Vol 2, Issue 2, February 11, 2021
Hamilton's Labour Market Connection
Your weekly news & updates from WPH!
In this week's edition: Skills for the Future Forum February 16 & 23; Apprenticeship Spotlight Launch!; Last call for EmployerOne/Business Impact Survey; Hamilton LMI Dec 2020
Skills for the Future Forum: Join Us For Our Second Session February 16th - Funding Opportunities
WPH has partnered with Mohawk College Enterprise to present our virtual series: Skills for the Future Forum. A series of three weekly virtual interactive sessions featuring in-depth discussions and learning from a range of experts delving into the skills of today with a focus on the future.
We hosted our first session earlier this week and it was a successful interactive discussion! Join us for our next two upcoming sessions.


Upcoming Panelist Session: February 16 (1-4pm):
Funding Opportunities to Support Skills Development

Next week's session will feature a host of panelists discussing different funding opportunities answering questions and interacting with the participants to navigate different streams of funding available. Panelists include:

  • Maria Fortunato – Hamilton Halton Brant Regional Tourism Association
  • Beth Gibson – Mohawk College
  • Charles Gervais & Charmaine Pelletier – Ministry of Labour Training & Skills Development
  • Lily Lumsden – YMCA Employment & Immigrant Services
  • Derrick Glende & Sandra Heathers – Service Canada


Session 3. February 23: The Evolution of Workplace Skills


Welcome to Apprenticeship Spotlight! We are hosting a new segment in our newsletter to elevate the conversation on apprenticeships and to continue to support skilled trades employers through these challenging times.

WPH has done a lot of research and projects with the focus on Apprenticeships and the skilled trades. There is a skills shortage in our communities coupled with an aging workforce in the skilled trades creating the perfect storm heading towards hiring crisis if we do not focus on solutions for skilled trades workers locally.

This segment will feature real life experiences of local skilled trades workers, employers, and apprentices; labour market information regarding skilled trades in our community; news and articles related to apprenticeships and skilled trades; and local initiatives that support the skilled trades and apprenticeships in Hamilton.


Skilled Trades Job Postings in a Pandemic
The chart above shows the top 10 skilled trades jobs that had the most postings throughout 2020 in Hamilton. However, the majority of skilled trades occupations continued to work through the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the nature of work being essential. The chart above shows there was still a big demand for many skilled trades occupations through all of 2020 and the top skilled trades occupations have grown during the pandemic based on employment statistics.


Skilled Trades Employer Toolkit

WPH developed a partnership with the Mohawk College Apprenticeship Community Hub to create a bespoke digital Toolkit for Skilled Trade Employers aimed at supporting employers during the hiring crisis in our community by providing easily accessible online information.

The Toolkit will support employers through recruitment and retention of apprenticeships, including guidance and tips to successfully on-board and retain apprentices featuring specific information on:
  • Registration
  • Training/Education
  • Monitoring
  • Financial incentives
  • Release to School 
  • Completion

We will be hosting a virtual Zoom forum on March 1st from 8:30-10am, to present the Apprenticeship Employer Tool Kit to skilled trades employers in Hamilton and to gather employer feedback about how this new comprehensive digital Tool Kit can work for employers.

If you are interested in participating in the employer feedback please register your interest through email to michelle.butcher@workforceplanninghamilton.ca - invitations will follow in the coming weeks.


Do you want to to be featured or have something to contribute to the Apprenticeship Spotlight? We'd love to hear from you! Click here to send a direct email with your information.
#HamOnt Employers: Survey Closes Soon!
WPH has partnered with the City of Hamilton to deliver this year’s EmployerOne Survey to collect local labour market information and to also understand how COVID-19 is affecting local businesses.  

Thank you to all the local employers who have completed the survey so far. Your feedback is invaluable.

Apologies if you received the survey from multiple organizations, as we rely on community partners to help distribute the survey as far and wide as possible.

Canada's Unemployment Rate Soars to 9.4% in January
Canada’s job recovery took a major step backwards in January, with the country losing 213,000 jobs as renewed pandemic restrictions took a bite out of economic activity the highest unemployment rate since August 2020. Part-time work in Central Canada accounted for much of the job loss. Ontario and Quebec together lost 251,000 jobs, which was partly offset by small job gains in all other provinces, except Newfoundland, where job levels were statistically unchanged in January.

The January losses were far worse than the 40,000 to 50,000 job decline economists had been expecting. There has been an uneven impact of job losses across industries - for example food and accommodation have been severely negatively impacted by the pandemic with extremely high unemployment rates, but high paid industries such as finance and insurance have mostly recovered to their pre-pandemic rates.

Hamilton Labour Force Information:
December 2020

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the City of Hamilton, Hamilton Economic Development, and the Flamborough and Stoney Creek Chambers of Commerce, are closely monitoring and assessing new developments pertaining to COVID-19, as well as its impacts on Hamilton business.

Workforce Planning Hamilton | 905-521-5777| info@workforceplanninghamilton.ca | www.workforceplanninghamilton.ca