Workforce WindsorEssex Launches New Employer Toolkit for the Tourism & Hospitality Sector – January 22, 2025

New comprehensive resource strengthens recruitment and retention efforts in Windsor-Essex

Windsor, ON – Today, Workforce WindsorEssex, the region’s workforce and community planning board, released a toolkit for employers in the Tourism and Hospitality sector. The toolkit provides strategies to improve recruitment and retention across the variety of sub-industries in Windsor-Essex, ensuring the sector’s vibrancy and sustainability locally. This Employment Ontario project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

Many local employers in the sector are facing large talent shortages, including for customer service, culinary, outdoor experiences, and leadership roles. While the talent shortage has multiple causes, including a lack of local training for roles in the sector and lack of awareness of career opportunities, it affects local businesses in a variety of ways.

Increasing promotion of the sector with younger students and jobseekers, highlighting the flexibility for roles in the sector, and promoting the variety of career pathways that exist across multiple industries will also increase the talent pool for local employers to recruit from. It is important when recruiting to look at the available workforce, including newcomers to the region, students, persons with disabilities, and racialized persons. In order to improve recruitment strategies, it is important to target those that are eager to work in a meaningful career.

The toolkit offers employers practical solutions to address talent gaps, such as partnering with local post-secondary institutions and training providers to allow for more localized training programs for jobseekers and students that are interested in working in the sector. Increased availability of training programs will also inform students of the long-term careers they can have in the sector, which is not as clear to many.

As tourism flourishes and new attractions emerge, the demand for a skilled workforce will grow. The toolkit aims to meet this demand by supporting employers in retaining talent not just for seasonal roles but for sustainable, long-standing careers that contribute to the region’s economic vitality.

Recommendations for employers include offering non-compensation benefits and perks, strengthening their ability to be seasonal employers, recruiting from the available workforce, and adopting a shared service model as an industry.

Quotes:

“With this toolkit, Workforce WindsorEssex is committed to supporting a thriving Tourism and Hospitality sector, fostering economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for all residents of the Windsor-Essex region. By equipping employers with innovative recruitment and retention strategies, we are not only addressing current challenges, but are also paving the way for a prosperous future for the region’s Tourism and Hospitality sector and for jobseekers as well. This toolkit is an essential resource that will help our local economy, enhancing the region’s appeal as a top destination and ensuring the long-term success of our local businesses.”

– Tashlyn Teskey, Senior Manager of Research and Innovation, Workforce WindsorEssex

<< Grâce à cette boîte à outils, Workforce WindsorEssex s’engage à soutenir un secteur du tourisme et de l’hôtellerie florissant, favorisant la croissance économique et améliorant la qualité de vie de tous les résidents de la région de Windsor-Essex. En dotant les employeurs de stratégies innovantes de recrutement et de rétention, nous ne répondons pas seulement aux défis actuels, mais nous ouvrons également la voie à un avenir prospère pour le secteur du tourisme et de l’hôtellerie de la région ainsi que pour les chercheurs d’emploi. Cette boîte à outils est une ressource essentielle qui aidera notre économie locale, en renforçant l’attrait de la région en tant que destination de choix et en assurant le succès à long terme de nos entreprises locales. >>

– Tashlyn Teskey, Gestionnaire principale de la recherche et de l’innovation, Workforce WindsorEssex

“The travel, tourism, and hospitality industry offers a wide range of career options and what better way to assist prospective jobseekers than to inform them of the necessary skills, educational requirements, and opportunities they can navigate within the Windsor-Essex region. Through their Tourism Toolkit, Workforce WindsorEssex has been able to frame cohesively the range of exciting positions that await potential employees. Employers are also provided with insights on recruiting and retaining staff. Offering trajectories on the prospects for job growth and promotion provides a definitive lure for joining and remaining within our industry long-term. Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island is delighted to have this toolkit come to fruition, as our industry, based on high demand, is looking to exponentially grow careers within our destination.”

– Gordon Orr, CEO, Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island

<< L’industrie du voyage, du tourisme et de l’hôtellerie offre une vaste gamme d’options de carrière et quelle meilleure façon d’aider les chercheurs d’emploi potentiels que de les informer des compétences nécessaires, des exigences éducatives et des opportunités qu’ils peuvent explorer dans la région de Windsor-Essex. Grâce à leur Boîte à outils du tourisme, Workforce WindsorEssex a pu présenter de manière cohérente la gamme de postes passionnants qui attendent les employés potentiels. Les employeurs bénéficient également d’informations sur le recrutement et la rétention du personnel. Offrir des perspectives sur la croissance de l’emploi et les promotions constitue un attrait définitif pour rejoindre et rester dans notre secteur à long terme. Tourisme Windsor Essex Pelee Island est ravi de voir cette boîte à outils se concrétiser, car notre industrie, en forte demande, cherche à développer de manière exponentielle des carrières au sein de notre destination. >>

– Gordon Orr, PDG, Tourisme Windsor Essex Pelee Island

“Our government is proud to support Workforce WindsorEssex with the launch of their new Employer Toolkit for the tourism & hospitality sector. Introducing a resource like this will not only provide transparency, but will also bring local employers, post-secondary institutions, training providers, and jobseekers together to analyze labour market needs and strengthen the region’s workforce resilience.”

– David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

<< Notre gouvernement est fier de soutenir Workforce WindsorEssex avec le lancement de leur nouvelle boîte à outils pour les employeurs dans le secteur du tourisme et de l’hôtellerie. L’introduction d’une ressource comme celle-ci ne fournira pas seulement de la transparence, mais rassemblera également les employeurs locaux, les établissements postsecondaires, les fournisseurs de formation et les chercheurs d’emploi pour analyser les besoins du marché du travail et renforcer la résilience de la main-d’œuvre de la région. >>

– David Piccini, Ministre du Travail, de l’Immigration, de la Formation et du Développement des compétences

Quick Facts/Links:

Media Contact:

Lindsey Rivait
Executive Liaison
Workforce WindsorEssex
lrivait@workforcewindsoressex.com

About Workforce WindsorEssex:

Workforce WindsorEssex is a workforce and community development board whose mission is to lead regional employment and community planning for the development of a strong and sustainable workforce.

Workforce WindsorEssex is an experienced leader in the development of regional labour market tools, research, guides, and events that create positive change in the local labour market while saving others time and effort. These resources, created in close coordination with employment, education, and industry partners, are designed to help jobseekers, employers, students, and educators, as well as the community, make more informed labour market decisions using locally-responsive, data-rich, and unbiased resources. To learn more about Workforce WindsorEssex and view our tools and resources, visit www.workforcewindsoressex.com.

À propos de Workforce WindsorEssex:

Workforce WindsorEssex est une organisation à but non-lucratif dont sa mission est de diriger la planification de l’emploi et le développement communautaire avec l’objectif d’assurer une main-d’œuvre solide et durable.

Workforce WindsorEssex est leader expérimenté dans le développement d’outils, de recherches, de guides et d’événements sur le marché du travail créant des changements positifs qui font gagner de l’argent et du temps. Ces ressources, crées en coordination avec les partenaires en emploi, en éducation et en industrie, ont pour but d’aider les demandeurs d’emploi, les employeurs, les élèves, les éducateurs, et la communauté, à prendre des décisions plus informées sur le marché du travail en utilisant des outils impartiaux, riches en données et adaptés aux besoins locaux. Pour apprendre d’avantage de Workforce WindsorEssex, et pour engager avec nos outils et ressources, visitez www.workforcewindsoressex.com.

25-01-22 – Tourism Employer Toolkit NRDownload