About the Project
In 2009, the Green Energy and Economy Act came into effect. With the bills assent came the promise of 50,000 to 90,000 jobs. At the same time communities throughout Midwestern Ontario reached a crossroads of their own. The near collapse of the auto industry in Ontario sent immediate shock waves throughout a complex network of small manufacturing firms and suppliers that were sustained by it. At the time, the region faced layoffs resulting from over 40 closures increasing unemployment claim by 204%. After years of unemployment rates well below the provincial average, the region's unemployment rate mirrored that of Ontario at over 9%.
To transition the unemployed workers within Midwestern Ontario into new green jobs, the Midwestern Ontario Regional Green Jobs Strategy project was formed. Through partnerships with regional Community Futures Development Corporations, Labour Market Planning Boards, Conservation Authorities and educational institutions, the project is developing a regional strategy to improve the economic prosperity of the area.
Building on the findings of the first year's recommendations, the research team is continuing project activities to develop the strategy, which will be implemented by the partnering organizations.
Project Objectives
The Midwestern Ontario Regional Green Jobs Strategy project has four objectives:
I. Identify, forecast, and quantify the range of occupations and skill sets emerging from growth in the region’s green economy;
II. Use local labour market information to identify available skills and "red-flag" occupations and skill sets where an emerging imbalance between employer human resource needs and available labour supply is becoming apparent;
III. Develop a comprehensive labour market strategy for growth in the region’s green labour force to be implemented by local Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) in partnership with other stakeholders such as employers, employment adjustment service centres, colleges, trainers, and municipalities;
IV. Create the organizational capacity (i.e. networks, partnerships, strategic plan) amongst key stakeholders in the green economy to ensure that labour force adjustment issues are monitored and addressed in a collective manner.
