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#LEPCRealityCheck twitter chat aims to end myths surrounding the world of work. Certain myths about the world of work can stand in the way of job seekers connecting with rewarding careers. Accurate facts will be shared through Twitter (@LEPC_EMO) using the hashtag #LEPCRealityCheck, allowing job seekers to get the latest information about work. Even employers who take part could learn something new about job seekers they’ve never considered before. Check out the three myths that have already been uploaded to the Local Employment Planning Council website: www.localemploymentplanning.ca/reality-check. At the end of each month until June 2018, a community-wide twitter chat will be held with the hashtag #LEPCRealityCheck.

We are pleased to announce that the Local Employment Planning Council has begun development of an online, searchable, decision-tree based catalogue of adult education opportunities within the London Economic Region. Scheduled for release in June 2018, this new online tool is called "Learning for Life", and will help job seekers in Elgin County, Middlesex County, Oxford County, and the cities of London, Woodstock, and St. Thomas by asking them a series of questions, and then making recommendations for local adult education and training opportunities based on the users’ answers.

The Ontario government is proposing to replace the Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit (ATTC) with a new Graduated Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (GAGE). Ontario has taken the first step in acting on feedback by proposing this new employers grant to support Apprenticeship program completion rates and increasing the participation of traditionally underrepresented groups.

Are you passionate about the community and have the knowledge to produce quality videos? If so, we want to hear from you! The Local Employment Planning Council is looking for an individual or organization who will produce two videos. The videos will highlight the impact of public employment and training organizations and the support they provide the community.

Are you a web and/or an app developer with an eye for design? Do you have a passion for creating new online resources to help your community? If so, we want to hear from you! The Local Employment Planning Council is seeking a developer for our new "Learning for Life" online tool. This decision-tree style tool will help job seekers in the London Economic Region by asking a series of questions, and then making recommendations for adult education and training opportunities that will help the user meet their individual goals.

Trend in hiring: 64% of employers who responded to the 2017 EmployerOne survey say they plan to hire in the coming months. Of those hires, over 1,000 are full-time positions and around 450 are part-time. A concerning trend is that many of these companies are having trouble finding local candidates with the right mix of education qualifications and “soft skills” to professionally interact with colleagues and the public.

Two Tillsonburg-based manufacturers will benefit from up to $5.25 million in funding to adopt innovative technologies and increase productivity, which will help create up to 110 jobs for Canadians. Marwood Metal Fabrication Limited, an award-winning metal stamping and assembly company operating as a Tier 1 supplier to the automotive industry, is receiving an investment of up to $4.27 million to invest in advanced hot stamping and press technologies, process improvements and facility expansion to accommodate new equipment. The project is expected to create 70 full-time jobs by project completion.

In February, the Local Employment Planning Council brought service providers throughout the London Economic Region together to share Labour Market Information (LMI) and discuss how we, as a community, can respond to it. These Integrated Planning Sessions were attended by representatives from Employment Services, Literacy, Ontario Works/ODSP, Disability support services, Economic Development Offices, and more. Across this broad range of services, participants engaged in discussion both as a large group, and at smaller break-out stations examining specific LMI reports.

The Local Employment Planning Council is looking for your feedback on its webinar “Labour Market Information & Service Planning: At a Crossroads”. Please review the webinar and then complete our survey between February 1st and February 14, 2017 to be entered into a draw to win a $100 pre-paid Visa card!

A community business survey will help employers plan their future workforce. EmployerOne will also help our community address skills, training, education and labour gaps identified by employers.

Compared to the rest of Ontario, more people in the London Economic Region are not participating in the labour market – in other words, they are neither working nor looking for work. The Labour Market Participation study sponsored by the Local Employment Planning Council wants to find out why. Over the past few months, researchers completed a literature review and spoke directly with over 150 people who aren’t participating in the labour market. With data and first-hand feedback gathered, they are now working with local stakeholders to develop strategies to help people move back into the labour market.

The Local Employment Planning Council project (LEPC) has released a new research report about the emerging skills that will be needed within the manufacturing sector. This is the third report in a series of six that will better prepare students and jobseekers for employment. The first two reports are based on the agricultural sector and the supply chain sector. According to the report, local manufacturers are finding new ways to increase production and efficiency thanks to the ever-evolving improvements in technology, and the skillsets of manufacturing workers are adapting to this trend as a result. Employers are hoping to find experienced labour with strong technical expertise in manufacturing, but are also seeking out candidates with an array of soft skills. Not only will job-seekers need the educational requirements for a local career in manufacturing, they will need to develop leadership, teamwork and problem solving skills as well.

Ontario is celebrating Computer Science Education Week with new supports for coding and computer skills in schools across the province.

Do you have the skills it takes to construct a Lego robot and make it assemble a nut and bolt together? Dozens of high school students had that chance during the 11th annual Oxford Invitational Youth Robotics Challenge. The teams came from all over the London Economic Region, including Aylmer, Dorchester, Woodstock and London. They all had nearly two months to work as a team, design and create a robot that would assemble the nut and bolt together. The teams learned how to work together, problem solve and think creatively in order to create their robot.

Much of the work of the Local Employment Planning Council is focused on addressing problems or issues in the local region’s workforce. After speaking with several employers, one point worth remembering is that many local businesses are very happy with their current employees, and have positive outlooks on the future of their workforce in general. As often as we hear the problems of attraction & retention, hard-to-fill positions or changing & emerging skill requirements, we hear from the businesses which are running smoothly.

London, ON- The Local Employment Planning Council project (LEPC) has released the London Economic Region Labour Market Participation Study. The study was conducted by the Centre for Organizational Effectiveness, on behalf of the LEPC to look into who is not participating in the London Economic Region (LER) and why. The study reveals women between the ages of 25-44 are leaving the workforce and not returning because they say it’s just “not worth it,” due to the cost of child care, transportation, loss of benefits and subsidy against income received and the additional stress of juggling work and home. Within the LER, the largest declines in participation are seen among women, particularly women age 25-44, among 45 to 54 year-olds, and among those with high school education or less.

Did you know that 30% of London’s manufacturing workforce (currently 27,000 strong) is expected to retire in the next decade? It is critical to the health of the Ontario economy that a new generation of workers can access the support, education and training they need to be ready to fill those jobs.

Middlesex County is proud to release their latest round of “Invest in Middlesex” promotional videos. The series of eight videos profiles people and companies that make up the Middlesex economy and highlights the County’s economic development brand, “Invest in Middlesex County…we appreciate your business”.

Bron Animation, a division of British Columbia-based Bron Media Corp., continues to expand, opening of a new office in London, Ontario.

To develop a clear understanding of the new and changing skill requirements in the workforce, your Local Employment Planning Council is pleased to release the first research report in a five-part series.

The Local Employment Planning Council is pleased to announce the release of its attraction and retention reports called “Finding the Right Fit” and “Keeping Key Talent.”

The Local Employment Planning Council (LEPC) is pleased to announce the release of its employer resource guide: “Programs and Services at Work for Local Employers.” The guide showcases employers throughout the London Economic Region (LER) who found the right talent by utilizing various programs and services offered locally. The guide will be used over the course of the pilot project during our continued outreach to employers.

Increasing skills, furthering education, finding an employer to register with, and filling out application forms for the Ontario government are just some of the many steps for someone who is interested in apprenticeship. This viable career path could seem overwhelming to people who may be strong candidates for apprenticeship, but who currently may be experiencing complex challenges.

Recent research completed by the Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board and the Local Employment Planning Council (LEPC) identified some concerning trends in labour market participation and labour market shortages. The participation rate of the working age population was seen to be declining while employers responding to the 2016 EmployerOne Survey identified a labour shortage in a range of occupations and industries. Top barriers to hiring included “not having enough applicants” and applicants not having “required qualifications or technical skills”.

Mystique? What’s so mysterious about adult literacy? And what does adult literacy have to do with the Local Employment Planning Council (LEPC)? Good questions.

Did you know the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), in partnership with chambers of commerce and boards of trade from across the province, is embarking on an ambitious campaign called, “Small Business Too Big to Ignore.”

A large majority of employers in the London Economic Region say they plan to hire in 2016, but are having trouble finding the right talent.

Are you ready for a local labour market that works? Dozens of community partners attended the official launch of the London area Local Employment Planning Council pilot project at Armatec Survivability on Thursday May 5th, 2016.

The results are in and 2015 was another successful year for economic development in Woodstock, Ontario.