Business/Labour (Employer) Resources:

Working In Canada

Ontario Resources: 

Ontario Economic Update

Invest in Ontario

Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO)

National Occupational Classification

Ontario Chamber of Commerce

Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations Inc. (OACFDC)

Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA) 

Business Canada

Manufacturing Sector Gateway 

Eastern Region:

Ontario East Economic Development 

Western Region: 

South Central Ontario Region (SCOR) Economic Development Corporation

Job Seeker/Employee Resources:

Ontario WorkInfoNet

Government of Ontario: Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

Employment Ontario

Settlement.org

As a network we facilitate formal communication among Ontario’s local workforce planning boards, and the sharing of information, results and best practices.

Creating Community Connections!

Ontario’s workforce planning boards cover a cross-section of employment sectors and have the data, resources and know-how to connect the right people and organizations at the local and provincial levels.

Over the years, these boards have built and maintained strong relationships with community partners and helped make possible over 1,000 partnership projects/activities such as:

• Employer breakfasts to promote apprenticeship Information sessions for women, entrepreneurs and internationally trained professionals
• Workshops to raise awareness of challenges faced by persons with disabilities
• Career fairs to promote skilled trades as viable and rewarding careers
• Valuable tools and resources for use by the employer community including employer guides, research reports and best practices.

On this site, you can locate boards by region and review community reports, learn about local employment services, programs and partnerships, or link to other labour market sites.

Get Involved

Every individual or group can play a vital role in a community’s labour market. The work of Ontario’s workforce planning boards is greatly enhanced when a cross-section of community members get involved – representatives from business, labour, education and training, youth, women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Francophones and Aboriginals.

Support your local workforce planning and development board. Become a volunteer board member, community partner, or participate in local surveys and consultations.

Workforce Planning Ontario is made up of a network of 25 Workforce Planning Board areas covering four regions across the province.

Workforce Planning Boards gather intelligence about the supply of labour and the demand side of the local labour market by working with employers to identify and meet their current and emerging skills needs. The primary role of Workforce Planning Boards is to help improve understanding of and coordinate community responses to labour market issues and needs

Get Connected

• Find the resources in your community relevant to training, employment and labour force information
• Discover community partnerships
• Volunteer, become a board member of a community partner
• Connect with your local workforce planning board

A Network of Workforce Planning Boards

This network is in communities across Ontario. These boards conduct localized research and actively engage organizations and community partners in local labour market projects.

Each board is as individual as the community it serves, and each addresses labour market issues in its own way as all communities have their own priorities. As a network, Ontario’s workforce planning boards also work together to address labour market issues from a province-wide perspective.

About our name: Our network was launched in 1994 under the name Local Boards, but as of 2011 is known as Workforce Planning Ontario to better reflect our mandate to connect stakeholders within the labour market. We are funded by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (LTSD) under Employment Ontario.

How to Use this Site

• Take the time to browse and discover…
• What your workforce planning board is up to and how to get involved
• Recruitment and retention services
• Promising job sectors in your community
• Skills most in demand by local employers
• Where to get training to upgrade skills or start a new career … and more

To find a Workforce Planning Board in your area place your mouse pointer over the area on the map . Click the map to visit that Workforce Planning Board's website.

• Apprenticesearch.com
• Canadian Auto Parts Manufacturing Association
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety
• Canadian Human Rights Commission
• Canadian Labour Congress
• Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association
• Canadian Society for Training and Development
• Citizenship and Immigration Canada
• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
• Government of Ontario
• Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario
• Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development
• Ontario Federation of Labour
• Ontario WorkinfoNet
• Statistics Canada
• Settlement.org - Information for newcomers to Canada
• Technical Standards & Safety Authority
• The Conference Board of Canada
• Tradeability.ca
• TVO - Learning site
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
• 211Ontario

Employment Ontario

Employment Ontario provides a comprehensive on-line database of the various employment programs and services by region. In addition to local programs, you will find information on provincial and federal programs and services.

Visit the Employment Ontario website for services specific to your community and your needs! 

Employment Ontario

Individual WorkinfoNet (iWIN)

Websites about career planning and employment often lack local information. An Individual WorkInfoNet (iWin) – the most targeted version of the Ontario government’s WorkInfoNet portal – makes it possible for a web visitor to search by geographical region and focus on his or her specific needs.

Click on iWIN now to try out this personalized source of local education, training and employment-related information.

Every region of Ontario is unique when it comes to demographics, industry and economics. To address the diverse needs of local communities and business in the area of workforce development, in 1990 the Ontario Premier’s Council Report recommended creating regional committees. The first was established in 1996, and today we are a network of 25 planning areas.

Each board operates in its own way, but all have a mission to…

identify workforce issues that are characteristic of the local community; and
provide collaborative solutions by engaging stakeholders and working with partners.

Workforce Planning Ontario together covers all sectors and is an essential link between job seekers, employers and skills development services. Every day, these organizations facilitate connections between these stakeholders to strengthen the local labour market.

Go ahead and connect with your Workforce Planning and Development Board.

Workforce Planning Ontario members provide grassroots information about key workforce issues and solutions at the community level. They have the expertise to identify opportunities to connect people and organizations with programs related to training and employment.

Creating Community Connections!

Over the years, our members have built and maintained relationships with community partners and helped make possible over 1,000 partnership projects/activities such as:

• Employer breakfasts to promote apprenticeship
• Information sessions for women, entrepreneurs and internationally trained professionals
• Workshops to raise awareness of challenges faced by persons with disabilities
• Career fairs to promote skilled trades as viable and rewarding careers

On this site you can find your local board, review community research and reports, learn about employment services and programs in your community, and link to other useful resources.

The labour market consists of the industries, employers, employees and future employees that form the economic backbone of a community. It is ever-shifting, along with demographic trends, economic patterns, technologies, education and training. 

Tracking Labour Market Trends

Ontario’s local workforce development boards collect and analyze labour market data and identify trends, opportunities and priorities in their respective communities. Each board documents its findings in a comprehensive report that becomes a valuable planning tool for economic development.

Who Benefits from our Research?

Our neutral, objective research is valuable not only to local communities but also to groups beyond local borders, including…

• Service Canada
• The Ministry of Advanced Education & Skills Development
• Other federal, provincial and municipal government with a focus on labour market development
• Local and regional economic development agencies

Read about labour market trends in your community.