Project Overview
PROJECT DELIVERABLE
To better promote in-demand careers in the skilled trades locally, the LEPC will create a Skilled Trades Career Guide, four promotional videos, occupational blogs, and organize industry tours for the available and future workforce. To support local women in the trades, a Facebook group will be created and moderated by the LEPC.
Project Timeline
October 1, 2018 to March 29, 2019
Project Status – COMPLETED
On February 14th, Workforce WindsorEssex launched the major parts of the WEexplore Trades project, including the new Career Guide for Skilled Trades, four new engagement videos, enhancements to WEexplore Careers tool, and a private facebook group for Women in the Skilled Trades in Windsor-Essex. We continue to profile workers who work in one of the region’s in-demand skilled trades through our weekly blog series and are still welcoming members to our Facebook group, Windsor-Essex Women in Skilled Trades. Test Drive Day was held on March 5th, with approximately 800 students touring 18 different companies that employ skilled trades workers to learn more about careers in the skilled trades.
To learn more about each of the six project deliverables click here:
Project Rationale:
Windsor-Essex is suffering from a skills shortage. As a region that is heavily reliant on the manufacturing, construction and service industries, this is a long-standing concern to employers, educators, and government. The Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce estimates that the region loses about $600 million annually in lost economic opportunity because industry can’t find the right people with the right skills to expand their business and take on additional work. Furthermore, society holds a negative stigma about skilled trades that needs to be counter-acted.
Workforce WindsorEssex will develop a Skilled Trades Career Guide that will promote the region’s top in-demand skilled trade careers with the objective of attracting more people into these careers. This project will build on the Ministry’s Start an Apprenticeship website and Workforce WindsorEssex’s WEexplore tool, with an off-line focus, sharing information in print, in classroom and in-person. With 1 in 4 children in Windsor-Essex living below the poverty line according to the 2016 census, a printed guide will be made available to reach families who lack internet access, with hopes to distribute this resource through schools and service providers. According to Cisco Visual Networking Index, 74% of all internet traffic in 2018 will be video viewing, therefore the LEPC will create videos that promote careers in each of the four trade sectors (industrial, construction, motive power and services). The videos will be shared online and with educators for use in the classroom. To encourage students and job seekers to participate in experiential learning opportunities, Test Drive Days will be organized with educators and service providers so that students and unemployed people can be shown skilled trades jobs while touring local businesses that employ apprentices. In response to a best practice presentation at the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, the LEPC will create and moderate a Facebook group that will use a peer-to-peer support model for women who work or want to work in the trades. The LEPC will continue to author its weekly blog series called Workforce Wednesday, so that blogs related to jobs in the skilled trades, will continue to be connected to the WEexplore tool, along with the aforementioned videos.
WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS SAYING ABOUT WEEXPLORE TRADES:
“The new Skilled Trades Career Guide is amazing! A wonderful resource.” Mike St. Pierre, Teacher Consultant, Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board
Project Contact:
Tashlyn Teskey, Manager of Projects & Research
226-674-3220 ext. 857
