What's New

The Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie held 3 "community conversations" in early 2012 with organizations interested in labour market planning.

The sessions were a key element in the community consultations that will inform the Workfore Planning Board's Labour Market Plan for 2012-13.

Sessions were held in Norfolk, Brantford and Six Nations, with a total of 73 participants from across the Grand Erie region.

Participants were asked to talk about these 3 questions:

1. What does a leading-edge workfore look like?
2. How can we, as a community, utilize our resources, capacity and strengths to create sustainable employment opportunities for a leading edge workforce?
3. What does our community have going for it?

The ideas participants came up with were then collected into themes.

A report on the community conversations is now avaible. Click on the report cover to read.

Nineteen inspirational stories about 19 amazing people.

That's what we got when the Education Works Alliance asked the community for nominations of Education Works Champions: positive role models who show the value of education and training.

Our champions range in age from 19 to 60 and come from across Grand Erie: Brantford, Paris, Six Nations, Jarvis, Simcoe, Nanticoke, Waterford.

Many of these Champions have had to overcome huge hurdles to achieve their goals: lack of money, job losses, family issues, personal challenges, lack of self-confidence, even fear of going back to school.

But these Champions show that anything is possible -- and that Education Works.

The Champions' stories also show that there are a lot of helpful, caring people, organizatins and educational facilities in our community, ready to assist people every step of the way to achieve their potential.

Nineteen Education Works Champions will be recognized in a special newspaper section being published to promote the importance of education and lifelong learning.

The Champions, ranging in age from 19 to 60, are positive role models who demonstrate the value of education and training. They show that Education Works.

Stories include profile of people who:

• We're high school dropout and now have finished Grade 12 and/or gone to post-secondary;
• Lost their jobs, used Second Career to go back to school and have started new careers;
• Are believers in lifelong learning and continuing education;
• Are the first in their family go finish Grade 12 or go to college or university.

The newspaper section is part of a public campaign to encourage Grand Erie residents to pursue their educational opportunities to the fullest, helping ensure they have access to good careers and helping build our community's prosperity.

The Education Works Alliance is publishing the 24-page newspaper section in the Brant Connection, the Tuesday Times-Reformer in Norfolk and the Dunnville Chonicle. The section will go to 80,000 homes.

Healthy workplaces.

Healthy work-life balance.

These are more than just vague concepts. Having a healthy workplace and promoting healthy work-life balance to employees can save businesses money.

That's one of the points made loud and clear in a new booklet, Healthy Work-Life Balance: A Guide for Employers, published by the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie.

The 20-page booklet shows there's cost savings to businesses that invest in healthy employees and workplaces: higher staff morale, job satisfaction and productivity; lower health claims costs, fewer sick days, less workplace conflict.

The booklet outlines strategies to help employers and employees, and lists local organizations that offer support, services and resources, most of which are free.

Healthy Work-Life Balance was developed with support from these local organizations, all of whom offer services.

• Brant County Health Unit
• Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit
• Grand River Community Health Centre
• Haldimand-Norfolk REACH
• Family Counselling Centre of Brant
• Brant County branch, Canadian Mental Health Association
• Haldimand-Norfolk branch, Canadian Mental Health Association

Local workplaces interested in the booklet or learning more about it, are asked to contact the Workforce Planning Board. A representative will visit your business, provide a free copy of the booklet and talk to you about strategies for your workplace.

Please contact us by phone or email to arrange a short visit.

Norfolk’s employment picture has brigthened thanks to new full-time jobs.

Norfolk’s jobless rate stood at 5.9 per cent in December, down dramatically from the 11% of December 2010, according to Statistics Canada figures released by The Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie. Norfolk’s jobless rate is well below the national (7.5%) and Ontario (7.7%) averages.

"I am greatly encouraged by the latest employment data. Norfolk is lower than both the national and the provincial numbers,” said Norfolk County Mayor Dennis Travale.

“However, there is always more that can be done, and Council continues to look at all available options to encourage development and growth."

Norfolk’s job growth is coming in full-time jobs. Norfolk had 27,700 full-time jobs in December, up 3,200 year over year. The number of part-time jobs remained steady over the last year, at 5,400.

For more details, read the News Release.