Leaders in Workforce Development

Helping employers, jobseekers and newcomers connect to our skilled, dedicated workforce.

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Skills Development Spotlight: Online Training In Ontario East

Ontario East is filled with skills development programs to help job seekers find sustainable employment while giving local employers access to a reliable and highly-skilled workforce. Right now, job seekers can access apprenticeship programs, co-op programs to learn new skills and get on the job training. Loyalist College’s Elevate Plus program helps Bay of Quinte residents who want to upskill or reskill to enter the local manufacturing or food processing sectors. The Quinte STEP program offers online training in the form of 3 weeks of soft skills training followed by 8 weeks of free training or certification in specialized sectors.
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Get Hiring Help With These Local Immigration Strategies

Ontario East is experiencing a time of exciting growth and recovering rapidly from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but despite that, our region continues to experience a labour shortage. Immigration is the key to solving this problem and filling this shortage. You work hard to create a healthy and happy workplace for your team and Ontario East stakeholders are doing the same for the region as a whole by creating strategies to promote immigration to Ontario East. Read on to learn about how you’ll get hiring help from these local immigration strategies.
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How to Promote Work-Life Balance In the Skilled Trades

Buzzwords in the workplace can be polarizing: synergy, paradigm shift, growth hacking. Sometimes it feels like organizations use buzzwords without knowing what they really mean. Then, sometimes there are words that seem like buzzwords but actually change the workplace for the better. We’ve covered one of these on this blog before, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), and how it’s not only a benefit to your organization but necessary. Another phrase that might get thrown around a lot but just as necessary as DEI? Work-life balance. A lack of it can lead to burnout resulting in reduced productivity, accidents on the job, and high turnover.
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How to Improve Your Work-Life Balance: Battle Skilled Trades Burnout

The term burnout gets thrown around a lot but what does it actually mean and more importantly, how does it affect the skilled trades? While job burnout is not an official medical condition, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) recognizes it as a contributing factor to a person’s mental health and well-being at work. Although, it is difficult to pinpoint exact data on the number of people in the workplace, specifically the skilled trades, experiencing burnout (because it is not an official medical condition), if you want to learn how to improve your work-life balance, avoiding and managing burnout is key.
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Work Placement for Students In Ontario East

Work placement is an opportunity to get on the job training and experience, hone skills, and build a professional network before you start your professional career. There are many options and benefits of work placement for students in Ontario East, and there are some misconceptions about these programs as well. If you want to learn more about work placements for students and why you should do one, you’re in the right place.
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Why You Should Connect With a Workforce Development Board

As an Ontario East employer, have you ever wanted to: use labour market information (LMI) to help you make hiring decisions; understand the market trends that affect hiring; find funding to help you train or hire employees; get help with recruitment; connect with a local employment service agency; find better ways to support employees who need workplace accommodations or have special needs?
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Apprenticeship Programs Ontario Employers Need to Know About

Not every high school, college, or university has the same kinds of work placement programs. High school, college, and university students can participate in co-op programs where in-class learning and hands-on work experience combine to give students training in their sector of interest. Apprenticeship programs are similar but there are some key differences to co-operative education. Read on to learn about apprenticeship programs Ontario employers can benefit from.
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What Is Co-operative Education and Should I Hire Co-op Students?

If you’ve ever had to hire before, chances are you’ve considered co-op students through a co-operative education program as a form of work placement. But hiring co-op students is a bit different than hiring employees, so if you’ve only ever toyed with the idea of hiring co-op students but you’ve never followed through (or if this is your first time hearing about the concept!), this blog post will answer, what is co-operative education, and break down why you should hire co-op students.
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When Should Career Exploration Start? CERIC Says Middle School

When we think of targeting students for the skilled trades, it’s safe to assume that most of us think of high school or post-secondary students. The Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC) wants us to think earlier. CERIC suggests that middle schoolers, approximately grades 4-8 in Canada, have a “strong sense of their personal futures”. If you’re having doubts about that, consider this: have you ever asked a kid in your life, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”. Chances are they took that well intentioned question to heart and they’ve thought long and hard about that decision. A common conversation starter to adults often carries a lot of weight to a child.
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What Is a Workforce Development Specialist and How Can They Help You?

Many entrepreneurs, whether they are new business owners or have been in operation for a while, don’t know about all of the opportunities and programs on offer to municipalities and businesses. If you’re one of them, keep reading! If you’ve ever had to ask: what is a workforce development specialist? Or, if you’ve never even heard of one before, this article will answer those questions and let you know what a workforce development specialist can do for you in Ontario East.
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DEI: What Is It, Why You Need It, and How It Benefits Your Workplace

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). It isn’t a buzzword or a fad. It’s a framework of programs, strategies and policies that aims to create a fair and respectful environment that accommodates every employee's needs. If you’re reading this, chances are you want to know how to implement DEI in your workplace or optimize your current DEI work. Read on, to find answers to these questions and get practical best practice tips for your workplace.
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4 Eastern Ontario Immigration FAQs Answered for Newcomers to Canada

The province of Ontario is preparing to welcome more immigrants than ever over the next few years. If you’re a newcomer to Canada or are planning to immigrate to Ontario, keep reading to learn the answers to frequently asked questions about Ontario immigration, especially to eastern Ontario. Ontario East is a top choice for new Canadians because of its high quality of life, safe rural and small to medium sized communities, low cost of living, short commute times, diverse workplaces, and many opportunities for skills development.
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How to Re-Enter the Workforce Without Sacrificing Quality of Life

Maybe your job was affected by COVID-19; or you’re a parent or caregiver who voluntarily left the workforce to care for your family. Maybe you’ve gone back to school; or you were ill but you’re feeling better now. In the end, your reasons for leaving the workforce aren’t as important as the fact that now, you’re ready to come back.
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A Round Up of (Some of) the Best Resources for Newcomers to Canada

Welcome to Canada! Canada is globally known for our high quality of life, civil liberties, education, economic freedom, gender equality, environmental sustainability, and public services. Canada is home to many cultures and accepts people from all walks of life with open arms. However, no matter what your reason for coming here or how wonderful Canada feels, once you’re here navigating the systems created for newcomers to Canada can be confusing, time consuming, and overwhelming.
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Don’t Overlook This In Your Job Search: Find the Best Quality of Life

When you’re looking for your next job some of the most important factors you look for might be: compensation, benefits, company history and reputation, working hours, job responsibilities, and opportunities for advancement. But there’s one factor you might not consider that’s just as important to your job search success and your professional and personal happiness: quality of life.
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6 Resources for Job Seekers

If you’re in the middle of a job search or even considering entering the job market soon, stop now and read this. We know how stressful job searches can be. The effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the job market combined with factors like inflation, the return to in-person work, skills training needs, personal accommodation needs all contribute to this stress. To help you in your search, whether you’re new to Canada, to eastern Ontario, or a sector, we’ve collected 6 resources for job seekers.
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Get LMI Support and Hiring Help In Eastern Ontario

Let’s start with the basics - if you’re reading this and you know what labour market info (LMI) is and why it’s important, skip down to the next section. But if you don’t, start here. A lot of employers don’t realize the importance LMI can have in your hiring processes; if you’re one of those employers, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Here’s how LMI support provides you with hiring help:
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Learn How to Hire International Students With These 3 Tips

Eastern Ontario is home to many educational institutions, giving employers access to a highly skilled workforce, including international students. Eastern Ontario businesses benefit greatly from recruiting this workforce, since international students are highly motivated; have international work experience; can communicate in multiple languages. Employers who hire international students also demonstrate their commitment to cultural diversity. Get hiring help and learn how to hire international students with these 3 tips:
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5 Quick Tips on How to Attract Talent to Your Business

Eastern Ontario is a rich region, a region rich in quality of life and opportunities for job seekers. It’s easy to attract residents to eastern Ontario when it’s been voted one of the best places to live, multiple times. But how do you attract those residents to come work with you, too? There’s so much hiring help out there that it can become overwhelming for employers to find what works best. To make hiring easier for you, here are 5 tips on how to attract talent you can consider or implement quickly.
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Get Career Planning Help in the Eastern Ontario Region

If you are a student, or know a student (hello teachers and parents!), save this blog post! The eastern Ontario region has an abundance of resources for young people who want to start career planning. You may think it’s too early to start career planning but the truth is it’s never too early (or too late) to start thinking about the kind of career you want, the kind of skills you’ll need, and what you’ll have to do to reach your goal.
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What Are Microaggressions At Work and How Can You Avoid Them?

When you’re introducing DEI strategies into your workplace, there are a lot of new concepts, terms, and ideas to disseminate. Diversity, equity, and inclusion or DEI in the workplace is a conceptual framework that aims to promote the fair treatment and participation of all people, including those from groups that have been historically underrepresented. Continue reading this blog to learn about the concept of microaggressions, why they’re harmful, and how you can avoid them at work to ensure everyone feels safe.
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How to Implement Workplace Equity In Your Business

When we talk about DEI - or diversity, equity, and inclusion - policies in the workplace, diversity and inclusion are straightforward topics. However, equity as a workplace concept may require more explanation. Like, what is the difference between equity and equality? And how do we implement equity at work? Read on to discover the answers to these questions.
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5 DEI Best Practices to Benefit Your Workplace

DEI or diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just buzzwords. They’re sound business practices, the right thing to do. By prioritizing DEI in the workplace, you’re not “on trend”, you’re creating a safe environment for all of your employees.
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Are You Eligible for Express Entry?

The Government of Canada uses the Express Entry program to manage immigration applications from skilled workers. The online system allows the Canadian government to manage permanent resident applications for filling labour gaps while also giving newcomers to Canada a straightforward way to enter and stay in the country.
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Newcomers to Canada Find Training and Jobs in Eastern Ontario

Moving to a new country or region can be overwhelming. It requires a lot of time, energy, and money to prepare, move, and settle in. If you’re a newcomer to Canada, moving to eastern Ontario you will receive access to training, resources, assistance organizations, and a community that welcomes them with open arms. Read on to learn about how Ontario East and the employers of the region are ready to help you settle into your new home.
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Support for Eastern Ontario Employers Starts Here

Ontario East has been a region of choice for employers who want to succeed in all employment sectors, including food and beverage processing, advanced manufacturing, logistics and transportation, and supply chains. Eastern Ontario employers must always be ready to pivot and grow in order to keep up with the changing landscape of workforce trends. Employers, read on to learn about the trends affecting the workforce and the region, tools employers need, and who and how to recruit better.
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Job Seekers: You Want to Read This

The process of finding a job is tough. Job searching is time consuming, stressful, and often demoralizing. Ontario East created and collected this list of resources to help make your job search experience easier. Read on to find more information on upskilling and training programs to help you keep up with your field or enter a new one; get job seeker support; and find out why living and working in eastern Ontario continues to be one of the best decisions job seekers can make.
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Everything to Know About Recruitment and Retention in Eastern Ontario

Recruitment and retention in eastern Ontario is changing, just as the workforce changes. As factors such as, labour shortages, the COVID-19 pandemic, or inflation continue to affect the labour market, employers need tools to help keep up with this ever changing landscape.
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Merge Onto the Road to Recovery: Get Hiring Help from CCA

We all know the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had, on individuals, healthcare, the workforce, education, and society at large. The most diverse neighbourhoods in Ontario experienced higher rates of COVID-19 related hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths compared to neighbourhoods that are less diverse, according to Ontario Public Health. Businesses closed, people lost their jobs, and everyone needed help. According to StatsCan, a vast majority of EI applications received from March 15 to October 3, 2020 were established as CERB claims, representing a total of $74.08 billion. The Canadian Career Academy wanted to tell the story of the early pandemic days and its effects on small to medium sized enterprises in rural and small urban centres in Ontario. The result is the short film, The Road to Recovery.
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The Employer’s Guide to Hiring People With Disabilities

The year 2022 began with an increase of 72% vacancies or 874,700 unfilled positions, according StatsCan. Employers are struggling to find and retain the labour they need. One of the ways to remedy this? Employers can assess their DEI policies and ensure they are taking an inclusive approach to recruiting. Simply by auditing DEI policies, employers can identify ways that they can open up more opportunities to more members of the labour force.
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Learn How to Improve Quality of Work Life for Employees

By now, you’ve heard us beating the drum about the quality of life in eastern Ontario. Ontario East has many jobs, opportunities for education and upskilling, and beautiful places to live. There are community events and resources for job seekers, students, and new Canadians. The quality of life in the region is an excellent enticement not only for newcomers to the region, but to businesses new to the region as well.
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5 Benefits of DEI in the Workplace

You’re always looking for new ways to innovate and grow your business. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a part of that growth. Workplace inclusion has made leaps and bounds in the past sixty years but there’s always room for more growth; according to a McKinsey study in 2019, ethnic minorities made up 13% of executive teams in the US and UK. In Canada, only 1% of corporate leaders in Canada’s largest companies are Black. DEI is necessary, right, and there’s a business case for it as well. Read on to learn more about the benefits of DEI in the workplace.
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A Working List of Organizations Helping Newcomers to Canada

Canadian and Ontario-based organizations and agencies are working hard to help newcomers to Canada find their forever homes and contribute to the workforce. If you are a newcomer to Canada you may already know that many of these organizations exist but don’t know where or how to access them. That’s where this list comes in! We’ve compiled this working list of organizations helping newcomers to Canada - that means we’ll update this list as we get word of new organizations and agencies.
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Use A Diversity Audit Tool to Champion DEI In Your Workplace

It’s easy to throw around the buzzwords associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) but it’s more difficult to do the actual work of diversity, equity, and inclusion. If you’re an employer looking to learn more about DEI and do that hard but important work to make all of our workplaces more diverse, inclusive, and equitable places, read on to learn about diversity audit tools.
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Get Hiring Help By Removing Barriers in Your Hiring Process

One of the most important things you look for when you’re hiring a new employee is if the candidate will be a good fit for your organization. Alignment with company culture is just as important as qualifications and skills for potential candidates. But are you articulating your company culture to your candidates and what a “best fit” candidate looks like in your job postings? Read on, to get hiring help to smooth your hiring process so that potential candidates are always aware of what your company’s needs are.
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Relocation Advice for Newcomers to Canada

So you’re thinking about relocating to Canada, more specifically eastern Ontario. Now what? Eastern Ontario is a region filled with opportunity. Many cities and towns within the region have been voted as some of the best places to live, the quality of life is high and cost of living is low. There are multiple post-secondary institutions with many opportunities for upskilling, training, and education, and many jobs. But the task of relocation can be overwhelming so we’ve collected relocation advice here to help you make the move to eastern Ontario.
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Job Seekers With Disabilities: Connect With Discover Ability Ontario

Chances are, if you’re an Ontario job seeker, you’ve already heard of Magnet (but if not, here’s a quick recap: Magnet is an online platform, connecting job seekers with opportunities in the province). But did you know that Magnet is now powering a new tool to connect employers to people with disabilities. Job seekers with disabilities, meet Discover Ability Ontario.
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Convey Workplace Culture to Protect DEI in Your Organization

It’s no surprise that you want to include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the workplace. DEI is the right thing to do and these initiatives are beneficial to the productivity and success of the business. But even while welcoming DEI in the workplace, you may have left out one step that makes that DEI difficult to implement — and you probably don’t even know that you’ve left it out. Are you adequately conveying your workplace culture in your hiring practices?
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How to Find Co-op Students to Build Your Workplace With New Talent

Co-op students are an easily accessible talent resource for eastern Ontario employers. While COVID concerns have slowed the active recruiting of co-op students to fill job gaps, there are still active co-op programs offered through post-secondary schools in eastern Ontario. Read on to get help on how to find co-op students to get your business back on track with the workers you need.
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Learn How to Hire Military Veterans and Improve Your Team

There is a Hidden Workforce in eastern Ontario with a wealth of skilled people who have been sitting on the periphery of a recruiter’s sights. One faction of the hidden workforce is military veterans. This talent pool is full of proven successful employees with long work histories, yet they're not prioritized in current workforce talent pools. Now, as employers look at how to hire military veterans, this untapped workforce is moving to the forefront.
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Want to Know How to Improve Workplace Culture?

Improving your workplace is an ongoing process. Whether it’s improvement to recruitment and retention, processes, or culture, there are always ways to optimize your workplace. There is one way to improve workplace culture that will give you and your employees far reaching benefits that can spark success in and outside of your business. It starts with your diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Using guidelines to help you attract and hire a diverse staff and provide an inclusive and equitable workplace reduces turnover, improves job performance and strengthens team dynamics. So, if you want to know how to improve workplace culture, look at your diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
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What Does Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Look Like?

By now you’ve probably heard not only about the need for DEI or diversity, equity, and inclusion in your workplace but the business case for DEI efforts. DEI is not just a morally right thing to do. DEI work has been proven to optimize productivity and reduce turnover. But what can diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace look like? Read on to learn more about DEI efforts and how to implement them in your workplace.
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How to Avoid the Great Resignation in Canada

There’s a Great Resignation happening in the United States: it’s a term being used to describe how millions of people have quit their jobs because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. From frontline workers to CEOs, the US is seeing a huge labour shortage while people look for new jobs. It’s predicted that this Great Resignation will be felt in places all over the world. But what about in Canada?
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How to Attract Employees When You’ve Got Lots of Competition

Times are changing and with that so have recruitment priorities for businesses in eastern Ontario. You might feel that you are well versed in how to attract employees, but consider how technology, automation and the COVID-19 pandemic has changed things.
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How to Recruit: Employers Can Attract Great Employees During COVID

COVID-19 has changed the way workplaces function. Physical distancing has prompted more opportunities for remote work. Essential service providers have been prioritized as health care, grocery, pharmacy and delivery workers continued working on the front lines. This reliance on these workplaces has shed some light on how these - and all - workers are compensated, recruited and retained. As an employer, you need to know what employees are looking for in a job and show how you can provide it. Here’s some help to rethink what you’re offering new staff when hiring during a pandemic.
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Eastern Ontario Employers: Adopt 4 Strategies to Ease Labour Shortage

The bank for Canadian entrepreneurs has made it official: there is a labour shortage in Canada. According to a study released in September 2021 by the BDC, 55% of Canadian entrepreneurs are struggling to hire the workers they need to sustain growth.
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How to Retain Employees With Legacy Information and Record Keeping

Recruitment and retention in a post-COVID era means relearning how to recruit on some level. It also means learning how to retain employees you’ve attracted. Worker shortages mean you might not get new hires who can just walk in and know all about your business. They’ll need some guidance and consistent training to get on board faster. That’s where your legacy employees come in, and employers must work hard to retain them, their skill set and their knowledge.
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Recruiting Tips in a Tight Market: Be Number 1

A short talent supply means you have to exert more effort to recruit good, qualified staff. Here are some recruiting tips: a good hire should not be based on luck. Know what you want and what you have to offer (this is huge because workers expect quality from the employers so they can give quality in return).
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Need Recruitment Tips? It’s a Lot Like Sales Right Now

There are so many employers looking to recruit new staff that you need to stand out in the crowd, especially because the process for finding new staff has changed drastically over the last few years and over the course of the pandemic. Much like with sales, by putting your business in front of the right people, you’ll get your vacancies filled, your business will be more productive, and your new employees will thrive. Here are some recruitment tips to help you compete.
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Calling All Job Seekers: Don’t Miss Free Online Training

In April 2021, Ontario employers were actively recruiting for an estimated 250,000 jobs, but by June 2021, Ontario’s unemployment rate was 8.4%. With job seekers in such high demand but the unemployment rate so high, there was clearly a disconnect between employers and job seekers in 2021. One explanation for this disconnect could be that the skills employers needed were not the skills reflected in the applicants. The good news? Up to 100,000 Ontario workers and job seekers could receive free online training to gain the skills and knowledge needed to restart their careers.
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How You Can Improve Pandemic Living by Relocating for Work

The pandemic made us realize that the real-world space we occupy can affect our mental and physical health. If you’re thinking about rejoining the workforce and relocating for work to improve your all-around health options, think about moving to eastern Ontario.
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Job Seekers, Moving to Eastern Ontario Is a Good Investment

Hey there. Yes, you. Hey! Welcome to eastern Ontario where the work is plentiful, the homes are affordable, and there’s lots of lifestyle options so you can choose your own life adventure/life path.
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Enhance Your Workplace With Free Employer Training

The Fleming Employment Hub, created by Muskoka-Kawarthas Employment Services, provides access to FREE training courses to support leadership and enhance the workplace. The Muskokas-Kawarthas Employment Service is a one-stop service for employers and job seekers to find opportunities for sustainable employment, build prosperity, and strengthen the regional economy.
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The Post-Pandemic Workplace

This feature originally appeared in Eastern Workforce Innovation Board’s October 2021 Newsletter, with thanks to the author Diane Soucie.
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6 Business Resources Employers Need to Know About

There are many business resources available to employers who are hiring, looking for grants and funding, training opportunities, and more. But the seemingly simple job of finding all these resources is quite a long research process. To continue to facilitate recruitment and retention in eastern Ontario for all employers, we’ve compiled a list of 7 business resources to help you grow your business.
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5 Tips for Working with Indigenous Peoples from Indigenous Women

First Nations, Metis, and Inuit youth are the fastest-growing age group in Canada, but they are a demographic that is commonly excluded from the workforce. Indigenous people make up 4.9% of the population, and while 1.6% of this group who are aged 25-54 have a college diploma, most have 5-10 years of work experience. This gap in perceived expertise or training, along with bias and discrimination in hiring practices, might be some of the factors keeping Indigenous people from the workforce.
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Start Your Skilled Trade Job Search in Eastern Ontario

When you’ve moved to a new country (or if you’ve lived here for a while) one of the most pressing and stressful tasks ahead is finding a well-paying job. Combine your job search with finding a place to live with a high quality of life, perhaps learning a new language or culture, and navigating immigration bureaucracy, becoming a new Canadian is stressful.
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Recruitment Help For Eastern Ontario Employers

Rate the work-life balance of your employees, and their access to skills development and career planning, on a scale from 1 to 10. Chances are your rating is already pretty high. But if you knew that these factors are some of the most important for job seekers when they’re looking for a new job, would you say your rating is high enough?
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Hiring Tools to Support Talent Retention: Discover LMI Help Desk

Labour market information (LMI) is data gold for the eastern Ontario workforce. Besides providing timely and accurate information about the labour market in our region, the data is used to respond to community needs to optimize the workforce landscape for employers and job seekers in the future.
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Find International Talent With the Ontario Immigration Nominee Program

It’s no secret that there is a workforce shortage in the eastern Ontario region. Through the hard work of employers, job seekers, workforce development professionals, and EDOs, that gap in recruitment and retention in eastern Ontario is beginning to be filled. One of the ways is by attracting more international talent to the region as well as making it easier for employers to hire that talent.
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Get Hiring Help in Eastern Ontario

Right now in eastern Ontario, there are approximately 31,250 residents who are available for work and able to work but are not working. Workforce development professionals call these residents the Hidden Workforce.
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How to Hire Employees Right Now in Eastern Ontario

Right now, there are about 31,250 people locally who could work but are excluded from processes for recruitment and retention in eastern Ontario. This group of people might feel discouraged by the job seeking process, they may be living in poverty, or be affected by other factors like age. Regardless, this hidden workforce is a group of residents who can start working for eastern Ontario employers like you. If you didn’t know about this hidden workforce and are wondering how to hire employees like these right now, read on.
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How to Reduce High Employee Turnover: Start With the Hidden Workforce

As an employer you may find yourself in a near constant cycle of hiring. It’s a carousel that’s difficult to get off of because high employee turnover seems to necessitate it. Workforce development professionals have been studying the labour force participation rate in eastern Ontario to try to solve this exact problem. If you want to learn more about how to reduce high employee turnover and improve recruitment and retention in eastern Ontario, read on.
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Bridge the Workforce Gap With Youth Employee Retention Strategies

There might be a gap in your employee retention strategies if you employ youth or want to employ youth. Youth in eastern Ontario are members of a hidden workforce that are available for employment but are often, unintentionally, overlooked by employers due to gaps in communication because of factors like age and poverty. If you’re employing members of this hidden workforce or you plan to, read on to learn retention strategies to close the gap in communication and keep this powerful workforce in the eastern Ontario community and part of the economy.
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Social Media Recruiting Techniques and Other Strategies to Hire Youth

There’s a hidden workforce in eastern Ontario. It’s a workforce you likely see every day on your way to work, you’ve met this workforce through friends, family, or in your day to day life. Any guesses?
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How to Re-Enter the Workforce: Upskilling for a Good Job

If you’ve been out of work for any length of time it can be a challenge to know how to re-enter the workforce. Your previous jobs might not be available or in-demand anymore because of changes in the economy, automation and new technology.
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How Newcomers to Canada Can Benefit From Immigration Resources

Newcomers to Canada bring diversity to the country. They also provide professional services and skilled labour, which helps to fill gaps in the economy. In Canada, the population is aging and birth rates are down, this means Canada needs new people to continue to grow and flourish. The following immigration resources will provide new Canadians the support you’ll need to settle in Canada.
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How to Overcome Commute Problems for Talent Attraction

Employee commute problems affect all businesses whether you’re located within a transit-served area or off the beaten path. Problems like commuter congestion, lack of service and now COVID-19 safety concerns can wreak havoc on your production and your employees’ ability to make it to work on time or at all.
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Virtual School Tours to Make Your Post-Secondary Choice

Students in eastern Ontario can find exactly what they want from their post-secondary education in the region. Many schools have full- and part-time courses plus continuing education and online learning options. These schools provide the education you’ll need to find good jobs, in sectors like manufacturing, in eastern Ontario and beyond.
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Apprenticeships in Canada Expand Job Seeker Work Opportunities

There are many post-secondary programs in eastern Ontario to help you train for the job you want. Many of the programs support apprenticeship training. Apprenticeships in Canada provide employers with an opportunity to mentor and support a potential long-term employee who’s shown ability and interest in a trade.
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How Spousal Employment Support Can Help When You Move For Your Job

Helping partners find stable work is the foundation of spousal employment support programs. Sometimes the job demands of one half of a couple can complicate the job search and options for the other person.
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Where Are the Best Places to Live in Eastern Ontario?

As newcomers to Canada, there are lots of choices you need to make to get the most out of the community you choose. Your must-have list might include things like getting a great job, finding a nice home, experiencing Canadian arts and culture and securing a good education. In some of the best places to live in eastern Ontario, you can find many communities that provide these and many more benefits to people relocating here.
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Eastern Ontario Employers Creating a Thriving Business in Unsure Times

COVID-19 has disrupted workplaces and business operations globally. Creating a thriving business has been a challenge because of safety concerns, lockdown orders and stresses on labour pools.
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Employers Will Benefit from the Magnet Student Work Placement Program

High school and post-secondary students are a plentiful source of talent for eastern Ontario employers. While younger workers might lack on-the-job experience, they have learned skills and employable qualities that are worth the time and training investment.
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Choose Where You’ll Live Your Dream: Love Rural vs City Living?

In the COVID-19 era, job availability is a vital component to decide your future. Start your search for job opportunities by understanding some of the differences between rural vs city living and quality of life.
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Employers: Here’s How to Attract Talent Using Social Media

I’m sure your business is all set up on social channels. You’re connecting with your customers on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. But have you thought about how you could use social media to attract talent, in addition to using it simply to engage with customers?
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Attract Loyal Workers With Career Advancement Opportunities

Employers who provide their staff with career advancement opportunities can greatly improve the loyalty and productivity of incumbent workers, plus attract new talent. However, it is difficult for employers to know what their employees need in terms of training and career motivation. That's why communication between supervisors and workers is so important to a happy workplace.
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An Online Learning Platform Can Make Your Dream Job a Reality

The world and how we work within it has changed - most recently because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also gradually as technology has given us more access to information we can use for different and more fulfilling careers. Keeping your skills relevant is especially important so you can adapt to shifts in the job market.
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New Career Training Opportunities for Job Seekers

Sure there’s no guarantees in life. But what if you could put yourself in the best position to get what you want from your job? Pathways to Production trains workers for manufacturing jobs available in the communities they live in.
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Attracting Workers: Workplace Health & Safety Is Key Right Now

You’re an employer who’s hiring. In the midst of a pandemic your business is thriving, and you need skilled help. A big hurdle to a full workforce? People are worried about coming to work. It’s not that they don't want to work, they're scared of getting sick.
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How to Switch Careers: Tips for Eastern Ontario Job Seekers

If you’ve lost your job because of COVID-19, you’re not alone. There’s many displaced workers looking for how to switch careers right now. Good news is, you can get trained and working again with the help that’s out there. You can find a new career in sectors that are thriving so you have job security and the resources to manage your life.
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Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Set to Secure Skilled Newcomers

The Eastern Ontario Training Board (EOTB) is leading opportunities for newcomers to Canada to get fast-tracked permanent residency in the eastern Ontario region.
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Eastern Ontario Manufacturing Employers Get Work-Ready Staff

Manufacturing is booming across eastern Ontario, and if you’re an employer you can participate in one of 21 training programs that benefit eastern Ontario employers. For example, if you are a Bay of Quinte manufacturing or food processing employer who struggles to find qualified workforce candidates, consider joining the Elevate Plus program.
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New Job Seekers Find Good Jobs With the YMCA Employment Program

People looking to relocate to Canada - specifically to eastern Ontario - but aren't here yet have programs they can turn to for pre-arrival assistance. If you're already approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the YMCA is here to help you get settled in Canada.
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Newcomers to Canada Get Immigration Support in Eastern Ontario

Relocating to a new country can be overwhelming and maybe downright terrifying for newcomers to Canada. That’s why the Newcomer Employment Welcome Services centre (NEWS) is being established in Cornwall.
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5 Ways Local Immigration Partnerships Help Newcomers Get Established

Newcomers to the eastern Ontario region can look toward Local Immigration Partnerships (LIP) to get settled, get connected and get a job.
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STUFF Magazine Launch a Win for Manufacturing in Eastern Ontario

If you want to know how manufacturing is doing in the eastern Ontario region, read STUFF. STUFF Made and Built in Eastern Ontario boasts a website and online magazine dedicated to the manufacturing sector in eastern Ontario.
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Effective Workforce Development Programs Free to Job Seekers

There’s thousands of jobs to be had in eastern Ontario. If you’re looking for a job here, whether it’s in manufacturing, tourism and hospitality, aviation or food processing, training is available.
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Welcome to Canada: Get Newcomer Employment Services

So, you’ve arrived in Canada. Welcome. Let’s get you started in your life here whether you’ve already got some plans in place or you need help getting settled in your new community.
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Strategic Workforce Planning Draws New Talent

Anyone looking to live well and work where a good life is affordable need look no further than eastern Ontario. The appeal of the many towns in the region to job seekers means employers in the eastern Ontario region benefit from an influx of labour to fill job gaps. Even better, there’s a whole network boosting local workforces with new talent attraction and existing worker upskilling.
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Job Seekers in Eastern Ontario: Enroll in Free Elevate Plus Program

If you are looking for a new career with a steady paycheque that allows you to live a comfortable lifestyle, the Elevate Plus program in the Bay of Quinte can help. Just one of 21 training programs offered in eastern Ontario, Elevate Plus provides free training and on-the-job experience to Bay of Quinte job seekers who want to upskill or reskill for a career in the local manufacturing or food processing industries.
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Highlighting Workforce Development Program Best Practices in Ontario

Newcomers to Canada are a significant addition to labour pools across the country. That’s why recognizing workforce development best practices in Ontario is essential to help make it easy for people new to the country to find work and settle into communities.
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Get Jobs in Kingston Ontario to Live and Work in a Place You Love

Employers are hiring for good jobs in Kingston Ontario so make sure you’re getting all the notifications first. Use livework.kingstoncanada.com to quickly access five job-seeking resources on one website. This job-seeker service is part of a website dedicated to getting you the quality of life you’re looking for by living and working in Kingston.
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Eastern Ontario City Reaches Best Places to Live in Ontario Status

If you’re looking for one of the best places to live in Canada, look no further than the eastern Ontario region. An example of one of the many towns and cities that offer a high quality of life in the region is Kingston. In this blog post, we’ll highlight the city of Kingston. There are over 200 communities within the eastern Ontario region that offer similar opportunities.
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How To Overcome Workforce Challenges Now and Post COVID-19

It’s been a daunting time to be an employer and an employee. COVID-19 has created workforce challenges above and beyond previous barriers to business operations and labour.
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How to Use Labour Market Information for Recent Immigrants

Over the next 10 years, the growth of Canada’s labour force is expected to slow significantly, due to high retirement and low fertility rates. The Labour Market Information Council (LMiC) published a report in 2019, which examined labour market trends both in general and with special focus on labour market information for recent immigrants.
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How to Develop New Skills for Work in the Eastern Ontario Region

Across eastern Ontario there are programs to help job seekers develop new skills. Giving job seekers access to quality training means they can better prepare for stable, full-time work. It also connects them to jobs waiting on the other side of the training. A good example is the upskilling program Elevate Plus which helps job seekers upskill and start working upon graduation with the program’s employers.
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Profile on the Best Place to Find Workers: Have You Heard of Nesda?

If you are an employer who struggles to find qualified candidates to work when you need them, sometimes at the last minute, Ontario East wants to help you optimize your recruitment.
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Have You Heard of SOPA? Access New Talent Quickly and Easily

Eastern Ontario employers, get ready to hire new international talent without doing any paperwork.
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Employers: Quickly & Easily Map Skill Sets With Workforce Tools

If you don’t have the time or staff to read through hundreds of resumes during the hiring process, LinkedIn’s Talent Insights, Jobs and Recruitment tools can help.
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Announcing the Employer One Survey Coming Soon to Eastern Ontario

Beginning in 2012, the Employer One survey has been conducted in various locations in Ontario.
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Best Places to Live Outside of Toronto: 9 Powerful Reasons to Relocate

Things have shifted a lot in the world recently, from jobs to housing, creating the need for many people to consider relocating.
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Make Manufacturing Fun in 2020 with MFG Month Events

October is Manufacturing Month and many businesses and communities will hold Manufacturing Day/Week/Month celebrations during this time.
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Free Recruitment Help for Eastern Ontario Employers

Do you know eastern Ontario employers finding it hard to recruit talent right now? The Eastern Ontario Workforce Development Project (EOWD) has re-launched, and as a result of their strategic plan, have purchased a 1 year subscription to LinkedIn Recruiter.
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6 Manufacturing Facts That Will Blow Your Mind

The story of manufacturing is more than a story about factory lines.
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An Emerging Manufacturing Trend: Cybersecurity

As our lives become more tied to our online experiences and transactions, so grows the need for our businesses to be secured against cyber attacks.
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5 Manufacturing Sectors Thriving in Eastern Ontario

Manufacturing sectors in eastern Ontario are varied and vibrant.
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An Emerging Manufacturing Trend: Robotics

When people think of robotics, they tend to think of pop culture (think C-3PO or the Terminator), probably because many people have never encountered a robot in real life.
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An Emerging Manufacturing Trend: Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing is a huge current manufacturing trend.
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Spotlight on 9 of Eastern Ontario Region’s Innovative Manufacturers

Manufacturing in eastern Ontario is rich with many successful and vibrant sectors, including food processing, signage, plastics, personal care products, acrylics, chemicals and electronics.
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Could the Region Benefit from an Ontario Immigration Strategy?

Regions outside the GTA are struggling to find skilled labour to fill their workforce needs.
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NEW Manufacturing Alliance Makes Manufacturing Accessible and Vibrant

The Eastern Ontario Manufacturing Workforce Development Project (EOMWDP) strives to inform and encourage upcoming generations to consider manufacturing as a career choice.
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No Degree Required: Skills Needed for Manufacturing

As technology continues to support the manufacturing sector, and advances in AI and automation are integrated into the workplace, the need for highly skilled workers is on the rise.
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Attracting and Retaining Millennials in Your Workplace

You can no longer post job openings online and expect applicants to be knocking down your door in droves.
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The Middle Class Is the Norm in Eastern Ontario

News cycles every month highlight the rising cost of housing in major cities and lament the loss of the middle class.
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STUFF Magazine Promotes High-Tech Careers in Manufacturing

Manufacturing employs 65,000 people in the eastern Ontario region alone, helping to make it a prosperous sector for Ontario.
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New Work-Life Balance Trends: The Future of Work Life

The balance between work and life has often caused conflicts in our personal and professional lives. As younger generations enter the workforce, the shift toward work-life balance continues to create some conflict but also to create harmony for the next generation of the workforce.
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The Top Trends in Manufacturing for 2019

A lot has gone on in the manufacturing world this year.
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Manufacturing Companies in Ontario Every Job Seeker Should Know

There are so many amazing manufacturing companies in Ontario.
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3 Trends Transforming the Impact of Technology on Manufacturing

At the end of the year, we highlight up-and-coming trends in manufacturing.
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The Best of Eastern Ontario Manufacturing

The eastern Ontario region is home to an established manufacturing cluster and the industry continues to grow.
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Food Processing Is Big Business in the Eastern Ontario Region

Ontario’s food and beverage processing sector is the largest in Canada, making up 37% of the industry’s revenue in the country.
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Post-Secondary Programs in Ontario That Lead to a Great Life

Manufacturing is an excellent place to start a future career, but if you’re looking to join the manufacturing industry, you may be wondering how to get in.
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The Best Manufacturing Jobs in Eastern Ontario

When you begin to plan the type of work you want to do for the rest of your life, it’s important to make sure you find work in growing industries, where you have job security and great pay.
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Best Ways to Upskill in Manufacturing Training

The end of the year is a time for countdowns and best-of lists, and we’re happy to jump on the trend and remind you of the year’s best tools to upskill in manufacturing training.
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The Best Ways to Optimize Training for Manufacturing Businesses

In manufacturing, technology is constantly improving processes and moving your business forward.
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Top 3 Trends in Manufacturing Jobs

Searching for a great job is a time-consuming task, so you want to make sure you are limiting your search criteria to job sectors that have secure, great paying positions.
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ManufacturingGPS: Eastern Ontario’s LMI Story

This is a guest blog post by Lisa Steudle of EMC (Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium).
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5 Recruitment and Retention Strategies You Need to Know

Even if you don’t have a lot of time to invest in recruiting and retaining workers, these 5 techniques will pay off by generating excitement about the future of manufacturing for your upcoming workforce.
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Manufacturing Trends and AI Industry Trends: Where They Collide

The growing influence of artificial intelligence in our lives will become more commonplace as time goes on.
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Small Cities Rejoice: The True Cost of Big-City Living

Small cities are quickly becoming the place to be. With real estate prices rising to exorbitant rates in large cities and prohibiting a reasonable cost of living for many people, residents are being driven out of big cities and moving to smaller ones.
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Dvine Laboratories: Breaking New Ground in the Eastern Ontario Region

Dvine Laboratories is a developer of e-juice (the liquid used in e-cigarettes) based in Lindsay, Ontario. Dvine Laboratories’ headquarters takes up 30,000 square feet of office space and the company employs 34 people. Business is booming, but this successful, relatively new company says it will stay in Lindsay forever.
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STEM Books for Kids Highlight Manufacturing Trends You Need to Know

We've profiled STEM books for kids before because they’re important for introducing your kids (and you) to the world of STEM and manufacturing trends.
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Maximum Signs in the Eastern Ontario Region

Ron Haslam has been making signs for pretty much all his working life. After leaving school at 15 and starting to work in the sign industry at 16, he found he had a natural talent for it.
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Sustainable Manufacturing Is a Trend for the Future

You may think of manufacturing as a not-very-environmentally friendly industry, but there are many ways manufacturing is going green.
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Opportunities for Working in Eastern Ontario Keep Getting Better

We've written about 5 reasons why you'll want to work in eastern Ontario, and we've thought of 3 more you’ll want to know about. Above and beyond the 5 great reasons, eastern Ontario offers you a great quality of life, access to amazing education and many diverse opportunities to grow your career.
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DVS Manufacturing Carries on the Family Business

The owners of DVS Manufacturing Inc. and Louet North America are a husband and wife team that sell their products all over the world. Dave and Pam Van Stralen’s business is located in the Leeds Grenville area of eastern Ontario. DVS is perhaps best-known for its SquareTM ergonomic knitting needles and crochet hooks.
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Creative Canadians Work at Jarvis Design and Display

Jarvis Design and Display Ltd. has been going strong for 46 years. The company is known for creating signage and in-store wall graphics that appear all across Canada. From store signs outside local grocery stores to washroom graphics or direction signs inside an office building, Jarvis Design and Display has done it all.
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Evonik in Maitland, Ontario, Offers a Responsible Workplace

Evonik Canada Inc. is a global leader in producing specialty chemicals. The Maitland Ontario site of Evonik, which makes hydrogen peroxide, continues to expand. The company currently employs 26 highly skilled local workers in a massive 60,000 square metre facility.
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The Green Beaver Company: Eastern Ontario’s Natural Innovator

Husband and wife duo, Karen Clark and Alain Ménard, started their company to provide their families and all Canadians with healthier personal care products.
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These Technical Textile Manufacturers Are Looking into the Future

Here’s an industry that may not come to mind when you think of the manufacturing sector: technical textile manufacturers. Technical textiles are used in all sorts of places beyond where you would normally think of textiles being used. Industries like construction, transportation, sports, and agriculture all use technical textiles.
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What Is Advanced Manufacturing?

The term “advanced manufacturing” gets thrown around a lot, but it isn’t an easily defined term. Manufacturing, for instance, is the production of products in large quantities. Raw materials are converted into finished products that can then be sold. Manufactured products could be anything from canned soda and frozen pizza to car parts and electronics.
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3 Ways to Attract Investment to Your Manufacturing Business

You’re probably feeling excited. It’s Manufacturing Month and that means that there’s a lot of activity around our industry. Interest in the manufacturing sector is concentrated in this one month, and for thirty-one days you can feel like the star of the show. But we all know this month has to come to an end, and when it does things will go back to normal. Getting new potential investors interested in the industry is harder without all the initiatives that are reserved for Manufacturing Month.
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It's True! A Manufacturing Video Game Exists

There are many ways to increase the profile of eastern Ontario manufacturing. But when it comes to keeping the interest of young people, some employers feel at a loss for how to communicate their passion to the next generation of would-be makers and tinkerers. That’s why it’s useful to look for different methods to express the passion, creativity, and, yes, fun that’s part of the manufacturing world. Let’s explore a cultural phenomenon you might not associate with manufacturing trends: gaming!
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Food Processing Is Big Business in Eastern Ontario

Throughout the month of October our blog is devoted to promoting Manufacturing Month. We’re highlighting job possibilities in the manufacturing sector you may not have thought of before. For example, food processing is a big part of eastern Ontario’s manufacturing industry.
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Learn More About Fast Manufacturing Job Training

October is Manufacturing Month so we’re promoting the manufacturing industry in eastern Ontario all month long. We don’t want you to miss any opportunities for finding manufacturing job training and a great job, so we’re profiling Elevate Plus, a manufacturing training program.
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How to Find a Job in the Manufacturing Sector

October is Manufacturing Month and we're promoting everything about manufacturing in eastern Ontario all month long. One of the best ways we can do that is by helping you find your dream job in the manufacturing sector right here in eastern Ontario.
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Are You the Right Fit for These Manufacturing Jobs?

October is Manufacturing Month so we’re profiling some of the great manufacturing job opportunities available in eastern Ontario. We’ve summarized 7 jobs that range from skilled trades to engineering to managerial positions, offering you lots of options depending on what you’re interested in and where you see yourself in your career future.
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What Is Petrochemical Manufacturing and Does It Exist in Ontario?

The manufacturing sector is an incredibly diverse world. So many industries are a part of it. For example, have you ever heard of petrochemical manufacturing? We have petrochemical manufacturers here in eastern Ontario, in our own backyard, yet not many people are aware of what they do. But, probably everyone has come into contact with a product derived from petrochemicals.
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The Importance of Telecommunications to the Manufacturing Sector

Telecommunications is the process of sending data, images, sounds or messages through wire, radio waves, optical systems or electromagnetic radiation. Examples include the telephone, radio broadcasting, the Internet, television and wireless communications (e.g. WiFi, LTE).
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Manufacturing Month: Research & Recruitment for Employers

FOR RELEASE: October 1, 2019 Alysha Dominico Eastern Ontario Manufacturing Workforce Development Project (EOMWDP) (416) 779-7407 ad@tangiblewords.com
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Let’s Rethink Jobs in the Trades

In the not-so-distant past, many people believed that in order to make a decent living they had to get a university degree. While a degree remains a requirement for certain professions, there are a growing number of high-paying occupations that instead require an apprenticeship. The demand for skilled tradespeople is high in eastern Ontario, where a booming manufacturing sector continues to grow.
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October Is Manufacturing Month: Here’s How Ontario Is Celebrating

Manufacturing Month is a showcase of the innovative, high-tech businesses in Ontario that manufacture a variety of products. Not only are manufacturers fascinating hubs of production, but they are also the backbone of the Ontario economy. The manufacturing industry in eastern Ontario alone employs 65,000 people.
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Will You Be Attending This Manufacturing Conference?

The Tri-Association Manufacturing Conference is taking place on October 24, 2019 at the Cobourg Community Centre. The Northumberland Manufacturers’ Association have put together a day packed with information, demos and strategies to help local manufacturers prepare for the future.
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Are You Prepared for Manufacturing Month?

We've talked before about Manufacturing Day before, but Manufacturing Month is coming in October. Here are some great ways you can embrace the spirit of the month and promote manufacturing trends and the jobs they create in eastern Ontario.
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Manufacturing Trends: What is Lean Manufacturing?

If you haven’t grown up in it, the manufacturing industry can seem like a different world. Every industry has its own jargon, its own language and short-forms, and manufacturing is no exception.
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Fleming College Prepares You For An Exciting Career in Manufacturing

Fleming College has four campuses throughout Ontario, including Peterborough, Lindsay, Haliburton and Cobourg.
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Have You Considered Working in Cannabis? Check Out Canntech Services

With the fall of cannabis prohibition in Canada in October 2018, recreational weed has hit the market in a huge way, and it’s become a way for Canadian manufacturing companies to get a big leg up on international competition.
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Find New High-Tech Jobs On an Awesome Tour of Manufacturing

On October 9th, 2019, Peterborough and the Kawarthas are hosting an open door tour of manufacturing companies. Over 40 participants are already expected, including guidance counsellors, pathways consultants and teachers from the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board (PVNCCDSB) and the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (KPRDSB).
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Manufacturing Supply Chains Make Eastern Ontario Great

You may not have realized this but, if you’ve been living anywhere in eastern Ontario, you’ve been living in a manufacturing hub. And this isn’t just the way it is now; eastern Ontario has been a manufacturing centre for quite some time. It’s amazing what can go on right under your nose if you’re not looking for it!
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Queen's University Can Launch Your Career in Manufacturing

Queen’s University in Kingston (which is in eastern Ontario) is 175 years old with a tradition of academic excellence and a beautiful waterfront campus. Queen’s is a full-spectrum, research-intensive university.
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How To Help Improve Eastern Ontario Apprenticeship Training

In meetings with your manufacturing managers, you’ve likely discussed the training that apprentices in your workforce have received. When your team has identified gaps in apprenticeship training, you then have to correct the issues in-house.
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How To Build The Best Manufacturing Career At Loyalist College

Loyalist College is an English-language college located on more than 200 beautiful acres in Belleville, which is located in eastern Ontario. More learners are choosing Loyalist College because of its supportive and engaging culture. Students feel empowered by their post-secondary journey, which takes them to careers where they will succeed and excel.
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Do You Know These Basic Manufacturing Terms?

If you haven’t worked in the manufacturing industry before, some terms may be confusing. Every industry uses its own jargon and unique way of communicating, and manufacturing does as well.
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Are You Up for a Manufacturing Industry Award?

In eastern Ontario, there are many organizations and associations that provide support services and hand out annual manufacturing industry awards. Putting your company into a position to win one of these awards is not just good for morale and publicity–it can help generate more sales.
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Eastern Ontario Manufacturing Spotlight: Longevity Acrylics

It’s a fine day to get to know a local eastern Ontario manufacturer. Longevity Acrylics Inc. is a bathware manufacturing company, based in Summerstown Ontario, that manufactures 100% cast acrylic bathware designs.
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Lanthier Bakery Puts Eastern Ontario on the Map

Lanthier Bakery, located in Alexandria Ontario, was founded by Georges and Adrienne Lanthier in 1932. Back then, Lanthier was one of four bakeries in Alexandria that sold fresh bread and pastries door to door.
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How to Modernize Employment and Skills in Manufacturing

Canada’s economy is doing very well. There has been plenty of job creation in past years and the GTA is in particularly fine form. Ontario’s unemployment rate has been hovering just below 6%, and skilled immigrants are coming from all parts of the globe to take part in Ontario’s workforce.
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Modernize Investment in Training and Development in Manufacturing

When most people think about workplace training, they think about onboarding training for new employees, or the sort of annual “check the box” training that most people (including even sometimes the people who give the training) don’t take very seriously.
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Laminacorr Thrives in the Competitive Corrugated Plastics Industry

Laminacorr has operated in manufacturing in eastern Ontario since 2013 in the Cornwall Business Park. The 21-year-old company owned by Guy Robichaud and family employs 60 workers and has grown to be the largest independent corrugated plastics product manufacturer in North America.
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SigmaPoint Technologies’ Bold Vision of Electronic Manufacturing

SigmaPoint Technologies is located in Cornwall in eastern Ontario, and was founded in 1999 by Dan Bergeron, who still runs the company today. The company culture respects every person and has successfully grown from 5 to over 300 committed employees in 20 years.
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How to Thrive in Winter in Canada

As the Baby Boomer generation leaves the workforce, many new jobs are becoming available across the country, especially in manufacturing. There are many opportunities in Canada, including in the eastern Ontario region, for new Canadians.
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Increase Your Job Prospects with SkillsAdvance Ontario (SAO)

SkillsAdvance Ontario (SAO) can help you find available jobs in manufacturing and will set you up with the skills development you need. The SAO program exists to give you the best shot possible at landing a secure, well-paying, exciting job in eastern Ontario’s manufacturing sector.
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How to Boost Hiring with the Eastern Ontario Training Board

Rather than trying to do everything within your manufacturing company, there are many resources available to you right in eastern Ontario. In addition to your local workforce development offices and economic development officers, you have the Eastern Ontario Training Board to help you with hiring and employee retention.
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Play the Game of Life in Eastern Ontario… and Win

Dear reader, I have a question for you. What is life?
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What’s Life Actually Like in Eastern Ontario?

As house prices and the general cost of living continue to climb in major cities, you might be considering alternatives. You need to first find a location that has a perfect job for you. Then you can start to look into what life is like in other cities in Ontario. The province’s best kept secret for work-life balance is living in eastern Ontario.
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Manufacturing Trends That You Need to Know

The manufacturing industry is entrenched in eastern Ontario, but is rapidly changing and improving in response to many external factors. To continue to thrive, manufacturing needs to stay on top of key trends.
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Looking for Your Next Manufacturing Business Magazine?

You're busy running a business: hiring, training, and keeping up with technology, manufacturing trends, and sector changes. You likely don't have much time to go out and find manufacturing resources, so we've compiled the top 3 magazines for you.
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3 Ways to Welcome New Canadians to Your Business

New Canadians are an important talent source for manufacturers, but they're dealing with a lot: moving to a new place, acclimatizing to a new culture and its customs, unfamiliar weather, and maybe learning a second or third language as well. Here are 3 ways your manufacturing company can welcome new Canadians.
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Moving to Canada? Here's What to Expect from Canadian Weather

As a new Canadian, you may be excited about the opportunities in Canada’s eastern Ontario region, like the many manufacturing jobs opening up over the next few years as Baby Boomers leave the workforce.
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What’s Life Like in Cornwall and the Surrounding Area?

Baby Boomers are retiring and manufacturing jobs are becoming available. The Eastern Ontario Manufacturing Workforce Development Plan (EOMWDP) data indicates that in the last quarter of 2017, there were 320 jobs available in manufacturing in Cornwall and surrounding areas. That’s 2 times more than 2016’s last quarter, a sign that Baby Boomers are increasingly leaving the eastern Ontario workforce. Some of those jobs are found in the Ottawa area.
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Use Virtual Reality to Find Out if Manufacturing Is the Career for You

What if you could simulate what your future career would look like before you made plans for education and training? You might find that the career you are planning for isn’t what you thought it was. Or you might find that it’s even more interesting and exciting than you anticipated.
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You Don’t Have to Leave Your Post Secondary Community After Graduation

After graduating from college or university, your first thought is likely to move back home while you figure out where you’re going to work. It’s cheaper to live at home with your family in the short term, and you’re familiar with your hometown, the jobs that are possible there, and the network you can tap into. But it’s worth considering staying in your post secondary community for a few key reasons.
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Optimize Your Hiring Process with Magnet

Knowing where to post your job opportunities online can be a daunting task, with many options available, all requiring different formats. To simplify the hiring process and optimize your chances of finding the best candidates, there is a new online platform–Magnet–where you can post once, and it will distribute your opportunity to major online job boards.
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Job Searching? Here’s Why You Want to Be on Magnet

If you’ve been online searching for jobs, you’ve likely come across the usual suspects: Indeed, Monster, or even jobs posted on specific company websites. The job board that you might not have heard of yet, but that is worth signing up for, is Magnet.
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Worried About Labour Retention for Ontario Manufacturing?

As Baby Boomers increasingly leave the workforce over the next decade for retirement, the next generation of workers will need to take their place. In past blog posts, we’ve discussed many methods of attracting Millennial workers to manufacturing. But that’s only half the puzzle.
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Optimize Your Manufacturing Training Onboarding Process

You are aware that most often an employee onboarding process can be overwhelming both to the organization and the new employee. Onboarding is often filled with bureaucracy and tedium at best and, at worst, is an experience so unpleasant that it contributes to high employee turnover.
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Two Manufacturing Books That Won't Bore Your Teens to Death

You know your students and children best. Maybe you have one who you believe could flourish in STEM. You’ve watched their skills development journey, and found them to be a curious person (always taking things apart and putting those things back together again) or technologically adept. Perhaps they work well in teams or are always looking for a more efficient way of getting jobs done.
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Promote Manufacturing with Historical Figures Like Rosie the Riveter

Promoting the history of manufacturing is a great way to help people see where manufacturing comes from and help them imagine themselves as a member of the workforce. As one way to reach people with this information, consider sharing blog posts, e-books, or social media posts about some of the great people in manufacturing history.
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We Need More Women in Manufacturing

Women account for 48% of the Canadian workforce, but only 28% of the manufacturing workforce. This job rate share hasn't changed for 30 years, according to Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME).
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Attention Parents: Discover These STEM Books for Preschool

One of the Eastern Ontario Manufacturing Workforce Development Plan (EOMWDP) mandates is to educate the eastern Ontario community about the vast opportunities in manufacturing. When we make manufacturing accessible to youth, we help them see themselves in this exciting world of technology and innovation.
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Upskill Now: Optimize Tech and Robotics Skills in Manufacturing

Upskilling your manufacturing employees is essential in an increasingly technological world. Manufacturers in the Quinte region have communicated their need for talent that can work with and repair computers.
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Don’t Worry About Losing Jobs to AI

Many job seekers worry about the future of technology, and how the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) will affect the number of available jobs. While pictures like this robot can make it seem that we are creating machines to replace humans, the majority of real-world applications are more similar to the picture below of a person assisted by software on a laptop.
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Manufacturing Job Profiles: Process Control Engineer

Process control engineering is the 8th most popular manufacturing job in eastern Ontario, according to data collected by the Eastern Ontario Manufacturing Workforce Development Project (or EOMWDP for short).
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Manufacturers Assemble: Graphic Novel About Manufacturing!

One of our goals with this blog is to help manufacturing employers in eastern Ontario connect with the next generation of workers, a generation that some employers may feel completely out of touch with. That’s why we’re always on the lookout for big cultural hits that can be used to help young people see that manufacturing is an exciting industry full of opportunity. This time we’ve come across a particular item you might be interested in: a graphic novel all about manufacturing.
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How to Write a Great Resumé for a Job in Manufacturing

Manufacturing is a dynamic and cutting-edge industry, so you’re going to want to update your resumé to match. No matter what your current skill set is, these are easy ways to spruce up your resumé so it gets to the top of the pile.
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How to Prepare for Job Fairs in Ontario Manufacturing

To truly maximize the return on your investment, and ensure you’re attracting the best and brightest, here’s what you should consider and prepare for as a participant of job fairs.
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What’s Life Like in the Kingston-Pembroke Economic Region?

The region of Kingston-Pembroke is located in eastern Ontario, and includes the towns of Belleville, Kingston, Petawawa, and Pembroke. These cities all have access to beautiful waterfront, whether on Lake Ontario or along the Ottawa River. In addition, the region has a strong manufacturing sector that continues to employ many local residents.
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Could Ontarian Cuisine Make It on Netflix Shows About Cooking?

The second episode of the Netflix docuseries Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is all about salt. The show’s host, Samin Nosrat, visits Japan to document the uses of salt and salty tastes in Japanese cooking to make exceptional food. She explores the process of making traditional soy sauce, gathering sea salt from strands of seaweed, (moshio) and making miso soup from scratch.
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Can You Picture Living and Working in the Kawartha Region?

Eastern Ontario is an amazing place to live and raise a family. The region is full of culture, vibrance, and economic prosperity. To help you decide if the eastern Ontario region is a place you’d like to relocate to, we’ve compiled a list of the benefits of the towns in the Kawartha area and what they have to offer job seekers.
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