How to Get the Most Out of Job Opportunities in Eastern Ontario

Nationally, about 86 percent of manufacturers are reporting having difficulties hiring despite the manufacturing industry’s growing strength. Eastern Ontario employs some 65,000 people, and in this region, hiring difficulties appear linked to a skills shortage in the workforce. This skills shortage is not the fault of job seekers but a result of the changing nature of jobs.

In eastern Ontario, there are plenty of job opportunities that need to be filled. If you haven’t considered working in manufacturing before, training is available. Manufacturing has received an undeserved bad rep in the past, but it’s actually a high-tech, clean, stable industry.

There are many tools available to help you find job opportunities in manufacturing in eastern Ontario as well. And considering the difficulties employers are having hiring, chances are you can find a stable job, rewarding career path and loyal employers in the manufacturing sector in eastern Ontario if you can match your skills to the right position.

Job Opportunities in Manufacturing in Eastern Ontario

The retiring baby boomer generation, who currently make up 18% of the population and about 55% of the workforce, is leaving gaps in the workforce. Already the following positions need to be filled:

Entry-level labourers
Skilled trades, such as industrial millwrights and electricians
Engineering professionals, such as manufacturing and chemical engineers
IT professionals, such as computer programmers and systems analysts
Purchasers
Human resource professionals

Skill sets that combine soft and hard skills will be highly desirable in future employees. Manufacturing requires people to have soft skills in order to work together to solve problems, and as technology continues to evolve, employees will need to be able to adapt, problem solve and effectively communicate as part of a team or in leadership positions.

How to Find Job Opportunities in Eastern Ontario

Employment Ontario is a great resource for people of any demographic looking for work. Their online search resource Employment & Training Services and the program Youth Job Connection link job seekers to employment, as well as to financial support for clients in identified groups, such as youth, immigrants and newcomers.

Worxica.com is North America’s first job market research tool. It tracks Canadian job market trends by collecting and analyzing information from millions of Canadian job ads found online in the past year. Worxica answers questions like:

How many job postings were advertised in the past year in your selected occupation, in your region?
Who was hiring?
What skills and certifications did they require?
How much did they pay?
How does your region compare to the rest of your province and/or territory?

If you are a job seeker or a student, you can find the skills and certifications local employers require in your selected occupation. Adding them to your resume will improve your chances of getting hired. You can also identify local employers who have been looking for people with your skills, then connect with them. There is a good chance they will be hiring again in the future. Information about recently advertised salaries can help you negotiate your compensation with your boss or future employer as well.

Employers are also looking for manufacturing job seekers on LinkedIn through the LinkedIn Talent Insights, Jobs, and Recruitment tools. Make sure you are active on LinkedIn!

Magnet is a not-for-profit social initiative co-founded in 2014 by Ryerson University and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, with an aim to eradicate youth and new immigrant unemployment and underemployment.

As a student or alumni, Magnet provides you an opportunity to:

highlight and showcase your education, skills, projects and qualifications
privately and securely disclose any relevant employment equity category, such as a disability
receive targeted messages from employers based on your profile

As you can see, there are many resources for people seeking job opportunities in eastern Ontario.

Make your job search easier with manufacturing job fairs!

How to Get Training for Job Opportunities in Eastern Ontario

Even if you don’t have experience in manufacturing, there are ways you can get the training you need. There are apprenticeships and training opportunities available to teach you about manufacturing so you can upskill for the future of work.

Elevate Plus provides free training and hands-on experience for a career in the Bay of Quinte manufacturing sector. They provide a free 6-week training program to train adults for jobs in the manufacturing and food processing industry and provide job placements.

Fleming College Training offers a Manufacturing Operating Certificate, a program that provides relevant, up-to-date and practical training for manufacturing employees. The program promotes a culture of lean processes and continuous improvement, building more effective work teams, and enhancing individual responsibility for manufacturing processes.

Youth Skills Connections runs a 26-week training program focused on entry-level Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machinists. This learning program is to provide 80 youth (aged 18-29) with on-the-job training experience specifically so they can learn CNC machining skills, leading to placements within the manufacturing sector. The program financially supports manufacturers throughout the training and work program.

There are emerging technologies in manufacturing that you may already have experience with as well. So you will be interested to hear that despite the increased technology involved in manufacturing, jobs will not disappear - they will change. Automation will not replace people, for example. Automation may change the nature of some jobs, requiring job seekers to find the overlap between their current skills and the new tasks created by automation.

Job Opportunities for People Outside of Eastern Ontario

Don’t let not being from eastern Ontario stop you from considering working and living here. Not only are there more jobs available in the manufacturing sector as baby boomers exit the workforce, but the quality of life in eastern Ontario is very high.

Eastern Ontario has more than 200 communities, thousands of businesses, and nearly 2 million residents. Family homes are affordable and the many communities in eastern Ontario (such as Belleville, Kingston, Ottawa, Quinte West) have all the amenities you want and need for you and your family.

Eastern Ontario can provide you with advancement opportunities in your professional life while improving the quality of life for you and your family.