NPI: A New Year and a New Local Labour Market Plan

Press Release

March 2022 – Planning for tomorrow starts today. And for the North Superior Workforce Planning Board, this means pulling together data and knowledge from community players to create their annual Local Labour Market Plan.

Setting the Course: Navigating the North Superior Workforce in 2022-2023, completed in partnership with Northern Policy Institute, examines labour market challenges and opportunities, Employment Ontario clients’ trends, and provides recommendations for NSWPB moving forward.

Overall, the picture of the labour market we are left with is one in which the COVID-19 pandemic is still an influencing factor and some issues that have persisted prior to the pandemic continue to be important such as Indigenous training and education, the need for quality data, or access hurdles for EO clients (e.g., digital, transportation).

The impact of COVID-19 on the economy and labour market has manifested itself in various ways. For example, there has been a noticeable shift in one’s relationship to work, whether this be what individuals are looking for in a job or how they work (such as working from home if they can). For Employment Ontario service providers, there were noted coordination challenges, as well as difficulties with staff turnover and job hopping, which can impact the flow of referrals between agencies.

The report also finds there are notable differences between males and females in the labour market. The latter tend to be found more in part-time employment positions compared to males. Additionally, males are overwhelmingly found in trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations, followed by manufacturing and utilities occupations, and natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations.

Finally, industries such as tourism, information technology and e-commerce, mining and healthcare were identified as areas of future growth, among others. For the District of Thunder Bay, the health care industry is one of the top employing industries.

“From students to business owners to retirees, the choices they make in the local economy impact decision making,” says Madge Richardson, Executive Director at the North Superior Workforce Planning Board. “This year’s local labour market plan will be critical in guiding NSWPB and others on how best to support a healthy labour market and economy. “

LINK: https://www.northernpolicy.ca/new-local-labour-market-plan

This report was created as part of the Northern Analyst Collective. This project allows members to “time share” a professional policy analyst. By merging our collective

resources, we can ensure that the smallest municipality or local charity can access high-end skills at an affordable cost. For more information on the program click here..

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Media Interviews: North Superior Workforce Planning Board Executive Director, Madge Richardson and NPI Research Manager Rachel Rizzuto are available for comment. To arrange an interview, please contact:

Corey Wilkinson
Communications Coordinator
807-343-8858
cwilkinson@northernpolicy.ca

About Northern Policy Institute:

Northern Policy Institute is Northern Ontario’s independent think tank. We perform research, collect and disseminate evidence, and identify policy opportunities to support the growth of sustainable Northern communities. Our operations are located in Thunder Bay, Sudbury and Kirkland Lake. We seek to enhance Northern Ontario’s capacity to take the lead position on socio-economic policy that impacts Northern Ontario, Ontario, and Canada as a whole.

About North Superior Workforce Planning Board:

North Superior Workforce Planning Board is northwestern Ontario’s local employment council. The planning board works to connect community partners with a vision to improve the quality of life in our communities through workforce development.

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