Worktrends.ca a One - Stop Location for Labour Market Information

Good quality information is essential for individuals looking to make career decisions in an ever changing economy. This information can also be very useful to employers looking to recognize key employment trends and plan for future growth and development of their organizations. In March of 2014, the Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board in partnership with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and the London Economic Development Corporation launched www.worktrends.ca in order to provide current local and regional labour market information in one convenient and easy to use online location.


The resource is designed to be useful for several different groups including students, job seekers and employers. It provides users with accessible, up-to-date and relevant data including market conditions, industry information, changes in the internal and external business environments, future hiring and employment trends, wage and salary expectations and education and training information.

Job seekers are able to see what companies are hiring by viewing an on-site list of active job boards in Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford Counties. They can research the training they will need to apply to these jobs and can get an idea of how much money they can be expected to make.

This type of information is also extremely useful to students trying to decide on a sustainable future career path. They can use the website to get an overall picture of the viability of entering certain occupations in the area, what they can expect to earn in each occupation and what education and training they will need to pursue this type of occupation. There is also a section on the website dedicated to resources for newly landed immigrants and persons with disabilities.

Employers and human resources professionals can utilize www.worktrends.ca to get a better idea of what competitive wages are for a particular job or occupation, get an idea of how many qualified people in the area can fill these jobs and to determine the potential future growth in an industry. The website also has resources to teach employers how to better accommodate employees with disabilities.

The data found on www.worktrends.ca comes from Stats Canada, a variety of independent data providers, government ministries and the EmployerOne Survey that is administered to local businesses each year. Data can be searched by job or by industry and results displayed compare trends from Middlesex, Elgin, London, St. Thomas and Oxford to trends at the provincial and national levels. 

Increased Connectivity and Responsiveness at the Municipality of Bayham

It was clear to new Chief Administrative Officer Paul Shipway that the Municipality of Bayham’s computer and communications technology system was in need of significant updates. The system operated on old servers, used outdated equipment and was heavily reliant on paper files located at the main municipal administration office in Straffordville.

Municipal staff was spread out over five separate locations including the main municipal administration office, fire and emergency services, water treatment facilities and public works and each of these locations used a stand-alone computer system. These five stand-alone systems had no connectivity to one another and staff requiring documents stored on other systems needed to request them by e-mail or visit the location in person.

“Municipalities are required to be fluid and responsive to the needs of citizens,” said

Shipway. “Operating in silos does not allow us to be as responsive as we would like to be.”
An organizational review identified that a modern and intuitive computer technology system was crucial to the staff’s ability to do its job in an efficient and effective manner while meeting the complex needs of the community.

Improvements to the system will include transitioning to a single terminal server environment where all municipal staff, regardless of location, can search and access the same documents quickly and easily. Additionally a fast and stable internet connection will be brought to the municipal office through the installation of fibre connections. Fibre connections are thinner and lighter than metal cables, are less susceptible to interference and have a much greater bandwidth, meaning that they can carry more data. These updates will ensure that Bayham is able to adapt and compete in an increasingly technological world.

The need for high speed internet to ensure the economic vitality and viability of rural municipalities is one that is recognized not only by the Municipality of Bayham, but by the Western Ontario Warden’s Caucus and the Southwest Economic Alliance with their joint SWIFT initiative – to bring ultra high speed fibre optic regional network to everyone in western Ontario regardless of where they live.

For more information on the Municipality of Bayham visit www.bayham.on.ca and to learn about the SWIFT initiative visit www.wowc.ca. 

Honour Veterans in Elgin County This Remembrance Day

The following is a list of Remembrance Day Services, Ceremonies and Parades in Elgin County.

Dutton/Dunwich Evening of Remembrance
November 10, 2014
7:00pm
Dutton Community Centre, 1 Scotland St. Dutton

Port Burwell Armistice Day Parade
November 9, 2014
1:30 pm
Parade will start at the Port Burwell Legion, making its way westerly on Wellington St., turning left on Robinson St., then left on Pitt St. to the Cenotaph.
Contact: (519) 874-4308

Shedden War Memorial Service
November 9, 2014
9:30 am
Shedden Keystone Complex, 35921 Talbot Line, Shedden
Contact: (519) 769-2010

Rodney Remembrance Day Service
November 11, 2014
11:00 am
Rodney Library, 207 Furnival Rd., Rodney

West Lorne Remembrance Day Service
November 11, 2014
11:00 am
Cenotaph at West Lorne Arena, 171 Graham Rd. West Lorne
Contact: (519) 768-1890

Aylmer Remembrance Day Ceremony
November 11, 2014
10:30 am
Cenotaph Parkette at Aylmer Town Hall (46 Talbot St. W) and Aylmer Legion (211 John St. N)
At 10:30 am there will be a Parade of Veterans from the Aylmer Legion to the Aylmer Town Hall. At 10:45 the service will begin and will include the laying of the wreaths followed by a moment of silence at 11:00 am. A light lunch will follow back at the Aylmer Legion. 
Contact: (519) 773-5249

Artastic Elgin Celebrates Local Arts and Culture

Elgin County is pleased to announce that Artastic Elgin will return for a second installment on September 27 and 28.

Join members of the Elgin Arts Trail for two days of interactive workshops, gallery events, speakers and more. Artastic Elgin is an opportunity for residents and visitors alike to discover their inner creativity while exploring the abundance of artistic talent in the area.

The event is held in conjunction with Culture Days a national celebration each September where artists and cultural organizations across the country come together to promote awareness, participation and engagement in arts and culture activities.

Artastic Elgin will be held at participating Elgin Arts Trail member locations on Saturday September 27 from 11 am – 4 pm and Sunday September 28 from 12 pm – 4 pm. Maps of the route can be picked up at each member location or downloaded here.

For more information about the Artastic Elgin event call (519) 631-1460 ext.168, e-mail lduncan@elgin-county.on.ca or visit www.elginartstrail.ca.