LEPC 1.0
Deliverable name: Produce occupational reports on two dominant industries, highlighting occupations in demand and skills sets required for those industries.
Overview: The desire for better labour market information is rampant and applies to all industries and occupations. The desire is not so much for data as it is for data analysis and qualitative insights that describe the hiring and advancement dynamics within each sector, and expectations of job candidates. The Community Planning Table chose the two sectors from among a short-list of dominant industries in the local area, which includes: the Supply Chain sector; the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services sector; and the Healthcare sector. As a result, a short-list of dominant industries was prepared, based on the following criteria: each industry (1) represented a significant proportion of employed residents – at least 5%; (2) offered a mix and range of occupations, by function and skill level; and (3) could benefit from workforce development initiatives. One of the methods was to interview with employers to clarify present recruitment and training needs, skills misalignments and future forecasts, possible career pathways, and so on. Each industry study aims for up to 30 employer interviews, representing different industry sub-sectors and size of establishments.
Click here to download the “Peel Halton Supply Chain Report”
Click here to download the “Professional, Scientific & Technical Services Industry”
Deliverable name: Develop a labour market characteristics report detailing the demographic characteristics of the labour force of Peel Halton residents.
Overview: Employers & Economic Development Offices in the community seek information about the supply side of the Peel and Halton labour market: what are the characteristics of who is employed and of who is unemployed and looking for work. The report provides insights regarding information that is requested by employers who are seeking job candidates, businesses who are thinking of locating in Peel or Halton, and various services aimed at assisting residents in their job search, education, and career choices. Employers & economic development offices engaged in interviews for the Peel Halton Employer Surveys (2012-2015) and the Local Labour Market Planning Process (2010-2015) have consistently asked for data describing the supply side of the Peel Halton Labour market. In terms of methodology, the National Household Survey will serve as a prime source for data, because it allows for considerable cross-tabulation at a smaller geographic scale.
Deliverable name: Further develop LMI distribution tools: www.workinginpeelhalton.com, weekly newsletters & social media feeds about current, local relevant LMI
Overview: The provision of current labour market information (LMI) on an ongoing basis is imperative for the community to support employment services, job seekers, residents & employers who have consistently requested the provision of current, local and reliable LMI. Through iterations of different platforms, this led to the www.workinginpeelhalton.com website in 2013. This tool has been successful not only in providing LMI but also in teaching users on how to use the LMI to meet their needs. One of the methods is to monitor local labor market activities via media, employer websites, partner websites and local partners, regarding significant employment events (company openings, expansions, lay-offs) as well as by reviewing the current platform and consult with a cross-section of users/potential users on how well their needs are being met and what could be done differently to better meet their LMI needs.
Deliverable name: Develop the 2016 Peel Halton Employer Survey report on employer hiring practices; challenges; HR issues & industry trends
Overview: An employer survey allows for the collection of more qualitative labour market information. We do not attempt to elicit information that can typically be obtained elsewhere (for example, the mix of occupations for a given industry). Rather, we seek to understand what kinds of decisions employers make respecting hiring, promotion, and training, and what drives these decisions. This information provides insights into the factors influencing the labour market and is relevant to employment services, educational institutions and training bodies, and others interested in workforce development. The survey is developed with the input on an advisory committee representing a broad cross-section of stakeholders that include employment service agencies, educators, employers, municipalities, HRPA.
Deliverable name: Produce a map of available training and employment support services to support Peel Halton regions.
Overview: Through the community consultations held by the Peel Halton Workforce Development Group and the LEPC, stakeholders have expressed a gap in understanding of the services and training supports available across both regions. Furthermore, there is a disconnection between the needs and supports available through services and the needs of employers. These maps and corresponding analysis will bridge that gap and allow the sector to see the connection between services and employers. Furthermore, the maps will be used to engage stakeholders in confirming the understandings LEPC is drawing from them in terms of funding relationships, and to identify system champions and system challenges. The maps will contribute to a better understanding of referral needs for the hub model being tested. Furthermore, the maps will allow LEPC to make recommendations around how each support fits and can be leveraged – the maps will also be a precursor for recommendations for better coordination and seamless service.
Deliverable name: Enhance the provision of streamlined and simplified access to employment and training services for employers through the Talent Hub process to increase the number of employers accessing services with ease
Overview: In the first phase of the LEPC project, the early stage of a Talent Hub was created with the objective of providing a seamless, no-wrong-door collaborative and coordinated approach to simplified service access. The process connects employers, industry associations to local employment and training service providers, as a “one-stop-shop”, based on the specific needs of the former employer/industry groups. At the center of the hub is the employer who is referred by LEPC with the relevant service provider based on her/his needs. The hub acts as a key source of employer referrals into the employment and training service provider system. The Talent Hub process has been developed in close consultation with service providers and input from the employers, in a way that would satisfy the needs of employers while leveraging the collective expertise of service providers. An online portal has been developed to operationalize the Talent Hub process of service coordination. The Talent Hub is only in its infancy in terms of scope, volume, and efficiencies. The continuation of the hub is to implement the changes and feedback provided by employers and EO service providers maximizing the benefits to employers, service providers, and job seekers. It allows more time to increase the number of employer referrals to EO service providers and the number of open job opportunities for potential job matches and placements, all of which will lead to an increased number of employed job seekers on one hand and satisfied employers on the other.
Deliverable name: Research Project – Focus on Manufacturing – A report that identifies key workforce challenges for local manufacturers and recommends concrete strategies for subsequent action.
Overview: Our key informant interviews and stakeholder consultations have identified manufacturing as the prime local industry warranting workforce development support. In 2011, manufacturing accounted for 15% of all jobs in each of Peel and Halton. Despite manufacturing being a dominant sector, an aging workforce & higher skills requirements pose challenges for manufacturing, while competitive pressures require that manufacturers adopt more effective workforce practices. Manufacturing is one of the most important industries in Peel and Halton Regions. Even with declines in employment and production, manufacturing accounted for 14% of all local employment (2014 figures) and 17% of local GDP (2013 figures). The LEPC consultation with key informants confirmed that local stakeholders view manufacturing as the priority industry when it comes to workforce development. With a reduced workforce, local manufacturers face labour force challenges, such as (1) Workers in manufacturing in Peel and Halton are older than the local labour force, (2) certain manufacturing occupations are in short supply across most regions, (3) Certain occupations are in shorter supply because of competition from other industries, and (4) consultations also indicated that there is a great need to generate more manufacturing managers. These challenges require longer-term and system-level solutions. One of the methods is to approach those manufacturers who have already expressed an interest in working with others to address workforce challenges, as well as using the networks of our partners to approach other manufacturers to assess their appetite for such an initiative.
Deliverable name: Internal Research Project – Develop a collective employer strategy and action plan to seamlessly fulfill the HR needs of employers and job seekers in Peel Halton
Overview: Consultations with the LEPC Central Planning Table identified a need to gain a more accurate understanding of how the service providers can work collectively towards improving employment across both regions. There is a gap in a coordinated approach to providing services for employers & residents. Using a pilot, a handful of service providers will work towards understanding the factors, data, service coordination, & integrated planning necessary to think about how to achieve system success. This pilot will allow for a deeper understanding of potential barriers, challenges, and opportunities that can be brought to the forefront of discussions with stakeholders, job seekers, employers, and funders. This pilot seeks to use a Collective Impact framework to develop a more comprehensive understanding for service providers so their strategies for service delivery resonate and align with the needs of employers and job seekers. Furthermore, if participating employment services are inclined to practically testing the common agenda approach, this pilot will implement its learnings and begin testing the model with the participating employment services. The pilot will engage partners that already have a culture of collective action and collaboration so the pilot can have effective discussions around shared agendas, shared outcomes, and shared measurement and shared success.
Deliverable name: External Research Project: Promote High Skills Good Jobs – A report which will highlight the opportunities and challenges related to high-skilled jobs that are present in Peel and Halton, and insights relevant to a range of labour market stakeholders.
Overview: The knowledge economy is often viewed as the locus of high-skilled jobs, which typically involve better jobs. However, little is known about the dynamics of the knowledge economy labour market in Peel and Halton. Our stakeholder consultations (employers, service providers, etc.) during 2015 show a desire for insights into local challenges regarding high skilled occupations. Insights on what qualifications are required; which educational pathways; what career advancement opportunities exist; how to engage marginalized populations; and how to address precarious employment conditions. This research project would aim to address that gap, as well as propose recommendations that speak to a number of issues, such as the degree to which the large body of internationally-trained professionals is able to successfully access the local knowledge economy. While we cannot presume to know the precise approach that may be proposed by the organization selected to lead this project, it is probably safe to say that this project will likely be limited by the lack of precise local labour market data at a sufficiently granular level, particularly in relation to very specific occupations as opposed to broad occupational categories. This Project will be led by a community partner to be determined by a transparent process.
Deliverable name: Develop and pilot an online blog on the LEPC website to share best practices that arise from the LEPC pilots.
Overview: With seven other LEPC’s being piloted across the province there is a new opportunity to share the information which will benefit our stakeholders in Peel & Halton. A communication platform with blogging is developed to easily share the outcomes from our LEPC and best practices from other LEPC’s across Ontario with our stakeholders. The solutions that the LEPC create will be most successful when the people directly or indirectly impacted by the changes participate in the process of the work. The proper collection and sharing of information is critical to the LEPC and will assist us in providing transparent delivery of services to all stakeholder while inviting participation. This Project will help the LEPC in reporting on its activities, progress, research and findings to the CPT, its working groups and its various project stakeholders. By creating a mechanism for information sharing and for the dissemination of information, our online forum/communications portal will act as a critical enabler to the strategic plan. In order to assess the pilot projects progress, one of the methods will be used: an online Self-Report Questionnaires, a knowledge assessment tool, discussion board activities, conduct a qualitative analysis of the discussion board content and using Google Analytics to track and evaluate website visitors.
