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Eastern Ontario College Consortium
Colleges Collaborate to Provide Crucial Job Training to Aluminum and Steel Industry Businesses
BY FRANK ARMSTRONG
When the U.S. introduced trade tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in May 2018, Canada’s manufacturers issued a collective gasp. The impacts were felt acutely in Ontario, which has the highest share of steel production workers in Canada and more than 150 aluminum fabrication suppliers.
Eastern Ontario, of course, was no exception
“Some of our smaller manufacturers were really panicked because as soon as you start increasing the costs of supplies and inventory, that means staff disruptions, we’re not investing in capital or innovation, and we are not investing in training,” says Darla Price, managing director of the Northumberland Manufacturers’ Association.
Even without the troubling impacts of the tariffs, aluminum and steel manufacturing firms were already facing challenges from a surge of imports from non-NAFTA countries, rapid technological change in manufacturing, and skilled labour shortages.
Something had to be done
In this region, the Eastern Ontario College Consortium—Consortium des Collèges de l’Est de l’Ontario (EOCC)—was created to help the local steel and aluminum manufacturing and metal fabrication sector to remain competitive, with funding from the Ontario government.
Through its SkillsAdvance Ontario program, the Ontario government funds partnerships that connect employers with the employment and training services required to recruit and advance workers with the right essential, technical, and employability skills. It also supports jobseekers to obtain employment by providing them with sector-specific employment and training services.
Projects like the EOCC are intended to support workforce development and embody a sector-focused strategy that takes into consideration the dynamic nature of regional economies and labour markets, as well as the evolving requirements of different industrial sectors.
Under the project, five Ontario colleges came together to help steel and aluminum and metal fabrication businesses to innovate and collaborate on sector-based training and workforce development solutions that can be rapidly deployed and achieve synergy via shared resources and ongoing collaboration. Those colleges are Algonquin College, Collège La Cité, St. Lawrence College, Fleming College, and Loyalist College.
Lisa Benoit, manager of employment services at Algonquin College and a consortium spokesperson, says that since the launch in April 2019, the project was able to mobilize quickly to provide the sectors with much-needed upskilling and retraining supports. The project aims to support over 1,600 incumbent workers and 400 job seekers in Eastern Ontario in its 24-month project period.
Existing workers will continue to receive upskilling and retraining through the project to ensure they are kept up to speed with the ever-evolving technology changes of factories. In addition, this year, job seekers will receive training to help make them more competitive for employment in the steel and aluminum and metal fabrication sector.
Upskilling training can address a myriad of skills needs, from welding and machine shop essentials to artificial intelligence, pneumatics, and leadership. Indeed, leadership training is in big demand.
“We are, across the board, in an environment where we have a number of mature workers who are set to retire from the sector and a number of emerging new leaders who need to be equipped with the skills to drive change within their organization,” says Benoit.
DARLA PRICE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, NORTHUMBERLAND MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION
The EOCC is also developing and delivering industry-endorsed micro-credentials unique to the sector. The first, developed last year, was for Machine Trade Skills, which provided seven badges and microcertification on areas such as machining essentials, precision measurement, and quality assurance, all of which could help employees enhance their positions within their companies.
This year, three new micro-credentials are under development. One of those is Manufacturing Essentials, which is designed to give job seekers a core set of essential skills for entry-level manufacturing jobs. This course will be launched in late Fall 2020.
Price, of the Northumberland Manufacturers’ Association, who is also a member of the consortium’s advisory committee, says the consortium has had a big impact on many of her members’ operations. Every one of them has taken advantage of the free training provided through the consortium.
“Ontario colleges came to the rescue,” says Price. “Our manufacturers wouldn’t otherwise be able to spend in this area.” Price worked with multiple colleges to address the training needs of the area’s steel and aluminum workforces.
“We sat down and split the list of manufacturers and it worked beautifully,” says Price. “People can’t believe we (the consortium) have five colleges sitting at the table working together.”
Price says the consortium is also doing excellent work at marketing careers in steel and aluminum manufacturing to eligible job seekers.
All training and industry credentials are free for eligible job seekers and sector employers. Contact the Eastern Ontario Colleges Consortium for more information at info@eocc-cceo.ca.
The Employment Ontario project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
