Vol 12, Issue 2 December 10 2021
Hamilton's Labour Market Connection
Your weekly news & updates from WPH!
In this week's edition: Who's Hiring in the Hamilton Region, Workforce planning Hamilton updates , C2C 2022, Dismantling anti-Black racism in our schools: Accountability measures are key, Hamilton graduation rates are on the rise, Returning to the Workforce After Being a Caregiver, Essential skills frameworks to support client success, Job Fair December 14th 2022 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Bridge to Work in Community Services
Who's Hiring in the Hamilton region
Goodwill The Amity Group is hiring for an Office Manager
Pizza Pizza
is hiring for cook
e-mail your resume to:
YMCA - Hamilton & Burlington
is hiring for before and after school age child care assistant
Workforce Planning Hamilton Updates
Labour Market Quarterly 3 Data Report
Key Trends in Hamilton's Labour Market:

  • There was a significant change in the unemployment rate and with a decrease in the third quarter of 2021 compared to the third quarter of 2020. 
  • The number of unemployed job postings has continued to decline this year. From a high of 17.7 in January to 8.7 in September. This means there are about 9 unemployed people in every job vacancy
  • Professional occupations in education services, jobs grew the most in quarter 3, growing by 6,300 jobs
  • Middle management occupations in trades, transportations, productions and utilities declined the most in total jobs decreasing by 2,530 jobs  
  • There has been an increase in job postings, growing by 5.6 % in the third quarter to 9,331 jobs in Hamilton compared to the second quarter
  • A slight change in the order of the top 10 skills demand in the job search where communication, teamwork, and customer service come in the top 3
  • Skill level C jobs saw the strongest growth in wages from Q3 2021 to Q3 2020 
Hamilton Youth 
Workforce is now LIVE!
The Hamilton Youth Workforce! Brought to you by Workforce Planning Hamilton. An Instagram page centralized for youth employment and opportunities.

to stay tuned for more exciting news, and updates please follow and share now!

Connect to Careers Virtual Job Fair is the best way to recruit new talent
March 2, 2022, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET
Connect to Careers is presented in partnership by McMaster University, Mohawk College, Redeemer University, Workforce Planning Hamilton, and the City of Hamilton's Economic Development.

Workforce Planning of Hamilton will have a booth to support all of our local community and service providers in the Hamilton region, and everyone is welcome to join at no cost. Please join so that students and job seekers can learn more about your organization's various programs and employment opportunities.
If you are interested, please contact Nourhan at nourhan.wassim@workforceplanninghamilton.ca to register your organization. 

To everyone in the HAMILTON area:
You'll meet potential employers and explore your options at Connect to Careers.
By visiting different employer booths on the virtual fair platform, you'll discover exciting opportunities ranging from summer, part-time, and full-time positions to internships and co-ops.
You will gain knowledge of job requirements, industry trends, and industry growth. This data is useful.
Students & Youth
Dismantling anti-Black racism in our schools: Accountability measures are key
Hamilton graduation rates are on the rise
Education is built on the belief that people can be more. In the words of the 20th-century American sociologist and writer W.E.B. DuBois, an important anti-racist leader and figure in the development of African American education, “what people are depends on the way they have been educated, the way … their possibilities have been developed and drawn out.” Du Bois’s speeches and writings on the education of Black students were part of his larger concern about Black children’s well-being and the uplifting of Black communities.
In other words, for education to be truly a process of encouraging and embracing discovery, everyone needs to be accommodated in the classroom.
Canada is known for its excellent education, but this reputation can hide the realities of its Black students. With ample data demonstrating the effects of systems that undermine the educational opportunities of Black students, it’s clear that access to education in Canada isn’t equitable and inclusive. Canada’s kindergarten to Grade 12 education systems should receive a failing grade until anti-Blackness is addressed.
Way to improve
The Toronto District School Board’s (TDSB) Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement offers a way to improve with a new targeted approach to addressing anti-Blackness. The centre offers a model based on strategic community engagement that school boards across Canada can learn from and enact.

More than four in five students at Hamilton’s public board are graduating as a result of quality teaching and innovative programming.
The latest provincial school board progress report indeed showed an increase in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board’s five-year graduation rate. The increase to 81.6 per cent in 2020 from 80.5 per cent in 2019 is a milestone worth sharing, as it represents the beginning of change taking effect.
Educators, both in the classroom and at the system level, are working toward a common goal: graduation.
New instructional, assessment and engagement practices are being implemented with a focus on improving the outcomes for all students in grades 7 to 12. Investments in people through professional learning on responsive and relevant teaching practices add a focus on engaging learners that are historically and currently underserved.
System-led initiatives, including the HWDSB student census, look to understand the needs of students and families, identify and address systemic barriers, and make evidence-informed decisions that create more equitable outcomes. HWDSB’s action plans in the areas of equity, special education, and Indigenous education will be foundational around closing the achievement gap and moving student achievement even higher.
Innovative programming is made available to meet our students’ needs and their educational goals. Student enrolment has doubled in the specialist high skills majors (SHSM) programs, where students develop skills and knowledge in an employment sector like hospitality or manufacturing.
Business & Research
Returning to the Workforce After Being a Caregiver
Essential skills frameworks to support client success
Over the last 18 months, more than 3 million women have left the workplace. Given that women tend to take on the brunt of caregiving responsibilities, be it childcare (including overseeing unanticipated homeschooling during the pandemic) or elder care — or both — many found it untenable to maintain both work and home responsibilities during the pandemic and, therefore, opted out of the workforce. This increased caregiving burden is reflected in a recent study of women faculty members with dependents at Stanford. The study found that 50% of these respondents reported spending four additional hours of caregiving a day, leaving significantly less time for professional pursuits.
Now that schools are open, some people who left the workforce for caregiving responsibilities may now decide to go back to their careers that they temporarily put on hold. Sadly, research has shown that there has historically been a caregiving bias in recruiting against women, as well as against men, since their caregiving violates gender norms. Regardless of gender, re-entering the paid workforce from a full-time caregiving role can feel daunting. And even a short time out of the paid workforce can leave one feeling a lack of confidence or unsure of themselves — it’s like trying to merge onto a fast-moving, busy freeway when you haven’t driven for a while.


Essential life skills such as problem-solving, communicating effectively and collaborating well with others help people succeed and continuously grow in a rapidly changing world. Here are several skills frameworks that career development professionals can use to support clients in assessing their skills and finding ways to improve.
National frameworks
The new Skills for Success Framework (SFS), launched in May 2021, is an update to Canada’s Essential Skills Framework (ESF) and features nine skills. It incorporates the impact of automation on the labour market as well as the social-emotional skills identified as vital by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). The new SFS framework is particularly useful in helping clients or students understand, evaluate and categorize their previous experience. SFS assessment and training tools include resources for writing, reading, numeracy, trades, digital skills, adaptability, and knowledge-sharing for individuals and organizations working in literacy and essential skills for Indigenous Peoples.




Events & Programs

Job Fair December 14th 2022 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

the Good Shepherd Women’s Division is hosting a job fair on December 14th from 4 PM to 6 PM.

Please find the flyer attached for further information.
Bridge to Work in Community Services
Bridge to Work in Community Services is a free part-time program offered at Mohawk College. The program helps eligible newcomers get prepared for the workplace through certification workshops and more.
The Hamilton COVID Concierge for Business is a one-stop online resource centre and phone line dedicated to supporting Hamilton businesses with their COVID-19 business questions and concerns.
Hamilton businesses can call the COVID Concierge at 905-521-3989 (Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4:30pm) or Contact Us online. Learn more at hamiltoncovidconcierge.ca
The Hamilton COVID Concierge for Business is brought to you by the Hamilton COVID Concierge Team, comprised of the City of Hamilton and the three local Chambers of Commerce.
Workforce Planning Hamilton | 905-521-5777| info@workforceplanninghamilton.ca | www.workforceplanninghamilton.ca