Mind the Gap Report - Web Version- Feb. 25, 2015

Mind
the
Gap
‘Mind the Gap’ was an Ontario Labour Market
Partnership Project which endeavoured to
explore the supply and demand side of the skills
gap/mismatch. Research involved examining
local and international skills gap literature
and solutions.
The goal in producing this document was to identify
best practices in recruiting, and responding to
skills gaps and, to introduce partnership models
which can be used or replicated to minimize skills gaps.
Comparator Research and related
Best Practices in Recruiting
January 2015

Mind
the
Gap
Partners in the
Mind the Gap
Project
This Employment Ontario project is
funded by the Ontario government.
The views expressed in this
document do not necessarily reect
those of Employment Ontario.

Mind the Gap
An Ontario Labour Market Project
(Western Region)
Goal: To explore the supply and demand side
of skills gaps and mismatches
Background:
The 3 key focus areas of the project are:
• Business-led pilot projects in Windsor Essex,
London area and Owen Sound area with
Chamber of Commerce & Workforce
Planning Boards as lead partners to
encourage direct engagement with skills gap
challenges, especially by SMEs
• Research on North American and global case
examples of business invested skills gap
response strategies for comparison and
stimulation of Ontario businesses/Chambers
• Exploration of best practices for candidate
recruitment and placement with input from
employers on both for- & non-prot services,
as well as for-prot recruiters, for use by
nonprot employment services. Surveys
were conducted with small to medium sized
businesses, Job Developers and For Prot
Employment Service Companies.
Steering Committee as working partners
included Workforce Planning Boards,
Chambers of Commerce, Economic
Development and an Employment Service
Provider.
Businesses were engaged in the planning and
delivery of the pilot projects. In some
instances business engaged strongly in
planning and delivery and was instrumental in
the success of the pilots showing signicant
potential for the pilots being used as templates
for future projects.
Deliverables:
3 pilot projects were created to intervene in
current skills gaps:
• Owen Sound – Bruce, Huron, Perth and Grey
County area: Human Resources workshops
for Small to Medium Sized businesses were
held in September 2014.
• Windsor Essex: Agriculture Day held Oct. 17,
2014. The goal was to build awareness of
occupational opportunities in Agriculture for
youth in the Windsor Essex areas.
• London – Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford Area:
A presentation and social media campaign
are being built to build awareness of the
employment opportunities in the Supply
Chain. Delivery is planned for mid-March
2015.
A published document: ‘Comparator Research
on Business Led Skills Gap Response Strategies
and Related Best Practices in Recruitment’ will
be available in hard copy and on ONESTEP’s
website.
Two Power Point Presentations: ‘Best Practices
in Job Development’ and ‘Learning from and
Collaborating with For Prot Employment
Services’ will be available through ONESTEP.
Two Videos: ‘Meeting the Demand’: Best
Practices in Job Development’ which accom-
panies the power point ‘Best Practices in Job
Development’. The second video is ‘Resources
for Business in Closing Their Skills Gaps’;
which is to encourage business to reach out to
their local Workforce Planning Boards,
Chambers of Commerce, Economic Develop-
ment and Employment Service Providers for
assistance with lling skills gaps. These will
be available through ONESTEP.
2 ONESTEP / Ontario Labour Market Partnership

3
Table of Contents
Introduction .....................................4
Executive Summary ....................... 5
Ontario Examples ...................... 6-10
Alberta Example ............................10
American examples ................. 11-13
Australian example ....................... 13
Case Studies on Skills Gaps
Investments ............................. 14-16
Explanations about Benets
of Training .................................... 17
Resources ................................. 17-18
Summary & other issues ......... 19-21
Conclusions & Best
Practices in Recruiting ............ 22-23
Footnotes .................................. 24-25
References & Further Reading.. 26-32
About the Author
Katherine Englander, the author, drew upon
personal working knowledge and experience
as well as research in compiling this docu-
ment. During her career she learned much
about skills gaps experienced by business and
has worked diligently to help employers solve
those challenges. She has worked for two
different for-prot recruiting rms, for several
years, as both a Stafng Specialist and a
Branch Manager. One of those rms was a
large international rm while the other was a
smaller regional rm.
As Branch Manager, in one of those compan-
ies, her branch sales were over $5,000,000 per
year and as such it was a busy branch with
proven ongoing challenges and success. She
has also worked as an Employment Counsellor
in a college in a non-prot setting helping
individuals dene career goals. Her previous
long term experience as a Human Resources
Manager and Recruiter also give her a strong
depth of knowledge in this area. She has
recruited locally and internationally. As a
Subject Matter Expert, she teaches in the
Human Resources Continuing Education
program at Fanshawe College in Tillsonburg.
She has taught several courses including
Recruitment and Selection, and Training and
Development. She has a Bachelor of Arts in
French and psychology, a Certicate in Human
Resources Management and is working toward
a Career Development Practitioner designation.
She is continuously learning through many
sources including the use of social media,
networking, attending workshops and reading
articles related to recruiting, skills gaps and
business challenges. Having been in this
‘business’ for over 30 years, many of the Best
Practices and concepts cited in this paper have
been tested by Katherine and her teams and
have proven to work well.
The author thanks the reviewers for their
comments, suggestions, and insights. Any
remaining errors and omissions are the sole
responsibility of the author. The views
expressed in this study do not necessarily
represent the views of the Ministry of Training,
Colleges and Universities or any other partners
in this project.
For further information about this document
visit www.onestep.on.ca or or contact them at
info@onestep.on.ca
ONESTEP / Ontario Labour Market Partnership

Introduction
If you have read any headlines about the skills
gap in North America you might think we are
in the middle of a disaster:
'Shortage of skilled workers could jeopardize
Canadas economic future
Hiring Challenges on Rise - Survey:
Businesses Optimistic About Growth but
Face Greater Recruiting Difculties.
You might think that Canadian employers are
really in a serious predicament about skills
shortages. Then again you might read some-
thing entirely different; Bill Gates has been
banging his virtual drum that in truth, there is
no unemployment crisis; there is an education
gap and a skills gap that then manifests itself
as an employment problem. For the purpose of
this paper, a skills gap is dened as a shortage
of skilled workers.
We have all heard of employer led investments
in skills gap training such as McDonalds
Hamburger University where large companies
invest in their employees to encourage ex-
cellence in a wide variety of skills including
customer service, ‘business skills’, team work,
and problem solving. They want a solid, re-
liable, consistent product because they know
their reputation depends on output and they
are willing to invest in their long term success.
But we know most employers don’t have the
funds that McDonald’s has to develop such a
large scale training facility to ensure a con-
sistent product.
The goal of this document is to empower
predominantly small to medium sized
employers to nd ways to minimize skills
gaps. We have explored working and
sustainable examples of skills gap response
examples. In this paper you will nd South
Western Ontario, Canadian, American and an
Australian example of solutions. These
examples are led by manufacturing,
agribusiness and various other sectors and
industries experiencing a lack of skilled
candidates. Some involve local colleges as the
catalyst but they are still business led. The
variety of approaches taken by employers is
encouraging and reective of their desire for
success. Challenged employers could easily
nd a basis for minimizing their skills gap
issues within the following paper. The reader
will nd solid practical applications and
related Best Practices. Businesses referred to
in this report have shown tenacity and
perseverance in their desire for success.
The reader will also nd Best Practices in
Recruitment and Retention within this
document; the goal of which is, to reduce
skills gaps and to encourage retention. Each
example cited is linked to the Best Practice
section. Logically if you have solved a skills
gap you then wish to move on to retaining the
skilled employee/s you have hired and
therefore; advice on retention is also included
in the Best Practices section.
Our rst examples of solutions to skills gap
challenges are South Western Ontario based.
We then move to other Canadian examples,
American examples, a global example and case
studies showing Return on Investment. You
will nd related resources, a summary, best
practices, footnotes and suggested further
reading. If the example provided links to one
of the Best Practices provided near the end of
this document the reader will see: BP #1 or
whichever number is applicable. This
notation will be at the end of the example.
ONESTEP Ontario Ministry, partnered with the
of Training, Colleges and Universities Elgin,
Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and
Development Board Workforce WindsorEssex, ,
Four County Labour Market Planning Board
(Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth), Owen Sound
Chamber of Commerce and Windsor Essex
Chamber of Commerce to explore the supply
and demand side of the skills gap mismatch
and identify best response practice examples
and partnership models locally and globally.
Other project partners were London Economic
Development Corporation ATN Servicesand
Inc.
4
Mind the Gap

5
Comparator Research and related Best Practices in Recruiting
Executive Summary
In 2010 Canada ranked 25th out of 59 coun-
tries on the importance they place on training
1
and development. Many manual processes are
now computerized and the skill level required
to do ‘entry level work’ has increased tremen-
dously as has the pace of ‘entry level work’.
Output is measured like never before and
demands are always increasing. Likewise most
work now involves not only computerization
but a wider variety of transferable skills; such
as problem solving skills. A factory job fteen
years ago was dened as entry level work not
requiring high school graduation and in fact
many individuals quit high school and started
factory work and were very successful as the
learned on the job. Now most factory
positions require grade 12 as a minimum,
computer skills and knowledge, a higher level
of literacy and continuous on-the-job learning
coupled with a high paced physical output.
Add that to the fact that many people work
shift work and may be challenged by layoffs,
which interrupt learning, rather than ongoing
continuous learning.
Work today is not the work of previous
generations. Even something as simple as a
typewriter has been replaced by a computer
with several types of software and the software
is updated regularly requiring continuous
learning. “Technology's increasing impact has
continuously raised employers' demands for
more intelligent, well-educated, career-ready
2
workers”.
Employers are often cautious about investing
in training; in fact, training investment by
Canadian employers has steadily declined not
only in the last ve years but during the entire
last decade. Among employer concerns: 'it's
not our job; it costs too much; we train them
and then people leave for the competition'. We
found a number of companies that have
developed ways to mitigate some of the risks
and in the process build a positive case for
doing more. These companies typically have a
serious need for talent whether because of the
highly specialized needs of the work, the
overall lack of talent in the region; and or, the
sheer volume of people needed. Moreover,
their corporate culture tends to value talent
development. “People ask us why we invest so
much to develop the skills of our people," a
Siemens executive explained. “I ask them
instead, ‘How much is it going to cost you to
not have skilled workers?
3
”
If you are concerned about people leaving your
company, it’s time to take another approach.
What makes employees want to work for you?
If you have invested in training employees you
might believe they would stay. In fact, the
Conference Board of Canada concludes that
“continuous learning and education are key
factors in fostering creativity and promoting
4
organizational excellence”. Worldwide it has
been proven that return on investment in
employees can be signicant. But, there is
more to the picture than just training. Those
who remain and get closer to a decade of
service tend to strongly identify with the
values and goals of their company. They also
focus more on their career prospects, and
whether the rm has the “vision and leader-
5
ship in place to succeed”.
This is neither an all-inclusive report nor does
it seek to highlight any examples above others
but rather reects a variety of research. The
examples we cited in this paper were sug-
gested by local business representatives or
culled from the Internet. The list does not
claim to be exhaustive, but illustrates a range
of problem solving approaches. Contact
information is supplied in instances where a
business welcomes your questions.
At the end of this paper are many articles on
the subject of skills gaps. Those articles were
an important part of the research for this
paper..

Ontario Examples
Viewpointe Winery
Harrow, Ontario
The owner of Viewpointe Winery, John Fancsy
had difculty nding ‘ ’ and heMaster Tasters
knew this ‘skills gap’ was hindering his
business growth. He contacted Niagara
College and initiated a partnership with them.
Viewpointe Winery became the Lake Erie
Northshore campus of Niagara College and the
winery's needs for Master Tasters were starting
6
to be met.
Niagara College had an instructor who was
living in the Viewpointe Winery area and
willing to teach the program. According to
Dominic Caruso, Development Ofcer at
Niagara College, “employers need to realize
community colleges are exible in creating
training solutions that address employer skills
7
gaps”.
The Master Tasters Certicate focuses solely
on ne-tuning the art of tasting and analysing
wines. The program started in 2007 at
Viewpointe Winery and ran continuously until
April 2013. It has been discontinued for now
due to declining enrollment. John also does
training in his Winery restaurant specic to his
wines. Viewpointe’s vines were planted in
2000 and buildings at Viewpointe were built
after the vines were planted. The winery has
been in existence since November 2006 with
retail sales starting that year. This is a terric
example of how a small employer solved his
skills gap problem. BP #1
Valiant ‘Earn While You Learn’
Windsor, Ontario
Recognizing there was a growing shortage of
skilled trades’ workers across their industry,
management at Windsor’s setValiant Group
out to do something about it. They established
an “earn while you learn program” in 2008.
Students are expected to graduate with
certicates in welding, robotics or CNC
machining and either have been or will be
absorbed into one of the company's many
divisions.
“This is an innovative skilled trades training
program that trains students in specialized
elds at the pace of industry in a real-time
industrial machine shop,” said Len Solcz,
president of Solcz Group Inc., Valiant's parent
company. “We can train a student straight out
of high school, pay them for their training,
provide them with full health benets, and
they will be ready to work in 46 weeks.” Solcz
said the compressed program, which replaces
the old four-year curriculum, is made possible
by the advent of computer-controlled
equipment, which has replaced many of the
old hand skills that required years of training
to acquire. “The students we’re training grew
up in an era of computers and video games, so
the skills we're teaching are second nature to
them,” said Mike Ouellette, Valiant's Skilled
Trades Training Coordinator. “Our students are
excited about this opportunity because many
had expressed a loss of hope in nding
8
employment until they heard of the program”
The program consists of 240 hours of class-
room time followed by daily work in a shop
equipped with CNC machines, multiple boring
mills, 13 milling machines, three grinders and
a coordinate measuring machine. For further
information please see: “Workforce Windsor
Essex - ”Successful strategies that work.
BP #2, 7, 8
Mind the Gap
1
2

Marwood Training Centre
Tillsonburg, Ontario
Marwood Metal Fabrication was having trouble
keeping up with the need for forklift drivers
and in 2012 they started ‘in-house’ training.
They launched their Training Centre publicly
in September 2012 to assist with their own
needs as well as the needs of local companies
who were having trouble lling skills gaps.
Prior to this initiative, people were travelling
great distances for some types of training
including forklift training. Forklift has been
Marwood’s lead offering and they started to
train in WHMIS as well as Working at Heights
in their training centre. Marwood staff gen-
erally do the training themselves. They have
not partnered with local colleges, but they did
partner with an outside training source at one
point. They have ongoing offerings for forklift,
aerial work platforms (scissor lift, articulating
boom, overhead bridge crane) and WHMIS.
They have run more than 100 sessions. This is
a great example of a company meeting their
own needs and assisting others in the local
community. The benet to Marwood doing
this on their own is the control over content
and meeting their needs on their schedule. For
further information please visit: Marwood
Training Centre.
9
BP #2 & 7
Titan Trailers
Courtland, Ontario
Titan Trailers Inc. had a great deal of difculty
nding welders, with or without certication
who had the skill level needed to weld at their
facility. Job applicants must do a welding test
to see if they are able to meet the required skill
level and if they meet the specication they
are hired. Titan has been willing to take any-
one and try them out as long as they had
signicant welding experience. As the need
grew and fewer applicants were available they
partnered more closely with Fanshawe College
in Simcoe to use co-op students and then hire
them. gives new employees a sixTitan Trailer
month trial/training period in order to deter-
mine if they meet the standards required.
“Finding and recruiting enough qualied wel-
ders has always been a challenge for us,” said
Mike Kloepfer, founder and president of Titan
Trailers. “So we decided we should start train-
10
ing our own.” He notes that working almost
exclusively on aluminum rather than steel is a
new challenge for many welders, so training
will provide welders with the skills needed by
the manufacturer. The training focuses on fab-
ricating with aluminum, with extra attention
paid to reading and interpreting blue-prints,
the company says. See for moreTitan Trailers
information. BP #2 & 7
‘LiveGreyBruce’
Grey & Bruce County, Ontario
The idea behind the ‘LiveGreyBruce’ initiative
is to attract people to work in the Grey Bruce
areas. This area includes the communities of
Owen Sound, Sauble Beach, Tobermory,
Walkerton and Collingwood as well as several
other communities. Over 90 Grey and Bruce
County employers combined efforts to look for
an alternate solution to lling skilled positions
other than traditional recruiting methods. The
goal of the website is toLiveGreyBruce.ca
connect employers to potential employees who
wish to work in the Grey Bruce area.
Employers in the local area felt that people
wanted to move to the area but those people
needed one source to identify their work skills
and make employers know they are searching
for work in the Grey Bruce area. The new
website was promoted through local Chambers
of Commerce, out of area events and booths at
events, the Human Resources Professional
Association, Print and broadcast media,
Employer education, Four County Labour
Market Planning Board, Employer groups,
Rotary clubs, rack cards, Social Media, email
blast, email signatures and a Direct mail and
phone campaign. The website doesn’t post jobs
but does provide information about the area to
connect skilled professionals to employers.
How it works is; a person who wishes to work
in the Grey-Bruce area creates a prole of their
4
5
3
7ONESTEP / Ontario Labour Market Partnership

skills set in the LiveGreyBruce database. It is
then connected, by ‘key word tags’, to over 90
local employers. Both parties will get feedback
on matches and if an employer is interested in
the applicant they are able to contact them for
more information. The site’s sponsors are
mostly employers. “As of May 2014 the site
had 1056 active skilled professionals and 98
11
employers”. More information is available at
the website. BP #4LiveGreyBruce.
‘Elevate’ - Job Requirement
Approach (JRA),
Strathroy, Ontario
Bonduelle North America
is a company specializing
in the processing of fresh
vegetables. They’ve had
difculty hiring and retaining general
labourers. staff spentEssential Skills Ontario
two and a half days observing and interview-
ing more than 20 Bonduelle seasonal general
labourers and process operators to understand
the skills involved in their day-to-day work.
This process is part of its its ‘Elevate Canada:
Raising the Grade on Food Processing
initiatives Job Requirement’ enhanced
Approach
12
(JRA) , which asks managers and
workers about the importance of specic job
requirements in terms of the types and levels
of skills they use in the workplace. The beauty
of this partnership is that it gives Bonduelle
new ways to look at, and close their skills
gaps. The ndings from this approach are
informing the training model and curriculum
that will be used in phase two of the project,
when 250 adults currently receiving social
assistance will take part in innovative training
at sites across the province. This training will
incorporate an “integrated training” approach,
which incorporates vocational skills, industry
exposure and the right mix of essential skills.
For further information please see Elevate
Canada. Essential Skills Ontario provides a
link for employers to needed training and for
further information. Please contact atESO
(416)963-5787. BP #3 & 6
Technical Training Group
Stratford area, Ontario
With a shortage of trades-related training and
nearby colleges unable to provide these
services at the community level, TTG
organized in 2002 to bridge this gap and bring
relevant technical and skilled trades' training
to the area’s business community and its
residents. TTG is a not-for-prot corporation
with a volunteer Board of Directors. Its
primary target population for training or re-
training is age 18+, employed, unemployed or
underemployed. Another major commitment
for TTG is providing opportunities for area
youth to explore career options in the skilled
13
trades. Areas of specialization include Welder
Apprenticeship Training (Levels 1-3), Pre-
Apprenticeship Multiple Trades Exposure
Training, Basic Trade Prep, Youth Trades
Exposure as well as Custom Training for
Employers. TTG carries out most of its adult
and youth programming in partnership with
Stratford Northwestern and St. Michael
Catholic Secondary Schools during evening
hours using the schools’ technical facilities. It
is a win-win situation as existing school tech
facilities are used to capacity and any
upgrades or enhancements benet both day
and evening students. Employees are spon-
sored by their employers to participate in
apprenticeship training. The apprentice
collects a regular paycheque and is responsible
for a minimal apprentice fee. TTG's business
model allows the apprentice to work during
the day and engage in their apprenticeship
training at night rather than the block release
model whereby apprentices leave work for X
number of weeks to undertake training at a
local community college. For an employer,
this means no loss time from work. For the
employee, it means no nancial hardship to
participate in training and pursue career goals.
The employer is eligible for apprentice grant
and the apprentice also gets apprentice grants
at end of successful training each year. Please
see the for more details or contactTTG website
them at .info@technicaltraininggroup.org
Mind the Gap
6
7

9
Oxford Invitational Youth
Robotics Challenge
Elgin, Middlesex, & Oxford
Counties, Ontario
Although the Youth Robotics Challenge is not
closing skills gaps immediately, it is creating
interest in robotics and manufacturing and
will have a longer term impact on these skills
shortages. is a community-basedOIYRC
partnership that encourages youth of high
school age to consider careers in engineering,
technology or the skilled trades. It takes place
in Woodstock and includes schools from
within the three county areas. The goals are
to give youth hands-on experience in design,
construction and team problem solving by
building and programming a robot for an
industry modelled task, to expose youth to
innovative technology and to test their inter-
ests and abilities and to involve and educate
the community about the importance of tech-
nology to Oxford’s economy. Several local
employers including Vuteq, North American
Stampings Group, Execulink, Toyota, and
Steelway, along with Fanshawe College are
partners in this initiative. To nd out more
about this you may contact the Elgin Middle-
sex Oxford Workforce Planning Board and
Development Board ofce in London, Ontario
at 519-672-3499. BP #4
Western Science Internship
Program
London, Ontario
The media often suggests a
lack of workers available
with STEM skills (Science,
Technology, Engineering
and Math). Specically, it
is said that employers have
ongoing concerns about the
lack of skilled people available to ll STEM
related roles. Western University has an
Internship program to assist employers with
these skilled gaps. These interns offer skills
such as; data analysis, probability, software
engineering, programming in Java, C and
C++. The students have strong analytical and
problem solving skills. 3M Canada has
partnered with Western’s Internship Program
for almost ten years. They nd that the interns
bring a fresh perspective and creative energy
which is contagious. Agriculture & Agri-Food
Canada have hosted interns in their laboratory
group for many years and nd the students to
be consistently professional, dedicated and
productive. They are an indispensable part of
their research team. Western offers an 8-16
month internship and there are tax credits
available through; Co-operative Education Tax
Credit as well as funding to assist in paying
students; Industrial Undergraduate Student
Research Awards (905-403-0924). Lauren
Starr Westerncan be reached at for further
information at 519-661-2111 ex. 85300. As
well, many other colleges and universities
have students seeking work experience and
have graduates looking for opportunities. By
contacting your local college or university you
will have access to bright individuals with
current skills who are eager for opportunities.
BP #1
Bluewater Wood Alliance (BWA)
Hanover, Ontario
BWA is a cluster of wood
products manufacturing
companies located in
Southwestern Ontario,
and a model for sectoral cluster organizations.
BWA aims to solve training problems and
confront other innovation-related issues that
are common to member rms. It brings
together over eighty companies in the
advanced wood products industries for the
purposes of joint projects in skills develop-
ment as well as technology transfer, export
development and experiences exchange. In the
arena of training, the BWA works with com-
munity colleges, high schools and indepen-
dent education providers in the region to set
up a comprehensive skills development
program that strives to upgrade plant workers
and pre-train new hires. The benet to
members is the ability to place workers into
9
10
8

Mind the Gap
10
higher quality training programs (with cross-
rm job rotation capabilities) at a lower cost
than if individual companies attempt to
provide training on their own. Although BWA
is reliant upon funding at the federal,
provincial and regional/municipal levels to
support cluster activity, it is a grass-roots,
membership-driven organization. In this
example, industrial policy has played an
indirect role to support cluster organization
and to ensure that the BWA continues to work
with the federal and provincial funding
agencies to develop infrastructure and project
funding. This includes working with educa-
tional institutions on the secondary and post-
secondary levels to provide skills development
for the industry. The cluster organization
serves as an intermediary between government
and the cluster, articulating the cluster's
objectives and seeking funding to drive those
needs forward. It also serves as a catalyst
between and among the member rms, seeking
consensus and articulating the needs, then
organizing the means to satisfy them. BWA
can be reached at 226-668-5455. BP #4
Alberta Example
Employer of Choice program
Alberta, Canada
If an employer wants to attract good employees
and is not getting enough applicants when
recruiting, striving to become “An Employer of
Choice” makes the employer more attractive to
the job seeker. The now takebest employers
workers much more seriously as a resource
and realize that being attractive to employees
14
generates and retains better employees. If an
employer is truly concerned about attracting
and retaining the best talent, word will spread
that they are employers who cares about their
staff and for whom candidates want to work.
An example of an Employer of Choice program
is the Alberta Tourism & Hospitality Industry
(Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association/AHLA)
Employer of Choice (EoC) designation. This is
an opportunity for an employer to distinguish
their hotel, motel, campground or resort from
other employers. AHLA members are invited
to apply to be recognized as an Employer of
Choice by completing an audit of their
property’s human resource practices. The
AHLA’s goal is for every member to achieve the
‘EoC’ designation. All they need to do is show
that their property has solid and effective HR
practices. They do not need to have an HR
department to participate. ‘Employers of
Choice’ are able to recruit and retain top talent.
In today’s difcult labour market, employers
must offer more to attract the best. The AHLA’s
Employer of Choice designation advertises
that you are a caring employer. It helps new
work-ers choose which employer they want to
work for and it helps the employer to keep star
performers. Dening your company as ‘An
Employer of Choice’ is not only recognized
and valued by workers, customers recognize
‘employers of choice’ as a business that is
likely to provide a better level of service than a
competitor. For more ideas on how to become
an ‘Employer of Choice’, see the Globe and
Mail employer of choice article. BP #4
11

11
American & Australian Examples
The Indiana Manufacturers
Association & Ivy Tech
Corporate College, United States
The Indiana Manufacturer’s Association and
Ivy Tech Corporate College have teamed up to
help provide members with innovative cost-
effective solutions for closing skills gaps. The
Indiana Manufacturers Skills Academy
provides employers online, easy-to-use,
effective ‘eAssessment’ and ‘eLearning’ tools
that revolutionize technical assessment and
training. The program meets the challenge for
exible, technical training by offering superb
technical content depth as well as breadth,
strong interactivity for skill development,
excellent assessment and student tracking
through an intuitive, easy-to-use web portal.
With 24/7 access, the Indiana Manufacturers
Skills Academy program creates easy access to
educational opportunities for technical skill
development previously restricted to the
classroom. For more information and to
schedule a free demonstration, please contact
Sherm Johnson, Ivy Tech Corporate College, at
(317) 917- 5713 or sjohnson311@ivytech.edu.
Many industries can access good quality on-
line training that will assist their employees in
moving forward technically. A ‘google’ search
can provide an avenue to source good training.
Contacting others in your industry or sector
and asking them what training they use is also
a smart way to nd good on-line training for
employees. Also, some employers offer a
minimal pay increase such as an additional
$.10 per hour for each course taken and that
can offer enough incentive for an employee to
self-invest. BP #1, 7 & 8
Adult Internships
United States
Five manufacturing companies have signed on
to take part in the atAdult Internship Program
Auburn Career Center in Concord Township,
which began a few years ago with just Latrobe,
Pennsylvania-based tooling, advanced mate-
rials and engineering company Kennametal
Inc. Tim Arthur, a manager on the plant oor
at Kennametal in Solon, Ohio, said one benet
of participating in an internship program is
that the company is basically “interviewing
them (the students) for eight weeks.” The
extended look goes beyond words on a resume
and helps evaluate a student’s work ethic and
aptitude, Arthur said. The gap created by
manufacturers hungry for skilled help and the
retirements of older skilled workers is only
becoming wider, say observers who include
Judith Crocker, Director of Work Force and
Talent Development at manufacturing assis-
tance group Magnet in Cleveland. As for
Magnet, the organization is looking to connect
companies and schools that want to start their
own internship or summer study programs.
Magnet last year offered a “work-based learn-
ing” program that connected manufacturers
with students for structured summer jobs and
has started to create an internal guide for
Magnet and the schools and businesses
involved, Crocker said. The guide, which is
still evolving, outlines the benets of the
program to all parties, including parents, as
15
well as the roles and responsibilities of each.
BP #1 & 2
The Apprentice School
United States
Every year, around 250 apprentices are recrui-
ted from thousands of applicants with a broad
range of backgrounds (high school, college,
military, internal applicants) to undergo
training in 19 different trade programs (pipe
tter, electrician, machinist, and so on) and
seven advanced programs. The programs are
four to ve years in length. While they learn,
students work at the shipyard at Newport
News Shipbuilding (NNS), a specialized US
shipbuilder in Newport News, VA. Eighty
percent of graduatesThe Apprentice School’s
are still employed at NNS ten years after
graduation (even though they are not obligated
13
12
14

to remain a single day), and most stay for
decades. Graduates have also gone on to key
leadership positions; they account for 44
percent of the entire production management
team, ranging from foreman to vice president.
That makes The Apprentice School a huge cost
saver for the company; by investing up front in
acquiring talent, it saves down the line on
16
expenses related to retraining and vacancies.
BP #2, 3, 7, 8
“Serious games”
United States
Although an employer may feel it would be
very expensive to create a software game to
teach staff; in fact, there may be ‘games’ on the
market which ll the training/skills gap the
employer is experiencing. ‘Serious Games’ use
the technology of computer and video games
to simulate real-world environments or pro-
cesses that users would encounter in their job.
One such example is a serious‘IBMs INNOV8,
game created to educate users on business
process management (BPM). INNOV8 was
originally designed to help college students
understand how BPM affects an entire
business ecosystem. Within a few months of
its release, over 1,000 universities around the
world had downloaded the program. Students
found that the ability to see how their choices
unfolded (for better or worse) brought their
lessons to life in a way never before possible.
Its popularity prompted IBM to release it as a
training tool for IT and for other corporations
including IBM's own employees. A study from
the University of Colorado Denver Business
School in 2010 found that, on average,
“workers trained using serious games, as
opposed to formal classroom or Web-based
tutorials, retained 9 percent more information,
had 11 percent higher factual-knowledge
levels, and 14 percent higher skill-based-
knowledge levels. The study also found a fair
amount of variance in impact depending on
the design of the game and how it was used.
Games that enable trainees to access the games
as many times as they desire and that actively
teach content, versus just testing for content
learned else-where, tend to yield better
17
results”. An employer with an advanced IT
department or who has a close connection
with an IT development company may be able
to create software which teaches what is
required if it's not easily purchased. BP #7
Apprenticeship 2000
United States
In the mid-1990s, two German companies,
Blum (hardware) and Daetwyler (high-
precision machines) wanted to secure a
pipeline of employees with the specialized
skills their North Carolina factories needed.
Specically, the two companies were looking
for people trained in mechatronics, a multi-
disciplinary eld that combines understanding
of mechanical, electronic, computer and
systems, and software engineering. Due to the
sophisticated nature of their skills require-
ments, the two companies worked with the
Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC)
in Charlotte to create a European-style
apprenticeship program, but with a distinctly
American pitch: “Free College and a pay
check!” Students who complete the program
are trained as skilled machinists, tool-and-die
makers, injection-molding specialists, and
technicians. They earn both an associate’s
degree in manufacturing technology as well as
a journeymen’s certicate. They get paid while
studying and are guaranteed a job when they
nish. Over the years, six more companies that
share the need for these skills have joined the
consortium. These eight companies, which are
not competitors, agree to a common curri-
culum, recruit as a group, and promise not to
poach employees. The selection process is
rigorous. Interested students are rst screened
for academic aptitude and behaviour; those
who make it through are invited to an open
house, with their parents, where they tour the
factory and learn more about the program.
Applicants then go through four more days of
testing, and those who are admitted are
matched to a company. isApprenticeship 2000
12
15
16
Mind the Gap

a small, specialized program. Nonetheless, it
has already attracted interest among others
that want to replicate its model. Today’s high-
tech equipment requires manufacturing
companies to have a well-trained and highly
skilled workforce. The Apprenticeship 2000
program is a 4-year technical training partner-
ship in the Charlotte, NC region designed to
18
develop people for such a workforce.
BP #1, 2, 7 & 8
Kalamazoo Valley Groves Centre
United States Advanced
Manufacturing Career
Consortium
Advanced Manufacturing Career Consortium
formed in 2011 to develop innovative and
integrated strategies to attract, screen, and
train qualied candidates for current and
future career opportunities with companies in
Southwest Michigan. Today, 76 local
manufacturing companies and 12 service
provider organizations continue to meet. The
consortium recognized that to create the
innovative solutions necessary in today's
challenging economic environment requires
that they tap the power of collaboration across
economic and workforce development,
education and business organizations. The
consortium is committed to creating oppor-
tunities for youth and adult workers to explore
the benets of an Advanced Manufacturing
career. The State of Michigan's Industry
Cluster Approach (MICA) focuses on aligning
efforts by convening groups of employers to
gather in-depth information about jobs in
demand, skill gaps and training needs, allow-
ing comprehensive dialogue, collaborative
problem solving, and a more effective demand-
driven workforce development system. The
overarching objective is to adapt the workforce
system in Michigan to produce more trainees
with skills and competencies that align better
with industry, and hence increase the likeli-
hood of long-term employment upon the
completion of training. This public private
partnership has worked effectively since its
founding to attract, screen and train qualied
candidates for manufacturing careers in local
industries, considerably reducing skills gaps in
the local industry while lling the long-term
talent needs of area manufacturers. For more
details please contact the Kalamazoo Valley
Groves Centre at 269-353-1253. BP # 2, 4, 6
Prisoner Reintegration Employment
Opportunity Program
Australia
Many employers screen out candidates based
on several factors including a lack of grade 12
or a criminal record without a pardon. In
many cases these are not (thingsBona Fide
that are essential to do the job) requirements to
do the job. Moving forward in our forecasted
tight hiring market employers will need to
think outside the standard hiring template and
give people, who they previously would have
rejected, a fair chance. In Australia BHP
Billiton, which is a leading global resources
company and Rio Tinto which is a British-
Australian multinational metals and mining
Corporation have chosen to launch their own
recruitment initiatives. Although slightly
controversial, BHP Billiton’s program is to hire
low-security inmates from South Australia’s
jails once they are released. The local
government has been training prisoners to
work in the mining sector and support
industries, many of whom have been hired at
BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam mine. Qualifying
potential employees are sent to Roxby Downs
for several weeks, where they receive training
and on the job experience. The program is
called (Prisoner Reintegration Employ-PREOP
19
ment Opportunity Program). Queensland
Corrective Services (QCS) offers a range of
intervention programs that are designed to
assist a prisoner to reintegrate into the commu-
nity and reduce their risk of re-offending. This
reintegration program is one of Queensland's
most successful intervention programs,
employing around 75 per cent of the eligible
prisoner population in commercial and service
activities. BP # 2 & 3
13
17
18

14
Mind the Gap
Case Studies on Skills Gap Investments
The following are three examples of Case
Studies on Skills Gap Investments with Return
on Investments from “ ...Connecting the Dots
Linking Training Investment to Business
Outcomes and the Economy from the
Canadian Council on Learning”, April 2007
20
(page 47)
Industry Type: Manufacturing (Machining
and assembling valves) -
Size: SME
Training Type: Machine Operator Training
Company Name: Canadian Valve Company
Key Business Measures: Training time,
machining scrap, turnover,
safety
Results ROI: 132%
Overview: A pilot training program was
launched to investigate the potential cost
savings that might be realized by implement-
ing a permanent training program to train new
machine operators. As a result of the
substantial potential benets forecasted by the
pilot, management decided to set aside oor
space and budget for a permanent training
program with two full-time professional
trainers.
Background: A chronic high turnover rate for
machine operators was causing lost production
output as a result of downtime while new (and
inexperienced) operators were hired and
trained. Management considered traditional
on-the-job training time as excessive and the
results unsatisfactory. In addition, new
operators created high scrap rates and caused
excessive equipment downtime as a result of
improper operation of machinery. Another
indirect outcome of poor training practices
was that new hires made frequent mistakes
and consequently would be the subject of
hostile reactions from their supervisors. In
frustration, many new hires quit partway
through the program.
Training Solution: Management proposed a
pilot program to investigate the payback from
adopting a new strategy that would take
training out of the production environment. A
complete training plan was developed
detailing objectives, program structure, and
duration. Training was to be conducted under
the supervision of a professional instructor
who was also a competent machine operator.
This approach freed the line supervisors to
devote more of their time to their primary
tasks of supervising and motivating
experienced machine operators. The strategy
involved evaluating the ROI of the pilot
program and using the results to estimate the
potential annual return on investment from
implementing a permanent training program.
Evaluation Strategy Methodology: Phillips
ROI Methodology (All 5 levels) (page 38)
www.roiinstitute.net
Results: Training costs:
Equipment
(surplus lathes, desks, etc.) $19,000
($115,000 prorated over 5 years)
Space (Rental) $10,000
Annual program development costs $7,500
($15,000 prorated over 2 years)
Salaries (two instructors) $80,000
Maintenance $15,000
Total $131,500
Benets
Annual benets included savings as a result in
reductions in the following cost categories:
Training time $33,000
Machining scrap $45,000
Turnover $115,200
Accidents $14,250
Maintenance expenses $97,500
Total $304,950
ROI = Net benets/Total Costs
= $304,950 – $131,500/$131,500
= $173,450/$131,500
= 132%

15
A second example of Case Studies on Skills
Gap Investments with Return on Investments
from ... Linking TrainingConnecting the Dots
Investment to Business Outcomes and the
Economy from the Canadian Council on
20
Learning. (page 52)
Industry Type: Meat Processing
Size: Medium
Training Type: Essential Skills Training
Company Name: Glanbia Meats PLC
(Ireland)
Key Business Measures: Production efciency,
Improved communications,
Recruitment and retention,
Efciency of service
functions
Results ROI: 61%
Overview: Introducing essential skills training
(English as a Second Language) results in
substantive ROI and, perhaps equally
important, yields many signicant intangible
benets for the company and its workforce.
(See “Comments” below)
Background: In response to severe labour and
skills shortages, Glanbia employs non-English
speaking, migrant workers in its meat pro-
cessing division. In order to support new
workers integrating into Irish society and to
improve their effectiveness on the job, Glanbia
agreed to invest in a language training
program.
Training Solution: A language training
program was conducted in evenings after
work. After training, assessment identied
more than one-third of the 32 new employees
had achieved a “certication” level of
achievement while others improved their
language skills to varying degrees.
ROI Methodology (All 5 levels)
Because of the language competency issues,
evaluation data was collected using a facili-
tated questionnaire for levels 1 through 3
(Reaction, Learning, and Application on the
Job). Isolation—The business impact of
training was isolated from other potential
impacts using supervisors’ and managers’
estimates.
Business Results: Program Benets:
Note: (€1,000 Euro equals $1477.40 Cdn.)
Up-skilling saving € 1,000
Recruitment/retention savings € 3,300
Accident savings € 3,000
Lower running costs € 5,918
Total Benets € 13,218
Program Costs
Facilitators fee € 6,700
Other costs € 1,500
Total Costs € 8,200
ROI = Net Benets/Total Costs
= € 13,218 – € 8,200/€ 8,200 X 100%
= 61%
Comments: Apart from the monetary benets,
there were signicant intangible benets
including increased condence of employees
resulting in improved employee satisfaction,
more fullling experience for employees living
in their new community, enhanced prole for
Glanbia Meats as a responsible employer, and
greater retention and recruitment of
employees. As well, the training opened career
development opportunities that made it easier
for new employees to progress through
promotion and further career development.
(Skillnets 2005) (BP #3, 6 & 7)

The third example of Case Studies on Skills
Gap Investments with Return on Investments
from ... Linking TrainingConnecting the Dots
20
Learning. (page 53)
Industry Type: Brewing Industry
Size: Medium
Training Type: Cross-Skills Training
Company Name: St. James's Gate Brewery
Dublin (Diageo)
Key Business Measures: Cost reduction.
Increased maintenance
efciency.
Productivity improvements.
Results ROI: 121%
Overview: This study evaluated a Cross
Skilling program implemented to support a
major change initiative designed to move a
manufacturing facility from a single operative
to a multi-skilled, team based process. In
addition to the substantial return on invest-
ment, this training program yielded important
intangible benets such as enhanced repu-
tation of the brewery within the Diageo Group
as well as the development of a positive,
supportive team culture.
Background: St James's Gate Brewery has
been in operation for nearly 300 years and
produces kegged stout (Guinness) and ale
(Kilkenny). In 2001, management decided to
rationalize operations because costs were too
high. A number of measures were imple-
mented including reduction of head count,
moving to 24/7 operations, and training. The
training component involved up-skilling
single-skill workers (electrical, mechanical, or
operations) so that they could perform in a
multi-skilled team based environment.
Training Solution: : Cross-Skills Training
program was a key factor in the achieving the
business targets of the James's Gate change
initiative. The training, initiated through a
customized train-the-trainer approach, was
designed to enable team members to operate in
a “no demarcation” ethos and to enable the
development of new, exible team structures
having the required skill sets to carry out all
tasks competently and successfully. The
training occurred over nine months with 91
team members and 32 supervisors across
different departments.
ROI Methodology (All 5 levels) Level 2
(learning) data was obtained using perfor-
mance demonstration and competency
assessment for skills attained.
Business Results:
Note: 1,000 Euro equals $1477.40 Cdn.
Total Change Initiative Benets
(rst 12 months) € 4,705,000
Participants' estimation of %
benets caused by training 47%
Participants condence in
their estimate 68%
Probable contribution
by training (0.47 X 0.68) 32%
(Note: Supervisors and department heads were also asked for
their estimates on the percent-age contribution of training to
total benets. Participants’ estimates were chosen because they
were lowest, thus providing the most conservative estimate.)
Financial Benets
€ 4,705,000 X 0.32 = € 1,517,833
Program Costs:
Trainees' time (fully loaded) € 168,502
Back lling for trainers € 400,000
Cost for technical co-coordinator € 37,500
Cost of Train-the-Trainer Programs € 42,058
Other costs € 39,625
Total Costs € 687,685
ROI = Net Benets/Total Costs
= € 1,517,833 – € 687,685/€ 687,685
X 100% = 121%
Comments: In addition to the nancial benets
of the training, there was substantial intangible
benets as well enhanced job satisfaction since
each staff member is now competent in other
roles. The brewery also gained in stature in the
larger Diageo Group as a result of its success in
improving productivity, quality, and exibility.
(Skillnets 2005) (BP # 4 & 7)
Mind the Gap

17
ROI – Return on Investment and cost-benet
analysis are familiar decision-making tools
used in business management worldwide.
They are used most commonly to analyse
planned investment decisions for the acqui-
sition of capital equipment and technology. At
its simplest, ROI is the ratio of the net benets
of an investment compared to its total costs.
For further information please see: Connecting
the Dots
20
(page 31)
Intangible benets of training: Some
outcomes cannot be easily measured and
converted to monetary values. Attempting to
put a dollar value on outcomes such as
improved customer satisfaction, a less stressful
work environment, and employee satisfaction
can be extremely difcult, and the results may
be of questionable value. Trying too hard to
attach a business value can call into question
the credibility of value of the outcome and
possibly the entire evaluation effort. “Studies
show that employees who take more training
21
are generally more productive”.
In this section you will nd some pieces of the
puzzle that will help you put it all together.
This section explains why Labour Market
Information is important, explains Bench-
marking, Training Bonds, and references to the
Ontario Ministry of Training Colleges and
Universities.
Labour Market Information – The collection
and use of good labour market information is a
key piece in minimizing skills gaps for
employers. You need to know what is hap-
pening in your local and regional market in
order to remain sustainable and compete for
talent. Workforce Planning Boards, municipal
and regional economic development depart-
ments and local Chambers of Commerce are
particularly good sources for Labour Market
Information as well as potential partners for
encouraging change. You need to know
current wage information, trends and other
information about the local labour market. For
the London area, the websiteWorktrends.ca
has current wage information, trends and
explains how to hire locally. It also has links
for employers to post jobs.
Worktrends.ca is a London, Ontario focussed
labour market information resource that allows
many different types of users to access labour
market information easily to make informed
decisions. Labour market information can be
described as any information about the
workings of a labour market and any factors
likely to inuence the workings of that market,
including jobs available, people available to do
those jobs, and any changes in the external
and internal business environments.
Benchmarking – using hiring tools and/or Big
Data– For-Prot recruiting companies are in
the habit of using ‘tools’ to assess employees
before ‘matching’ them to a job. They rout-
Resources
‘Benets of Training’ Explanations :

18
Mind the Gap
inely use and sell a variety of tools to assist
employers in getting a good match to the
requirements of the job. First off, the employer
needs to know exactly what he wants. He or
she needs to know the ideal personality, hand
dexterity, oral listening skills or other attri-
butes needed to be successful in the job. This
is called Benchmarking. There are companies
that can help an employer Benchmark or an
employer can do it themselves through an
assessment of current skills of those who are
successful in their positions. There are many
tools sold through companies such as Thomas
International Kolbeor that can determine your
benchmarks and further assess applicants who
you are considering for hire. Evidence
suggests the use of big data or assessment tools
works. Printer manufacturer Xerox achieved a
20% reduction in staff attrition when it hired
an analytics rm to come up with a prole of
its ideal call-centre employee. They found
that ideal applicants should be local, have
reliable transport, be creative and not ask too
many questions.
Training Bonds – For employers who are
concerned about losing an employee after a
signicant investment in training, a ‘Training
Bond’ can be used. “A training bond is a
contract between an employer and an
employee that states that the employer will
pay for the employee's training as long as the
employee remains with the organization for a
minimum period of time following completion
of a training program. If the employee fails to
remain for the agreed upon period of time then
he/she must reimburse the organization for the
22
cost of training”.
Ontario Colleges and Universities – To contact
Ontario Colleges to talk about a partnership or
to nd a co-operative education student, or for
further information please see the Ministry of
Training, Colleges and Universities Website.
You can also visit this website for considering
potential partnership, nding a co-operative
education student or for further information
about . These sites alsoOntario Universities
provide useful information on other important
elements of skills development. For informat-
ion on apprenticeships please see the MTCU
website.
The Canada Job Grant is available at the time
of printing this document. will fund,The grant
on average, two thirds of a worker's eligible
training costs, to a maximum of $10,000.
Eligible training costs include tuition and fees,
text books and materials. The employer con-
tributes the remaining costs and the business
continues to employ the worker. For further
information please view the Economic Action
Plan website. Employers can apply through
www.ontario.ca/employeetraining.
For an explanation of types of unemployment
The amount of unemployment in an economy
is measured by the unemployment rate, which
is the percentage of workers without jobs in
the labour force. The labour force only
includes
current workers actively looking for jobs.
People who are retired, pursuing education, or
discouraged from seeking work by a lack of job
prospects are excluded from the labour force.
Unemployment can be generally broken down
into several types that are related to different
causes.
There is a wealth of related and informative
information found in the section; ‘Suggested
Related Reading’ beginning at page 26 in this
document. The research shown supports our
ndings and gives different perspectives on
the issues at hand.

According to a 2009 Conference Board of
Canada report, companies in Canada spent
an average of $787 per employee on
training, learning and development in 2008.
In real-dollar terms, this level of expenditure
represents a 40% decline over the past
23
decade-and-a-half”. Canadian productivity
lags primarily because of its “embedded
structural cause: poor offer of workplace
education and training, especially in basic
24
skills like literacy and numeracy”.
The bottom line is that Canadian productivity
is declining compared to other countries, due
to a lack of training investment. Canadian
investment in training is one of the lowest
investments in training according to the
Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development ( ). We are gradually erod-OECD
ing our solid knowledge foundation and our
world economic position in Canada with this
lack of investment.
Companies have reduced costs, restructured,
rationalized spending, and pushed people to
work harder than ever. More than 60% of
organizations say one of their top issues is
dealing with ‘the overwhelmed employee’.
Indicators show that 2015 is the start of an era
where there will be a ght for talent. Global
recruiting and desire for an increase in produc-
tivity should lead employers to decide that it is
time to invest in employees. Wise employers
will take the lead to hire and retain talent to
invest in the retention and growth of their
businesses. This year, for the rst time in
more than ve years, employees are in charge.
Employers worldwide are taking the lead in
minimizing their skills gaps and we in Canada
need to take a step forward in this initiative.
Our examples show that some employers are
involved, but in order for Canada to ourish
all employers need to make a concerted effort
to invest in their employees. A casual phone
call to a local training college could be the
starting point of a productive relationship.
The Conference Board of Canada suggests that,
“we need employers to step up training invest-
ments to help produce the smart, skilled, and
well-trained people Canada needs to enhance
innovation, productivity, and competitive-
ness.” For those employers who are concerned
about investing in their employees and then
losing them, we suggest aspiring to become,
‘An Employer of Choice’ which makes an
employer highly sought after by the potential
workforce. In fact, the Conference Board of
Canada indicates, “Research shows that higher
spending on employee training and efforts to
create strong corporate learning cultures
actually reduce turnover, increase employee
engagement, and improve productivity and
customer satisfaction. Employees recognize
and appreciate the investment, and reward
employers with greater loyalty and product-
ivity which, in turn, makes customers
25
happy.”
Lifelong learning is the present and the future
of our economic strength. Both employers and
employees need to commit to continuous
learning. We don’t realize it or think about it,
but our literacy gradually declines each year
after our graduation. We continue to learn at
work to a small degree but are not engaged in
signicant ongoing continuous learning as we
are when in school part or full time. The
Canadian Council on Learning has developed a
measure called the Composite Learning Index
(CLI) to measure Canada's progress in lifelong
learning. “The CLI measures the following four
pillars of lifelong learning:
• Learning to know refers to the develop-
ment of skills and knowledge needed to
function in the world such as literacy,
numeracy, critical thinking and general
knowledge.
19
Summary

• Learning to do refers to applied skills that
are often required for occupational
success such as computer training
• Learning to live together refers to
developing values of respect and concern
for others, social and interpersonal skills
and an appreciation of the diversity of
Canadians
• Learning to be refers to learning that
contributes to the development of a
person's body, mind and spirit such as
26
personal discovery and creativity”
The CLI recognizes that lifelong learning is
critical to the success of an individual, the
community and the country. Individuals
engaged in lifelong learning benet from better
jobs and higher wages and Canada benets
from higher productivity and a stronger
economy.
A report by the Canada Council on Learning
concludes that “Canadian productivity will
struggle until Canadian industry responds to
25
the need for enhanced training for all kinds”
Perhaps government proactive policies includ-
ing those encouraging employer investments
in training such as they have in Quebec would
be benecial for other provinces. Quebec
mandates employer training investment, either
directly or as contribution to provincial fund
= 1% payroll to employers with large payroll.
In addressing skills gaps, there are other
relevant issues. One signicant issue is on-
line application systems, which are generally
used by larger employers. Employers who
seemingly are inundated with resumes are
using on-line application tracking systems to
screen the candidates to a manageable few and
invariably may lose the candidates who they
actually are seeking. Applicant tracking
systems or can ‘screen out’ATS systems
qualied applicants who are unaware of the
proper method to apply on-line for the
position, have limited or no computer access,
are using their smart phone to apply for a job,
or are unfamiliar with this system and make
mistakes which screen them out. In a
situation of perceived skills gaps it would
seem that ‘screening out’ early in the process
may in fact lose the employee who might be
the best candidate and certainly lessens the
available pool of people from whom to pick
the best candidate. It has been said that once
you are ‘turned down’ the system will continue
to turn you down even though you have new
skills and may have changed your answers to
questions etc. Therefore using an ATS system
is not recommended.
Secondly, small to medium sized employers
are wise to use many recruitment methods. It
is much easier to start the process with several
of these methods than trying one and nding it
not adequate and starting all over again. In
Ontario our government provides free help
through the use of a ‘ ’ or anJob Developer
‘Employment Solutions Consultant’ who can
be reached through an Employment Service
provider such as sitesEmployment Ontario
found in some YMCA, Goodwill and other
locations. Google ‘Employment Service
Provider’ for a location near you. Literacy
Basic Skills providers also serve employees,
job seekers and employers interested in
upgrading non-technical, “soft skills”.
Other recruitment methods to continue using
include; word of mouth and government free
job postings such as the ‘ ’. MethodsJob Bank
which are cost efcient and should also be
used include social media such as ‘ ’,Linked In
and ‘ ’ and free advertising throughFacebook
‘ . Linked In is becoming a good sourceKijiji’
for candidates to nd jobs and for employers to
look for good candidates. It is believed that
74% of internet users subscribe to ‘Facebook’.
There are several low cost alternatives avail-
able to the employer who is challenged by a
lack of applicants including those already
mentioned above. Lower cost advertising
20
Mind the Gap
Other issues

21
mechanisms such as the web-‘Knighthunter’
site in London, Ontario, and its local relatives
in South Western Ontario, as well as employer
websites and employer sector alliance web-
sites are good value. ‘Knightunter’ has a
feature that allows job seekers to post their
resume and an employer can access those
resumes. Larger scale recruitment companies
such as ‘ ’ and ‘ ’ are superbMonster Workopolis
sources of free recruitment information. They
are more expensive to post jobs, but do reach a
large number of applicants. Wise employers
will also use the ‘ ’ website as aMagnet Today
hiring tool and is a valuableWorktrends.ca
website for labour market information. (BP #1
& 6)
There is an understanding that the ‘Great
Recession’ has encouraged employers to hold
on to their prots now more than ever.
According to the Canadian Centre for Policy
Alternatives, “The richest 1% in Canada
receive, on average, at least 16 times more
income than those in the bottom 90%. Thirty
years ago, that ratio was only 10 times more.”
Even the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
has warned deep wage cuts can do greater
harm than good. The World Economic Forum
points to income inequality in wages, not
government decits, as the greatest threat to
global stability. A chronic gap between rich
and poor is yawning wider, posing the biggest
single risk to the world in 2014, even as
economies in many countries start to recover,
the World Economic Forum has said. Its
annual assessment of global dangers concludes
that income disparity and attendant social
unrest are the issue most likely to have a big
impact on the world economy in the next
decade. In the U.S., the typical CEO at a large
company earned 354 times more than the
average worker last year – compared with 42
times in 1982, according to the AFL-CIO
labour federation. At the highest end, at J.C.
Penney the ratio was 1,795-to-one last year,
Bloomberg analytics show.
Canada's CEO-to-average-worker pay ratio is
206-to-one, the labour federation calculates
using OECD data - higher than 147 in
Germany, 93 in Australia, 84 in the U.K. and
67 in Japan. “It's awful hard for me to defend
the proposition there are labour and skill
shortages when in fact wage rates have barely
kept pace with ination” said Minister Jason
Kenney, Employment and Social Development
27
Canada. Employers should nd paying a little
bit more money increases the quality of the
candidate and may increase retention. (BP #8)
In addition, where possible, we encourage
employers to ll positions with permanent
employees rather than contract employees.
Precarious employment contributes to many
problems in society. Reducing the number of
lay-offs lessens skills gaps by allowing
employees time to continuous learn the
position and become dedicated to the current
work group. Working on an employment
contract is discouraging if the employee knows
that he or she is working beside others who are
being paid more for the same work. Contract
employment produces anxiety in the employee
and can lead to poorer production at your
company due to increased turnover, stress
related health issues, and in the worst case
scenario it can lead to an increase in rates of
societal issues such as crime due to the
feelings of desperation. There is no basis for
treating these employees differently after an
initial probation period such as three months.
A strong society is one in which everyone
moves ahead together and poverty is reduced
and ultimately eliminated. (BP# 2& 8)

Mind the Gap
22
Mind the Gap
Conclusion and Best Practices
for Recruitment and Retention
Finally, as an overall basis for best practices in
planning to minimize skills gaps we have used
some examples from an Australian paper
related to the mining industry’s shortage of
skilled workers which, coincidentally, has
used the same name as our project “Mind the
Gap
28
” Canadian details and further
suggestions for best practices have been added
and are drawn from the research materials and
the author's work experience.
BP #1 Be aware that the wider you cast your
recruiting net the more candidates from whom
you will be able to pick. Reach out to your
local community college or university for help.
Whether it is for hiring apprentices, interns or
students, discussing curriculum or nding
graduates the local post-secondary institution
is a logical place to start. Your local college or
university is a recruiting centre.
BP #2 Be disciplined about ‘workforce
planning’. Workforce planning is the business
process for ensuring that an organization has
suitable access to talent to ensure future busi-
ness success. Some aspects of workforce
planning will be covered in this section. It is
important to dedicate time and effort into
paying attention to your workforce as well as
recruiting the right candidate the rst time, to
cross train and to plan for career succession
with current employees. In Canada it can cost
$7000+ to replace an employee when you look
at lost productivity, time spent in planning to
hire, reviewing resumes, interviewing, over-
time for back lling, advertising, on-boarding
and training so effective workforce planning is
essential.
Contracting out to a Human Resources Cons-
ultant for assistance in planning can save
money and time if an employer doesn’t have
staff on hand to undertake workforce planning.
In workforce planning, accessing talent
includes considering all potential resources
including employment, contracting out,
apprenticeships, partnerships with other
employers and, changing business activities to
modify the types of talent required.
• Layoffs cause employees to seek other
employment, and the employer may lose
some of the best talent, and therefore lay-
offs should be minimized.
• Paying a better wage than average often
generates and retains a higher end
employee.
• If you are worried about the massive
‘outux’ potentially generated by retiring
baby-boomers choose your best perform-
ers and start training them now to ll
those positions.
• Apprenticeships must be started well in
advance of needs.
• A demographic analysis of your work-
force or a well designed employee survey
can help to indicate your employees’
plans and assist you in long term
planning.
BP #3 Tap a diversity of skills including;
women, aboriginals, non-English speakers,
convicted felons. Keep in mind “bona de
hiring requirements”. Determine exactly the
skills needed and don't disqualify people
based on other factors which actually are not
relevant to doing the job.
BP #4 Create awareness and strengthen the
‘brand’, industry and or promote the location
of your business. Align with others to form
councils and alliances, and plan together to
create awareness. By doing these things you
can become an industry of choice or an
‘employer of choice’.

23
BP #5 Make it easier for people to move or
commute. Promote the upgrade of regional
infrastructure. Encourage your community to
provide more transportation and provide more
incentives for your candidates to relocate.
Locate on bus routes if possible and set up car-
pooling if need be.
BP #6 Use the extensive system of Service
Providers; Employment Services/Literacy Basic
Skills agencies as well as Ontario Works,
Ontario Disability Supports Program providers
and Essential Skills Ontario as publicly funded
assistance and talent sources.
BP #7 Re-skill the workforce – hire good
people who have aptitude and good attitude
and train them and keep them aboard as your
business continually evolves and grows.
BP #8 Provide a good employment package
including; a compelling ,career path
and a living wage. Employees are looking for
challenge and rewards not only in money, but
also in time off, and value in their commit-
ment to you. Invest in frontline leadership.
Studies indicate that employees will leave a
company if management lack the soft skills
needed to properly manage, or if their manager
is not an efcient manager.

Mind the Gap
Footnotes
The author gives credit to many sources for
innovative ideas on skills gap minimization.
The McKinsey Report: From Education to
Employment, The Canadian Council on
Learning: TheWhat is the Future of Learning?
Alan Saks & Robert Haccoun text: Managing
Performance through Training and Develop-
ment were excellent sources of information.
The following represents sources of inform-
ation and not necessarily direct quotations
from the sources. Following the links provided
will permit access to the information in many
cases.
1. Managing Performance through Training
and Development, Alan M Saks and Robert R.
Haccoun Nelson Education Series in Human
Resources Management (page 12)
2. Skills Gap or Training Gap? The Role of
Manufacturing in Solving the Skills Gap
Problem – Carolyn J. Hatch, Ph.D., Michigan
State University
3. Quote by a Siemen's executive: Education to
Employment McKinsey Report – Designing a
System that works.
4. Managing Performance through Training and
Development, Alan M Saks and Robert R.
5. – by Steve50 Best Employers in Canada
Brearton, The Globe and Mail, published
Tuesday, Dec. 29 2009
6. Viewpointe Winery – Harrow, Ontario from a
personal conversation with John Fancsy of
Viewpointe Winery (April 2014)
7. Niagara College – personal phone conver-
sation with Dominic Caruso, Development
Ofcer Continuing Education, Niagara College
(August 2014) -905-735-2211 ex. 7819
8. - Valiant's Effort“Earn While You Learn
Trains and Pays Apprentices” by Dave Hall in,
the Windsor Star, published February 23, 2012
9. Marwood Training Centre, Tillsonburg, Ont.
personal phone conversation with Ed Klassen
of Marwood Training Centre (May 2014)
10. Titan Trailers, Courtland, Ontario – Pers-
onal phone conversation with Linda Coughlan,
Titan Trailers Tillsonburg, Ontario (May 2014)
11. LiveGreyBruce – personal phone conver-
sation with Cliff Bilyea (July 3, 2014)
12. - Strathroy,Job Requirement Approach
Ontario - Bonduelle, Ontario
13. Technical Training Group - personal phone
conversation with Virginia Lambdin (July 22,
2014)
14. – by Steve50 Best Employers in Canada
Brearton in The Globe and Mail, published
Tuesday, Dec. 29 2009
15. – By Rachel AbbeyAdult Internships
McCafferty, originally published February 16,
2014
16. – United StatesThe Apprentice School
17. – McKinseyEducation to Employment
Report: Designing a System that Works
18. – United StatesApprenticeship 2000
19. Prisoner Reintegration Employment
Opportunity Program, Australia Cecilia
Jamasmie, July 26, 2012 and Prisoner
Employment Policy and Action Plan 2008-2011
Real skills for real jobs – making it on the
outside Queensland Corrective Services
20. … Linking TrainingConnecting the Dots
Learning (April 20007)
http://www.ccl-ca.ca/NR/rdonlyres/F6226BEA-
0502-4A2D-A2E0-A7C450C5212/0/connecting_
dots_EN. pdf
and Development – Alan M. Saks and Robert R.
Haccoun, Nelson Education Series in Human
22. Training Bonds: Managing Performance
through Training and Development – Alan M.
Mind the Gap
24
Mind the Gap

Saks and Robert R. Haccoun Nelson Education
Series in Human Resources Management
(pages 16 and 12)
23. The Future of Work and Learning in Canada
2015 - Report to the National Commission on
the Future of Work and Learning – submitted
by Jenny Brown, Adult Learning and Global
Change, Intercontinental Master’s Program,
University of British Columbia. Submission
date: March 31th, 2012
24. Employers Must Start Investing in Skills
Training or Risk Having Public Policy Nudge
Them Along – Daniel Munro, Principal
Research Associate, Industry and Business
Strategy. May 12, 2014
25. What is the Future of Learning in Canada?
Canadian Council on Learning, Ottawa, ON
(October 2011)
and Development – Alan M Saks and Robert R.
27. Weathermen, Economists and Astrologers –
Howard Green, Ontario Non-prot Network.
June 3, 2014. “It's awful hard for me to defend
the proposition there are labour and skill
shortages when in fact wage rates have barely
kept pace with ination.” Minister Jason
Kenney, Employment and Social Development
Canada.
28. – Solving the skills shortageMind the Gap
in resources, PwC
25

Mind the GapMind the Gap
26
References and Suggested
Further Related Reading
For further related reading the author
recommends the following very interesting
websites and papers. Some may have limited
linkage due to newspaper timelines. We begin
with Canadian content and move to others.
• ANational skills mismatch is a myth:
Parliamentary Budget Ofce (PBO) study says
‘little evidence’ to back Ottawa’s fears of
labour shortage. Gordon Isfeld, March 25,
2014 (“There is little evidence to suggest a
national labour shortage exists in Canada,
although there appear to be regional and
sectoral pockets of labour market tightness,”
the report says, pointing to Saskatchewan as
an example of one of those markets. The PBO
report – the rst to target employment issues
– states “some skills mismatch is normal,
there is no evidence in support of a more
acute national skills mismatch today than
prior to the 2008-09 recession… Top
management gets bonuses for reducing
salaries and laying people off – costs savings
cost cutting is rewarded... and this needs to
stop. Companies need to put money back in
to the economy rather than hoard it for those
at the top.”)
• The Great Canadian Skills Mismatch:
People Without Jobs, Jobs Without People
and MORE Rick Miner, March 2014 “Yet, in
reviewing these gures (on skills shortages)
keep the following points in mind – rst, the
estimates typically include replacement
demand (retirements largely), anticipated
growth and in some cases existing shortages.
So, these are not all net forecasted new jobs.
Hence, the demand is somewhat inated and
many replacements will be met through
existing mechanisms. Second, when
surveyed, one typically nds that industry
tends to overestimate demand. This is just
“good business" to ask for more than you
need so the supply will be greater than
demand, which will lower labour costs.”
• People without Jobs - Jobs without People
– Ontario’s Labour Market Future Rick
Miner, Ph.D. - February 2010 …The
demographic shift that is upon us will result
in a continuous decline in workforce
participation rates. According to Dugan and
Robidoux (1999, p.49)”…looking ahead, the
…participation rate will continue to fall
gradually as a result of downward pressure
from demographic changes. By 2015, it is
estimated it will be at about 63 per cent….”
What will be the likely impact on Ontario?”
• Searching for Heroes in a World of
Economic Villains Barrie McKenna, Ottawa
The Globe and Mail (published Sunday, Apr.
06 2014, 8:11 PM EDT) “Prof. Piketty warns
instead that global economic growth will
limp along at just 1 per cent to 1.5 per cent
for the rest of this century – roughly half the
pace of the past century. The spoils will ow
increasingly to the wealthy – entrepreneurs,
owners of capital and those fortunate enough
to inherit wealth, he argues. Workers will fall
further behind...”
• World Economic Forum warns of lost
generation, dangers in growing inequality”
The Globe and Mail, Ben Hirschler, London, -
Reuters (published Thursday, Jan. 16 2014,
6:52 AM EST) “A chronic gap between rich
and poor is yawning wider, posing the
biggest single risk to the world in 2014, even
as economies in many countries start to
recover, the World Economic Forum said on
Thursday. Its annual assessment of global
dangers, which will set the scene for its
meeting in Davos next week, concludes that
income disparity and attendant social unrest
are the issue most likely to have a big impact
on the world economy in the next decade.”
• More Harm than Good: Ontario’s Austerity
Measures – Austerity’s Impact in Ontario
Trish Hennessy and Jim Stanford, Canadian
Centre for Policy Alternatives Ontario March
2013 isbn?978-1-77125-058-0 “While youth
unemployment remains twice as high as the

province’s overall unemployment rate, at the
other end of the age spectrum, the number of
Ontario's working seniors has tripled since
2001. Some of the biggest increases in senior
employment have occurred in retail trade,
accommodation and food services – trad-
itionally entry-level jobs for youth.”
• Budget watchdog nds little evidence of
labour, skills shortages The Canadian Press
(posted: Mar 25, 2014 11:16 AM) “Canada's
budget watchdog says there’s little evidence
of serious labour shortages or a skills
mismatch problem in the country. The
government has made much of a skills
mismatch to justify measures such as the
foreign temporary workers program, stricter
employment insurance eligibility rules and
the Canada Job Grant program. But the
budget watchdog says there’s no evidence to
suggest the current situation is any different
from that prior to the 2008-09 recession, and
that some level of skills mismatch in an
economy is normal.”
• Canadian job skills mismatch: truth or
science ction? Canada’s job numbers come
out today. But can they say what jobs will be
important in 10 years? by Don Pittis, CBC
News (posted: Apr 04, 2014, 5:00 AM ET. Last
updated: Apr 04, 2014 5:00 AM ET.)
“...people don't like to say this out loud, but
the reason you put public money into
[education and training], the public return on
skills, is in part because skills become
cheaper,” says Usher. “Software engineers
around 2003, 2004 - oh my god, were they
cheap!” That’s not encouraging for anyone
launching themselves into years of advanced
study in a profession that is currently in
demand. But Usher says students are not
stupid. They will adjust their skills to meet
the economy’s needs. Adapting to the labour
market is something that Sherry Weaver
understands. She started out in engineering
before becoming a school teacher and then a
university professor. “If there is one thing
that we could teach, it's the ability to adapt,”
says Weaver. “That's probably the biggest
skill set that we can give our kids, and that
will allow them to be able to move
seamlessly from one profession to another.”
• JOBS IN CANADA - Where, What and For
Whom? TD Economics, Derek Burleton, Vice
President and Deputy Chief Economist, Sonya
Gulati, Senior Economist, Connor McDonald,
Economist and Sonny Scarfone Research
Associate, October 22, 2013 (p. 25) - “…at
least from an economy-wide perspective, it is
hard to make the case that widespread labour
shortages currently exist… Supplementary
measures of unemployment point to greater
surplus labour in the market than implied by
the traditional measure… For example, an
unemployment rate that factors in those
employed involuntarily in part-time positions
and discouraged workers is around 10.5%,
more than 2 percentage points above its pre-
recession level. The average duration of
unemployment also remains relatively
elevated compared to historical norms.”
• Society at a Glance 2014 - Highlights:
Canada -OECD Social Indicators “Three out
of four Canadians report that they have
condence in nancial institutions,
compared with one out of two in OECD as an
average. Canada is among the few countries
where condence in nancial institutions
was not greatly affected by the economic
crisis.”
• Canadas Training Ground: SMEs $18
Billion Investment in the Nations Workforce
Canadian Federation of Independent Business
“Training is fundamental to all workplaces,
including businesses large and small.
Businesses’ investment in training adds value
to products, enhances the efciency and
productivity of employees, and increases
economic output. Small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) are no different from
larger businesses in seeking a positive return
27

on their training investments, however, they
may train differently in order to adjust to the
different challenges they face.”
• Skills shortage top concern, employers say
by Dana Flavelle - The Toronto Star –
Economy (published on Tue Jan 21 2014)
“Canadian employers’ top concern is the
shortage of skilled workers but they're
divided on how to address the issue, a survey
to be released Tuesday found. About half of
the employers surveyed say it’s up to them to
offer more training, while the other half
believe job seekers must come with the right
skills and attitude, the survey for a non-prot
career counselling research organization
found. “Employers are saying we can’t nd
the right people with the right skills. There’s
an abundance of people looking for work but
they don’t have exactly what we need,” said
Mark Venning, chair of the Canadian
Education and Research Institute for
Counselling.”
• The Paradox of Worker Shortages at a
Time of High National Unemployment by
Darrell M. West. No Shortage of Workers, Just
a Shortage of Training Andrew Jackson
Special to The Globe and Mail published
Tuesday, Nov. 19 2013, 5:00 AM EST. Last
updated Tuesday, Nov. 19 2013, 5:00 AM
EST) “At a time of high national
unemployment, it has become a truism that
there are few worker shortages and
employers have numerous applicants for
every available slot. After all, that is the very
den-ition of joblessness. High
unemployment results when there are many
more workers seeking positions than
available jobs.”
• Hiring Challenges on Rise - Survey:
Businesses Optimistic About Growth but
Face Greater Recruiting Difculties Toronto,
Feb. 13, 2014 /CNW/ “In a recent Robert Half
survey, nearly all business executives
interviewed said they are optimistic about
their companies' growth prospects in the rst
six months of 2014. However, they are less
certain about their ability to recruit
experienced talent for open jobs. In fact,
more than half (58%) of chief nancial
ofcers (CFOs) said it is at least somewhat
challenging to nd skilled candidates for
professional-level positions today. This is
down slightly from 60 per cent this time last
year, but with the number of executives
selecting ‘very challenging’ increasing 7
points.”
• Canadas Skills Crisis: What We Heard
Canadian Chamber of Commerce 2012
”Employers are not, by and large, involved in
skills training, especially SMEs, said a
participant. The attitude seems to be “the
state takes care of education; employers
employ,” he added. “We need an up-skilling
of our own workforce, said another partici-
pant. “Employers need to take responsibility
and see training as an investment, not as a
cost,” added a participant. “Poaching is the
number one concern in one industry.”
• Ontario Literacy Coalition | Menial is
Menial No More Ontario Literacy Coalition.
Essential Skills Ontario's 2011discussion
paper, Menial No More: Advancing our
Workforce through Digital Skills suggests that
as a result of emerging technology, consumer
expectations, and increased global compe-
tition, jobs perceived as ‘low-skilled’ or ‘entry
level’ need new kinds of skills – and that
Ontario's economy may depend on our ability
to train current and future workers in these
types of positions.
• ... Linking TrainingConnecting the Dots
Economy Canadian Council on Learning
(April 2007) “For some years, Canada's
economic growth has been lagging
precariously behind that of its major
competitors such as the United States. From
the research, it seems clear that this down-
slide is rooted in a chronic national blind
spot – a lack of awareness that investing in

the human capacity of Canada's workforce is
paramount to success. This is regrettable
because much of the research literature on
training’s impacts on business performance
suggests that rms which invest more in
training typically report higher productivity
and wage levels. A recent World Bank study
of 1,500 enterprises, for example, found that
the return on training investment was 24 %.”
• – Essential Skills Ontario this webElevate
portal created by Essential Skills Ontario
helps connect employers to the kinds of
workforce literacy and essential skills
training they need to recruit and maintain a
skilled workforce. Essential Skills Ontario
has worked with employers, unions, literacy
and essential skills (LES) training providers
and governments to develop a wide range of
training interventions to meet this skills
upgrading challenge.
• Career Ladders: From Better Skills to
Better Work Essential Skills Ontario “Career
Ladders’, are series of connected literacy,
language and skills training programs that
enable individuals to secure employment
within a specic industry or occupational
cluster, and allows them to advance to higher
levels of education and employment.
Emerging career ladder frameworks has
shown success in the US, Australia, the UK
and other countries. Although varying from
jurisdiction to jurisdiction, the common
jurisdiction to jurisdiction, the common
denominator remains the same: to help
workers move up a career ladder after they
enter employment, not before.”
• 'The Cost of Ontarios Skills Gap - The
Need to Make Skills Work Dr. Michael
Bloom, Vice President, The Conference Board
of Canada (June 21st, 2013) “Many Ontarians
are not being trained with the right skills for
success in today's economy. “
• Workforce Analytics: Making The Most Of
A Critical Asset by Eric Lesser and Carl
Hoffman in Ivey Business Journal “Strategy”
(July/August 2012) “According to a newly
released study of over 1,700 CEOs from
around the globe, human capital was cited as
the most important factor in maintaining
competitive advantage.”
• Upskilling the Workforce: Employer-
sponsored Training and Resolving the Skills
Gap The Canadian Chamber of Commerce
(October 2013) “Most skills development
takes place by doing a job, not in a classroom.
This is particularly true of job-specic, social
and problem-solving skills. Employee devel-
opment plans should account for out-of-
classroom learning.”
• Investing in Human Capital: Policy
Priorities for Canada W. Craig Riddell in a
policy brief for Institute for Research on Public
Policy (September 29, 2008) “Human capital
investments yield important social benets,
such as increased civic participation,
reduced participation in criminal activities
and higher rates of innovation.”
• Taxes pay for robots, but robots dont pay
taxes Konrad Yakabuski, The Globe and Mail
(published Monday, Apr. 14 2014, 6:00 AM
EDT- Last updated Monday, Apr. 14 2014,
6:00 AM EDT” “The robot revolution is just
beginning. Automation is set to displace
millions of factory workers. Even if Ontario's
manufacturing sector produces more in
29

coming years, its share of overall employ-
ment will fall and its share of wages will fall
further.”
• Losing Ground: The Persistent Growth Of
Family Poverty In Canada’s Largest City©
Written & prepared by Susan MacDonnell,
Director of Research Data Analysis: April Lim,
Senior Research Analyst Geographic Analysis
and Mapping: Diane Dyson, Research Analyst
for United Way of Greater Toronto (2007)
National Library of Canada ISBN 978-0-
921669-34-0
• Has Canada’s Foreign Labour Program
Outgrown its Usefulness? Barrie Mckenna,
The Globe and Mail (published Sunday, Apr.
13 2014, 5:25 PM EDT) “…Warnings of wide-
spread labour shortages, largely a myth, or at
least, greatly exaggerated. A recent study by
the Parliamentary Budget Ofcer found little
evidence of either a national labour shortage
or a skills mismatch in Canada… the Bank of
Canada’s quarterly business outlook survey
similarly discounts the labour-shortage
narrative. Roughly one in ve companies
reported labour shortages in the bank’s
recently released spring business outlook
survey. That marked the third straight
decline, and the level of concern is roughly
half of what it was through much of the early
2000s.”
• 20 Career Trends That Every Practitioner
Should Know posted by Sharon Graham
March 19, 2014, 7:00 AM “…ATS are consid-
ered a ‘necessary evil’, a less-than-perfect
method for employers to rapidly sort large
numbers of resumes. Some career profes-
sionals develop resumes separately for ATS
and for humans, while others create one
document designed to meet both the needs of
both technology and the human eye.”
• CERIC releases Environics national survey
Canadian business divided on best way to
tackle skills gap (January 21 2014) Survey
nds 71% of employers agree they have a
responsibility to provide career management
programs but only 29% offer them. A short-
age of skilled workers is the single biggest
issue facing Canadian executives in 2014 but
employers are split on how to address the
skills gap, according to a new survey released
today by the Canadian Education and
Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC).
Environics Research Group conducted the
telephone survey of 500 Canadian business
leaders about the skills shortage and skills
gaps, employee training and recruiting
workers, as well as career management
practices.
• The Future of Work and Learning in
Canada 2015: Report to the National
Commission on the Future of Work and
Learning, submitted by Jenny Brown, Adult
Learning and Global Change, Intercontinental
Master’s Program, University of British
Columbia (submission Date: March 31th,
2012)
• by CarolRich-poor gap becomes a chasm
Goar, Columnist, Toronto Star (published on
Wed Jan 10 2007) “What emerged was a
picture of widening disparity. The top 20 per
cent of families held 75% of the nation’s
wealth and were rapidly accumulating more.
The bottom 20% had no net wealth (their
debts exceeded their assets) and were sinking
deeper into poverty. The middle 60 per cent
were struggling to hold their ground.”
• Where Does the Money Go? The Increas-
ing Reliance on Household Debt in Canada
by the Certied General Accountants
Association of Canada
• A Snapshot ofFrom Classroom to Career:
Employment and Underemployment among
Ontario’s Engineering Graduates Engineer-
ing Employment In Ontario: Research And
Analysis (May 2014) The report provides a
snapshot of indicators based on the discon-
nect between what employers say – there is a
shortage of workers with the specialized

Mind the Gap Report - Web Version- Feb. 25, 2015

Mind the Gap Report - Web Version- Feb. 25, 2015

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