opportunities.
13 13. Large wage gaps, either highly skilled (i.e. $30/hr) or minimum wage positions. Nothing
in between.
12 14. Transportation Issues...lack of public transit.
9
15. Support/bring business to the 60% of businesses with no employees (so they can hire
people).
Note: prior to voting, the group brainstormed ideas and then merged the similar items.
Below in non-bold are the merged items. These items are ordered as they were originally
brainstormed (i.e. not as they were ranked by the group). Items that did not have any ideas
merged are not included.
2. Perception of lack of work ethic/integrity of young workforce // youth character development
//perceived gap in motivations between youth & older workforce
Youth are not generally motivated to pursue employment in areas available to them.
Youth character development -- wider world view, understanding work ethic, value of
education, providing supporting services (addictions etc).
Gap between youth & older workforce.
Education, business, government don't understand youth needs, values and potential.
3. Youth retention in area...Incentives for youth to return to the area.
Out-migration, how do we get those that have left and obtained their post secondary
education, back to Oxford County.
5. Lack of Education and training opportunities ...Cont ED, corp. retraining - skills development
Increased focus on training opportunities.
Continuing education & corporate retraining.
Getting wrong education/recapturing.
Succession planning/training/especially for owner operated businesses.
On the job training for basic entry level skills (as well as complex training). Once
individual gets their foot in the door then provide support to maintain the job.
-How to get experience on the job??!
7. Matching workers' training and skills to job needs ...Youth education, mentorship and training
to meet employment opportunities i.e. health care
There is not necessarily a match between education (diplomas, degrees) and what is
really required in the job.
2.0 – Opportunities (Short term)
Quick Wins. What are some specific opportunities that could generate short term results while
positioning our workforce for longer term success?
Note: the group brainstormed over 30 ideas. These were merged into the following 11 items
and then prioritized.
Voting Results
Multiple Selection (maximum choices = 4) (Allow bypass)
Number of ballot items: 11
Total number of voters (N): 71
Total
61 1. Intergenerational Strategy. Specific youth developed strategy - bring youth together and
get their input.
- Educate parents on all available pathways for their children...begin at a young age, in the
home and schools, to teach and instill work ethic.
- Creating opportunities for business and industry to engage with youth in education;
36 2. Understanding the needs of Oxford County - A common table to open up the
communication gap between business, educators and the public...Need greater clarity from
employers about what individual needs.
34 3. Need employer buy-in or nothing will work ...encourage businesses to take responsibility
for the training and development of skills among current and potential employees.
33 4. Up to date and area specific labour market trend info for Secondary and Post-Secondary
staff ..compile area data base based on labour skills/needs.
27 5. Incentives for businesses to invest in their employees ...apprenticeship grant for small
and entrepreneurial business (not tax credit) ... Promote internships for skills development
thru government assistance programs.
20 6. Provide education opportunities for companies on transferrable skills ...multi skilling e.g.
both soft skills and hard skills required thru education & employer promoted development.
20 7. Increase community promotion for creating new coop opportunities (for all pathways).
17 8. Promote the quality of life in Oxford County & the culture in surrounding area.
16 9. College/University satellite campuses needed in our area. i.e. U of G Agriculture
...Expand distance education and elearning from Colleges and Universities.
15 10. Improve 'Career Day' concept at local high schools -- have local entrepreneurs speak to
their path to success.
4
11. Create perceived value to options to maintain commitments of partners to programs
(WIFM for ers, kids, parents).
Note: prior to voting, the group brainstormed ideas and then merged the similar items.
Below in non-bold are the merged items. These items are ordered as they were originally
brainstormed (i.e. not as they were ranked by the group). Items that did not have any ideas
merged are not included.
2. Intergenerational strategy. Specific youth developed strategy - bring youth together and get
their input.
home and schools, to teach and instill work ethic
We need youth input - whole room ( very few people under 30) - we need to engage
them ( social networking).
Harness social media for reaching kids to options available.
Youth Centre - mentorship, employment skills training.
Municipality lead & community supported local youth engagement models (i.e.
Ingersoll Fusion Centre).
Provide education that specifically addresses youth culture -- i.e. break down
misconceptions; understand what motivates youth; understand the potential.
Educate parents on all available pathways for their children ..begin at a young age, in
the home and schools, to teach and instill work ethic.
Begin at a young age, in the home and schools, to teach and instill work ethic.
Creating opportunities for business and industry to engage with youth in education; bring
"passion" for different kinds of work. gen shift ..Mentorship and Communication
(connecting youth and older workers).
Educate the employers to help understand the generational shift, as well as educate the
new employees on what employers expect.
Encourage businesses to engage with youth to make them aware of the opportunities
that exist.
Provide education to help companies close the gap between generations currently in
their workplace.
Inter-generational manual for both businesses, parents/youth.
3. incentives for businesses to invest in their employees ...apprenticeship grant for small and
entrepreneurial business (not tax credit) ... Promote internships for skills development thru
government assistance programs
Large companies need a tax credit to continue the ongoing training of their workforce.
Apprenticeship grant for small and entrepreneurial business (not tax credit).
Incentives - scholarships or employers promoting further education.
staff...compile area data base based on labour skills/needs.
Ensuring we as a community know what the local trends are now and in the future.
Compile area data base based on labour skills/needs.
gap between business, educators and the public ..Need greater clarity from employers about
what individual needs
Need to create a connection between businesses and local educational institutions by
assessing occupational demand (present and long term).
Focus education on regional needs (e.g. Second Career should be geared to local
requirements).
Multi-skilling e.g. both soft skills and hard skills required through education & employer
promoted development.
Need greater clarity from employers about what individual needs they need from an
employee. Not just grade 12 but what exact skills (i.e. numeracy, literacy) and what
programs are available to obtain these skills.
6. College/University satellite campuses needed in our area. i.e. U of G Agriculture ...Expand
distance education and elearning from Colleges and Universities
Satellite offices - education (due to lack of transportation).
3.0 – Stakeholder Roles
3.1 – For the top 7 opportunities
1. Intergenerational strategy. Specific youth developed strategy - bring youth together and get
their input
home and schools, to teach and instill work ethic.
Resp: Youth, Experts in youth culture, Education sector, Local Govt + Province (funds),
Parents.
gap between business, educators and the public...Need greater clarity from employers about
what individual needs...need educators to be at the business table
Resp: Employers, Business orgs (BIA, Chambers), Labour, Economic development, educators,
Muni Govt.
3. Need employer buy-in / understanding of value or nothing will work ...encourage businesses
to take responsibility for the training and development of skills among current and potential
employees ... best practices.
Resp: Employers, Labour, Education (to encourage / inform on benefit).
staff...compile area data base based on labour skills/needs.
Resp: Statscan, Local Govt, LTB/WDB.
5. Incentives for businesses to invest in their employees...apprenticeship grant for small and
entrepreneurial business (not tax credit) ...Promote internships for skills development thru
government assistance programs.
Resp: Prov Govt, Employers, Education.
6. Provide education opportunities for companies on transferrable skills ...multi skilling e.g. both
soft skills and hard skills required thru education & employer promoted development
Resp: Education, Corp training.
7. Increase community promotion for creating new coop opportunities (for all pathways).
Resp: Employers, Educators.
3.2 – Overall roles
Role of Local Government
o Implementation
o Leadership ...Endorsement
o Partnership creation
o Advocacy
o $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
County Government
o Leverage provincial funds & relationships
o Lobbying & advocacy
o Champion for County wide initiatives
Provincial Govt
o $$$$$$
o Direction & policy
Business, Organizations (CofC)
o Active participation & Endorsement
o Investment
o Input on specific needs required
o Leadership
o Experience, expertise
o Recruiting
o Unified voice (i.e.. chamber, bia)
Educators
o
o
o
o
o
Training
Tailor training to need
Implementation of strategy
Revisit delivery
Portal to youth ...2 way
o
o
o
Endorsement
Ideas
Ways to protect jobs while providing training opportunities (e.g. taking on a coop
doesn‟t affect mbrshp oppty to work)
Shift in thinking about coop programs
Labour
o
Not for Profits
o Convert government funds into community implementation
o Partnerships
4.0 – Long Term Priorities
Longer term priorities: What longer term initiatives to develop the labour force over the next 510 years?
Note: The group brainstormed over 30 ideas, merged the similars
These are not prioritized
1. Job succession planning ...guideline for business succession planning, transferring
knowledge & skills transfer from older employees to new employees ...internships and
mentoring.
2. Government has to address successfully getting people out of the workforce to provide
opportunities for the new younger workforce.
3. Maintain flexibility, open dialogue with youth, employers, business, educators, etc. And
ongoing evaluation
- Building a framework - provide sustainable 'places and spaces' for youth
(programs like skills development...training...)
- Maintaining youth engagement and ongoing evaluation.
4. Employers and educators are meeting each others needs
5. Move educational leadership and programs back to Oxford County ...providing more
opportunities for local post-secondary education.
6. Easy entry, affordable education and training for everyone.
7. Continued promotion of oxford county's small town feel, outdoor beauty, activities, assets
...ability to promote oxford as not just a one sector community (e.g., manufacturing/auto).
8. An environment that reverses economic migration ...sustainability and job security ...we are
training to specific job opportunities ...a long term goal for maintaining a sustainable
economic base (e.g. What is our long term plan for maintaining sustainable manufacturing
base) ..diversified employment opportunities in area
9. Support group/ incubator for small businesses.
10. Attract new Canadians in a meaningful way.
11. Further integrate cooperative education opportunities into local business and workplace.
12. A better understanding of needs and outcomes for Oxford County ...knowing and
understanding the global economy.
13. Curriculum needs in schools;
- Increase technical experience in high school.
- Develop entrepreneurship and general management skills at all school levels.
14. An established organization that maintains this networking, planning, education.
15. 'In source' children's character development back to families. Value relationships more than
stuff. Finding balance in life.
16. Employment strategy needs to change in favour of the worker.
Appendix IV
Lessons Learned from Other Jurisdictions
Lessons Learned from Other Jurisdictions
Case studies have been selected that discuss how similar themes and labour force issues were
addressed in other jurisdictions. The lessons learned from these case studies can provide insight into
how to overcome the issues and challenges laid out before Oxford County.
Promoting Pathways
Career Pathways to Advancement Initiative – WorkSource Oregon, United States
The Oregon Workforce Investment Board, in recognition of the importance of career pathways in labour
force development, launched the Career Pathways to Advancement Initiative, which aims at increasing
the education attainment of citizens in Oregon and transitioning them either across the education
continuum or into demand occupations. This is critical to economic development as human capital has
been identified as a key input to the knowledge economy and global competitiveness. According to
WorkSource Oregon, a career pathway is a series of connected education and training programs and
student support services that enable individuals to secure a job or advance in a demand industry or
39
occupation .
While Oregon has a promising core of industry clusters in high technology, forestry, metals, transportation
equipment, agriculture and food products, the state has significant competitive challenges which directly
impact labour force development. One such challenge is the low level of education attainment in the
state. One in six adults lack a high school diploma or equivalent and only 25% of Oregon residents 2540
years and older hold a bachelor‟s degree . In addition, a significant lag in education investment has been
th
documented in Oregon. The state was ranked 27 in the United States in 2002-2003 per pupil spending
41
on K-12 education . Other key issues facing Oregon include a skills gap where available workers lack
the necessary skills for in-demand occupations, a narrow pipeline for skilled trades, weak links between
education and employment and a smaller, aging pool of labour. These issues can be considered parallel
to issues and challenges faced in Oxford County.
The Career Pathways to Advancement initiative is a student-centered, demand-driven innovation
community colleges have launched to proactively adapt to the dynamically changing needs of students
and employers. Community colleges in Oregon have formed a Pathways Alliance to work together to
develop career pathways courses within accelerated timelines (two-terms) that meet the needs of local
employers. The program is available as continuing education, for those who have already been in a
career and want to enter another field, or for youth who want to directly enter a career pathway through
education.
Desired outcomes from this program include:





Increasing the number of Oregon citizens accessing postsecondary education;
Increasing the number of Oregonians who persist & attain postsecondary degrees and
credentials;
Decreasing the need for remediation at postsecondary level;
Increasing entry into employment and further education;
Increasing wage gain over time for completers of credentials, certificates, degrees.
Actions
39
WorkSource Oregon, Career Pathways Initiative. http://www.worksourceoregon.org/index.php/career-pathways
WorkSource Oregon. 2006. Winning in the Global Market: Oregon Workforce Investment Board Strategic Plan.
41
WorkSource Oregon. 2006. Winning in the Global Market: Oregon Workforce Investment Board Strategic Plan.
40
An example of the curriculum that is developed through the Career Pathways to Advancement initiative
can be found at the Portland Community College. With the guidelines created by WorkSource Oregon
and the Pathways Alliance of colleges, Portland Community College has adapted a number of programs
to meet the needs of the regional economy in Portland. A range of career pathways courses are offered
such as accounting, pharmacy technician, health occupations, and manufacturing occupations, with
42
emphasis on developing a knowledge base and job-readiness training .
Of relevance is the Manufacturing Technician Pathway, which sets the course for students to gain
education and entry-level employment in manufacturing-related occupations. Features of the
Manufacturing Pathway program include:
 Attainment of college credits that may be applicable to other degree programs
 Students are work-ready upon completion of the training
 Students will be prepared for a variety of entry-level occupations in manufacturing
 Students participate three hours a week in Career Planning activities
 A learning community is developed and an employment specialist supports students as
they pursue employment in the industry
 Training is on the State of Oregon Eligible Training Provider listed under Machine
Manufacturing Technology.
Part of the initiative has been to develop a Pathways Roadmap web-tool which maps out the stages of
the pathways to communicate the education, training, occupations and career options in Oregon. In
addition there is an online iMatch tool, which enabled job seekers and employers to connect and get
matched online.
Achievements
Activities and achievements in 2005 to the present have reinforced Oregon‟s reputation as a national
leader in Pathways. Some successes to date include:






Pathways Alliance colleges (Chemeketa, LinnBenton, Mt. Hood, Portland, and Southwestern
community colleges) have collaboratively created roadmaps and certificates in demand
occupations;
Development of 29 Career Pathway “roadmaps” by Alliance colleges and access to these tools by
students and advisors/counselors via the statewide Pathways website in 2006.
State approval of eight pathway certificates and planned application for an additional 12
certificates from Alliance partner colleges;
Implementation of seven secondary education pathways projects through the Regional
Professional Technical Education Network (including development of Career Pathways websites)
Many community colleges are advancing a pathways strategy to increase access and success in
credit college programs by precollege students using Incentive Grant funds;
Development of the Degree Completion Initiative (DCI) by the Department of Human Services
providing TANF recipients within reach of a degree support to meet their goal.
Resources + Partners
The Career Pathways initiative is funded by the Governor‟s Employer Workforce Training Fund, the
Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development, the Oregon Department of
Education, the United States Department of Labour Incentive Grants and the Community College
Strategic Reserve Fund with matching dollars from community colleges. Community colleges in the state
of Oregon are key partners to the success of the initiatives.
Lessons Learned
42
Portland Community College. 2010. Career Pathways programs. http://www.pcc.edu/career/pathways/why-pathways.html

There are a number of relevant points for learning from the Oregon experience. First of which is
the need to understand the labour force needs in the region and identify demand industries and
occupations that face labour or skills shortages.

Second, collaboration between post-secondary institutions is of importance to develop a shared
curriculum that puts all students on a career pathway.

Integrating career building skills, such as resume writing, interview skills and interpersonal and
communication skills are integral.
Entrepreneurship
Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge – New Brunswick, Canada
43
Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is an entrepreneurship contest designed for high school students that
coincides with their academic year. Its mandate is to foster entrepreneurship by rewarding students who
demonstrate creativity, leadership, communication skills and innovativeness. Participation is fully
managed online through the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge web portal. One of the annual
competitions included the theme “green”, to incorporate environmental awareness with entrepreneurial
activity. The best green business ideas developed as business plan for a product or service can win up to
$3000. The Youth Entrepreneurship Development Initiative Network also provides resources in support of
the event.
Actions
The Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is organized in three categories.
1. Creating a Business Idea, with a business plan for a product or service. The prize for winning ideas is
up to $3 000.
2. Summer Venture. Developing a real business plan gives students the opportunity to create and run
their own business for the whole summer. Winners receive up to $1,000 in addition to a $3,000
government loan.
3. Youth Community Engagement. Individuals, groups or even entire schools can participate by
submitting an idea for a new community service. Winners will receive a $500 donation to the charity or
non-for profit organization of their choice.
Achievements
 Increased awareness of entrepreneurship as a career option.
 Development of key entrepreneurial skills.
 Engagement of private sector in youth development activities.
 Increased participation from both schools and total number of students in each of the five years
the program has run.
 Winners have come from throughout the province.
 Some Summer Venture winners have maintained their enterprise over multiple seasons.
Pre-survey results also showed that only 16.6% of the participants felt they had the skills to make good
decisions about business in the pre-evaluation survey compared to the post evaluation results of 50%.
43
OECD . (2009). Shooting for the Moon: Good Practices in Local Youth Entrepreneurship Support.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/36/44/45204509.pdf
The total budget for the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is approximately $45,000. The event is fully
financed by contributions from private and public sector partners. The competition is coordinated by a
staff member from Enterprise Greater Moncton, with additional resources assigned on an as-needed
basis.
Enterprise Greater Moncton is the lead organization with the support of the Youth Entrepreneurship
Development Initiative Network, Co-op Atlantic, the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, TD Canada
Trust, the Province of New Brunswick and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
Lessons Learned

Entrepreneurship skills are broader (time management, finance, human resources, etc.,) and
require nurturing and education and mentorship.

Engaging the private sector can be a means of funding (through sponsorship),but also provides a
source of mentorship for youth.

Entrepreneurship programs such as Summer Venture can work to retain youth to a region
through providing them with their own employment opportunity.
Sirolli Institute – Enterprise Facilitation Program
The Sirolli Institute‟s enterprise facilitation program is based upon civic engagement and community
mobilization, “based on harnessing the passion, determination, intelligence and resourcefulness of the
44
local people” . The approach is premised on the creation of wealth from within the local community,
based upon the principles of economic diversification, job creation, respect for the natural environment
and local content and engagement.
The program is centred on core idea called the “Trinity of Management”. This idea suggests that most
entrepreneurs and business owners are only truly effective at one of two of the three key components of
managing a successful business: the production of the actual good of service, its marketing, and financial
management for the business. Most enterprise facilitation programs have a resource board comprised of
volunteer citizens and resource providers (e.g. bookkeepers) that can both support existing and emerging
businesses but also create new business opportunities in the County. In this way, a network of
entrepreneurs and business support providers are created in the community. These enterprise facilitators
and resource providers allow entrepreneurs to spend more of their resources and energy focused on their
core competency.
An enterprise facilitation program is particularly effective and appropriate for smaller communities that
depend primarily on small businesses and entrepreneurs for business development and job creation. In
communities that have a high number of independent professionals and home-based industries offering a
range of business and professional services, the Sirolli approach can be useful in identifying business
needs and creating a strong local entrepreneurial network.
Mentoring + Knowledge Transfer
Small Business Mentoring Project: Enhancing Workplace Skills – Terrace, British Columbia
Small businesses are vital to the economy. According to the Small Business Mentoring Project, in British
Columbia small businesses contribute to 33% of the provincial GDP, 56% of private sector employment
44
Sirolli Institute. http://www.sirolli.com/about/DrErnestoSirolli/tabid/110/Default.aspx
and make up 98% of all businesses in British Columbia. The Small Business Mentoring Project in
Terrace, British Columbia was administered by the Community Futures Development Corporation in
Northwest British Columbia. The mentoring project for small businesses was a pilot project that aimed at
testing the mentoring delivery methodology of business management skills development for small
business owners in rural British Columbia.
Small businesses in rural British Columbia, as well as, the rest of Canada are less able to access
resources than businesses in larger urban centres. Likewise, entrepreneurs have little time or opportunity
to invest in entrepreneurship development. A number of small businesses fail because the entrepreneur
lacks the necessary skills and knowledge base in which enables the business to survive and grow. With
these issues in mind, the mentorship pilot project was launched. Mentoring provides inexperienced
business owners with guidance and knowledge based on experience.
Mentoring is defined as a process through which one person facilitates the development of another by
sharing known resources, expertise, values, skills, perspectives, attitudes and proficiencies. When
challenges are faced a mentor can bring an objective perspective to issues and contribute to a business
owner‟s decision making process. The role of a mentor is to facilitate learning in such a way that the
knowledge, skills or competencies connect to action in the present and possibly into the future. This
requires building on the learners experience, providing an environment conducive to learning, an
appropriately challenging and supporting and providing vision for the learner.
Actions
A toolkit was developed to assist individuals in pursuing a mentoring relationship. A mentoring guidebook
was part of the toolkit and provided information on how to create and maintain an effective mentoring
relationship, tools to identify goals and objectives, to develop an action plan and to evaluate business
management skills development as well as the mentorship relationship.
Business Resources and Tools that are available through this program include labour market
information. The purpose of providing labour market information is to enable the business owner to
analyze their needs.
The small business mentoring project offers skills development resources such as an Entrepreneurial
Self-Assessment that provides insights into the areas of the entrepreneurs personality that may need to
be addressed through training, strategic alliances or mentoring. In addition, the business owner can take
the temperature of their business through completing the Small Business Check Up online tool, to
determine which areas of their business require attention. Once issues have been identified and skills that
require development have been prioritized, there are a number of workshops and seminars available, and
formal training provided through education institutes that the small business mentoring project refers
business owners to.
In addition, the project aimed at addressing common topics that business owners posed. Topics such as
human resource management or the supervision and control of employees are common areas of inquiry
for business owners. The small business mentoring project website provides links to human resource
topics such as hiring, retention, performance evaluation, discipline, and employment standards. Another
common topic of discussion for business owners is financial management. The small business mentoring
project website also provides a list of links to online financial management resources that provide basic
information about business finance. A useful link provided by the small business mentoring project is the
list of funding sources available to entrepreneurs, which promotes life-long learning and training.
Other online resources available to business owners include links for Aboriginal Entrepreneurs as well as
online business magazines.
Achievements
Participants in the one-to-one mentoring component of the Small Business Mentoring Project have
emphasized the usefulness of pairing with an experienced mentor. An entrepreneur in the program
shared that the topics discussed with a mentor have been included in their human resource policies,
sales and productivity, financing and growth strategies. The relationship built between mentor and
45
protégé have been documented not only as effective, but lasting .
The small business mentoring project is funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada,
supported through the Workplace Skills Initiative and administered through the Community Futures
Development Corporation in Terrace, British Columbia. Other partners include the Kitimit Chamber of
Commerce, Terrace and District Chamber of Commerce, Smithers Chamber of Commerce, Price Rupert
and District Chamber of Commerce. Other contributors to the project included the Northern Savings
Credit Union and the Hecate Strait Employment Development Society.
Lessons Learned
 Mentoring allows entrepreneurs to build skills and gain experience that they would likely not gain
without mentorship.

Through mentor assessment the knowledge gaps of entrepreneurs are identified and bridged.

Relationship building and social network development through mentoring has lasting effects on
the entrepreneur and the success of their business.
An Employer Guide to Mentoring - Niagara Region, Ontario
A second example of how mentoring and knowledge transfer are of importance in labour force
development is demonstrated by the Niagara Workforce Planning Board. The Niagara Workforce
Planning Board created an Employer Guide to Mentoring, specifically aimed at aiding employers in the
Niagara region to develop an internal mentoring program for their employees. This is a useful model that
can be applied to other jurisdictions. This document defines mentoring as “a trusted and experienced
individual freely acts as an advisor, coach, guide, teacher, or role model to someone less experienced
46
and in need of such a relationship” .
Some of the key issues in the region that warrant an emphasis on employer mentoring and employee
skills development and training include the fact that the population is aging, and senior and long-term staff
are retiring. When these experienced members of the labour force retire, they take with them all of their
tacit knowledge, tips, practices and critical knowledge. This shrinking labour force, coupled with key skill
shortages increase the need for knowledge transfer from one generation of employees to another.
According to the Employer Guide to Mentoring, youth have identified that development opportunities are
there number one consideration when joining or staying with an organization. Mentoring has been
identified as a low cost method of transferring institutional knowledge and preserving the best practices
and successes of a workplace. An organizations inability to provide the developmental opportunities
desired by employees will limit its ability to attract and retain talent to their organization. Research
provided by the Employer Guide to Mentoring demonstrates that:






88% increase in managerial productivity when mentoring was involved (versus 24% with only
training).
77% of companies report that mentoring programs were effective in increasing retention.
35% of employees who do not receive regular mentoring look for another job within 12 months.
75% of executives point to mentoring as playing a key role in their careers.
95% of mentoring participants said the experience motivated them to do their very best.
60% or more of college and graduate students listed mentoring as a criterion for selecting an
employer after graduation.
45
Small Business Mentoring Project. 2010. www.smallbusinessmentor.bc.ca
Niagara Workforce Planning Board. 2007. An employer guide to mentoring.
http://niagaraworkforceboard.ca/resources/manuals.php?lang=1
46

35% of CFO‟s said the single greatest benefit of working with a mentor was having a confidant
and advisor.
The Employer Guide to Mentoring provides justification for mentoring employees and provides a step by
step guide for employers interested in setting up a mentoring program in their organization. Other tools
included in the Employer Guide to Mentoring include: Mentoring Program Checklist, Self-Assessment for
protégés, and Self-Assessment for mentors.
Lessons Learned
 Mentoring is a method commonly used to transfer institutional knowledge and skills at minimal
cost.

Setting up a mentorship program in a business internally can aid in the retention of employees as
well as attract a young cohort of employees who value professional development opportunities.

Mentorship builds relationships within the organization and fosters a culture of life-long learning.
Labour Force Retention + Attraction
Youth Retention + Attraction Strategy - Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, in light of the need to retain the youth population of the
province created the plan “Creating a Province of Choice: A Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy for
Newfoundland and Labrador”. This strategy aims at engaging youth to address one of the province‟s most
critical challenges: youth out-migration. The strategy was developed through extensive youth
engagement across the province to gain insight into the issues and challenges being faced by youth, as
well as, to determine the actions and strategies necessary to quell the challenges leading to youth outmigration. In 2008, 484 youth from the province participated in thirteen day-long Deliberative Dialogue
sessions, designed to generate detailed insight into the values, consideration, choices that they take into
47
account when making decisions about where to live and work . Four themes that emerged from the
discussions with youth at the Deliberative Dialogue consultations included:




Ensuring access to high quality and affordable education and better transitions between school
and work;
Fostering economic development that creates good quality jobs and is diversified and
sustainable;
Improving public services; protecting the environment; and
48
Recognizing and celebrating rural and urban lifestyles and diversity .
In the formation of the plan, a 19 member Youth Advisory Panel was established to provide advice and to
help guide the development of the strategy.
The strategy aims at setting out specific actions to retain and attract a young, skilled, and entrepreneurial
workforce that the province needs to compete globally. A significant part of the strategy is to mentor youth
in Newfoundland and Labrador to become leaders.
Actions
47
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. 2009. Creating a Province of Choice: A youth retention strategy for Newfoundland
and Labrador
48
Canadian Policy Research Networks. 2009. Policy Actions Report: Making Newfoundland and Labrador a Province of Choice for
Young People.
The Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy developed 41 different actions for the province based on
different themes of importance. Listed below are some of the key actions that are relevant to the youth
issues that Oxford County is faced with.
Youth Engagement
 Create a youth engagement guide
Promoting Newfoundland and Labrador
 Implement a marketing and awareness campaign to highlight the opportunities and benefits of
living and working in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Education
 Actively work with employers to increase their awareness of available employment programs and
supports.
 Support increase access to Financial Literacy (e.g: Junior Achievement)
Employment
 Expand access to existing internship opportunities and summer jobs.
 Expand professional development opportunities for students
 Support an annual forum on youth recruitment and retention issues
Culture + Diversity
 International graduate retention incentive
Incentives to Stay or Return
 Youth Connections registry
 Web-based “guide to relocation”
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador committed $1.3 million to the actions developed in the
strategy. The provincial government secured the Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN) to
undertake the extensive youth engagement process that went into the creation of the strategy.
Lessons Learned
 Extensive youth engagement is critical to formulating relevant and effective actions.

For the youth who have left, a networking mechanism or registry is critical to bringing them back.

Creating a good transition between school and work can work to retain youth.

Town of Orangeville - Community Employment Services Woodstock

Transcription

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