The region's workforce and community development board, Workforce WindsorEssex, has launched their 2024-25 Local Labour Market Plan (LLMP).
The comprehensive analysis covers workforce trends, challenges, and opportunities in Windsor-Essex.
Speaking on AM800's The Dan MacDonald Show, Chief Executive Officer of Workforce Windsor-Essex Justin Falconer says the region has seen a flurry of activity.
"We've been beneficiaries of major investments in electric vehicle infrastructure and companies, supply chains," he said. "We've been experiencing significant population growth. We're actually the seventh fastest growing census division in Ontario, with 6.4 per cent population rate change between 2021-23."
According to Workforce WindsorEssex, this year’s plan presents an action-oriented five-pillar strategy aimed at addressing labour market needs and bolstering workforce resilience.
He says they would like to see the skilled trades grow.
"The province wants to see 100,000 new skilled trades," Falconer said. "In Windsor, that would be about 3,000 for our area, so we want to see more people getting into the skilled trades, more completing their skilled trades employment."
Workforce WindsorEssex is inviting community partners, employers, and jobseekers to participate in a Community Action Planning Event on Feb. 20.
Falconer says usually the event attracts over 100 attendees who will take a deeper dive into the information presented.
"We need everybody rowing in the same direction," he said. "Our partners in economic development, partners in employment services, our partners in community development. Everyone's going to have a role to play in sort of trying to take advantage of the opportunities and try to respond to some of the challenges that are in the LLMP."
The report highlights several key workforce trends and statistics:
Top Growing Occupations (2023-2024):
Top Growing Sectors (2024):