Design is recognized around the world as a key to economic and social prosperity. Toronto is well positioned to take advantage of the economic opportunity inherent in this current Design focus with a critical mass of designers working in the Design disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, industrial, interior, graphic, fashion, planning and urban design.

Written by Kevin Stolarick, this TWIG report provides an in-depth qualitative and quantitative overview of design occupations and industry sectors. The report also provides labour market insights on how Toronto’s design sector can continue to thrive over the coming decade.

 

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Most of us have heard of Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates. These pieces of paper acknowledge knowledge and achievement in a subject. In some cases, they’ve been around for centuries and they usually have some currency with academic institutions, industry and employers. But what does this new term “microcredntials” mean? The term is popping up everywhere these days.

Microcredentials are small blocks of learning. Smaller than a degree or a diploma that you’d get from a college or a university. They’ve actually been around for years and years, though they weren’t called “microcredentials” until now.

They’re used for lots of things. One important purpose is to show that a person has a very specific skill and/or knowledge that is important to do a job.

 

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Not too long ago, a parent would likely be concerned if their teenager indicated they were interested in a career in film or television. Now, they need not worry. Toronto’s film, television and digital media industry offers significant economic benefits for those choosing to make it a career. Career education and training programs are provided by industry (unions, guilds, industry associations and not-for-profit organizations, festivals, training institutions and the private sector), community colleges, and increasingly, initiatives with community organizations not traditionally associated with the sector. Most of these occupations pay decent wages and provide opportunities to advance.

 

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The annual Local Labour Market Planning (LLMP) report is prepared by the workforce planning board of Toronto, Toronto Workforce Innovation Group (TWIG) to share labour market characteristics and conditions in the City of Toronto. The 2019/20 update to Toronto’s Labour Market Planning report is built on an evidence-based analysis of labour market strengths and challenges within the City of Toronto, and in some cases, Toronto, CMA. The intent of this report is to add value to local government, community organizations, job seekers, employers, employment service providers and other key labour market stakeholders in the City of Toronto and offer a basis for discussions on the latest labour market trends.


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In 2018/19, Toronto Workforce Innovation Group (TWIG) led a study to examine the feasibility of connecting newcomer immigrants residing in the metropolitan areas of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with employment opportunities in smalltown communities in Ontario. Preliminary assessment suggested that these individuals were willing to explore opportunities outside the GTA conditional upon some factors. In 2019/20, TWIG expanded on this study to include archetype of job seekers who were considered as hard-to-serve in the labour market. The second phase of the study focused on how newcomers, racialized population/visible minority, people on social assistance and people who were once in conflict with the law viewed relocation from a metropolitan area in the GTA to a small-town community in Ontario.


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Toronto Workforce Innovation Group (TWIG) initiated an analysis of the warehousing and distribution industry to develop an in-depth understanding of emerging industry trends and practices in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and their possible impact on the industry’s workforce in the next five to ten years. With rapid growth in e-commerce, businesses often consider warehousing and distribution center operations as an integral part of the company’s business strategy. Findings suggest that this industry is likely to be transformed radically by technology. For this reason, industry businesses/employers and their workforce must be well informed about the changes and practices so that, as key stakeholders, they can strategically prepare themselves with corresponding skills and capabilities.


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This paper will focus on the dynamics of intraprovincial migration of newcomer immigrants in the context of Ontario. It will examine the extent to which newcomer immigrants currently residing within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are willing to relocate to other parts of Ontario for the purpose of employment and more affordable living. It will also explore the services, features or cultural support in a community that newcomers deem necessary to consider relocation. In addition, the paper will identify the best practices and strategies in use in other jurisdictions to attract newcomer immigrants to rural/remote or small-town communities where there are more employment opportunities.


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Toronto has one of the most diverse economies in North America and is considered the major economic engine of the country. It is home to half of Ontario’s labour force and businesses; industries here account for nearly 50% of the province’s GDP. In the last three years, the average annual economic growth in Toronto accelerated to 3.7%, but is expected to slow down to 2.08% over the next five years (2018-2022). Our 2018-2019 Local Labour Market Plan Report provides an update to the community on current labour market conditions. This report also includes an update on past initiatives, current activities, our stakeholder engagement consultations and our action plan for the next 3 years.


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Toronto has one of the most diverse economies in North America and is considered the major economic engine of the country. It is home to half of Ontario’s labour force and businesses; industries here account for nearly 50% of the province’s GDP. In the last three years, the average annual economic growth in Toronto accelerated to 3.7%, but is expected to slow down to 2.08% over the next five years (2018-2022). Our 2018-2019 Local Labour Market Plan Report provides an update to the community on current labour market conditions. This report also includes an update on past initiatives, current activities, our stakeholder engagement consultations and our action plan for the next 3 years. French version of the Local Labour Market Planning Report 2018-2019.


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The ICE Committee has published a new research report on recent trends and labour force issues and opportunities associated with Toronto’s food and beverage food processing companies. Key facts uncovered in the research include that:

• Toronto’s food and beverage processing sector employs more than 62,000 people and is the third largest food processing sector in North America.
• Small companies and entrepreneurs have experienced considerable growth over the last decade.
• The sector is now a bigger employer than auto manufacturing both in Toronto and Ontario as a whole.

Employer and key informant interviews revealed that companies are experiencing significant human resource and workforce development challenges. This report, therefore, examines the role food and beverage manufacturing plays Toronto’s labour market. More importantly, we try to determine what opportunities within our workforce development system exist to support both local industry and employment growth.


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In the summer of 2015, the Toronto Workforce Innovation Group (TWIG) embarked upon an ambitious agenda to understand the lived experiences of Toronto’s unemployed. We held numerous focus groups and interviewed over 100 job seekers across the city. These interviews yielded a rich source of data and gave us the opportunity to examine employment challenges and barriers related to various sub-groups of job seekers (immigrants, youth, long-term social assistance recipients, older workers, etc.). Many of these job-seekers were optimistic about their prospects and excited to be embarking on the job-search journey.  Others were far less optimistic about their job search. The focus groups, interviews and data collection informed that year’s local labour market plan, 95 Months Later: Turbulent Times in Toronto’s Labour Market.


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The unemployment rate is certainly a problem; but it becomes more worrying as the duration of unemployment increases, leading to long term unemployment (LTU). The Ontario government describes long-term unemployment as the proportion of unemployed people who have been actively looking for work for the last 27 weeks or more during the Labour Force SurveyS. Statistics Canada on the other hand defines LTU as the proportion of the labour force aged 15 or older who did not have a job any time during the current or previous 12 months and have been actively looking for work in the past 4 weeks. According to Toronto Employment and Social Services (TESS), those on assistance for three or more years are referred to as long term unemployed. This project will assess the feasibility of conducting a longitudinal study of job seekers in the City of Toronto. The goal is to discover, describe and document the “life-experiences” of people who have encountered workforce development programming, and those who should be able to benefit from employment services.


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This report provides a community needs analysis related to Toronto’s food and beverage manufacturing sector, much of which is clustered in Etobicoke and North York. The report draws upon a previous research project conducted by Toronto Workforce Innovation Group for the Intergovernmental Committee for Economic and Labour Force Development (ICE). That research, completed in September 2017, examined the role food and beverage manufacturing plays in Toronto’s labour market. This current research is a deeper look at the human resources challenges faced by many employers and the gap between potential employees and employers.


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Toronto’s challenge of stagnant economic mobility, increasing inequality of wealth, and the rise of low wage jobs is well documented. For lower-skilled job seekers and the working poor, these trends indicate that the ability to move forward and upward economically may not only be diminished, it is increasing blocked. Globalization, the decline of manufacturing and disruptive technology has greatly accelerated two long-term challenges facing lower-skilled and low wage workers in the City of Torontoi. The first challenge is that finding decent paying employment is increasingly out of reach for job seekers who lack education and skills beyond high-school. The second challenge, even if a job is obtained; there is a considerable lack of opportunity for occupational progression and positive wage trajectoriesavailable in Toronto’s emerging economy. This applies to young and old workers alike and to all skill levels – but is particularly acute for low-skilled workers with weak social networks, a group with declining labour force participation rates and who are far more likely to rely on some form of income support.


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While Toronto has seen an increase in employment almost back to pre-recession levels, unemployment and low-wage work is still high among youth, immigrants, and racialized Torontonians. These signs point to an ever-widening gap between sectors of the population and layers of the economy. In this report, we try to shed light on some of these seemingly impossible contradictions. How is it possible that in the midst of so much there are so many that have so little? What the numbers tell us is only part of the puzzle, other elements that make up this disturbing picture are the lack of coordination among the many levels of government whose economic and social policies impact Toronto and the frequent policy and program mismatches. One of the most glaring areas calling for improvement is in our workforce development systems and strategies.


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Since the early 2000s, Toronto has experienced a construction boom caused by a surge in condominium development; a rapidly growing home-building and renovations market; the expansion of downtown office-space; the entry of US big-box retailers like Walmart; large infrastructure projects tied to the 2015 Pan Am games, Metrolinx’s $50-billion Big Move, and the refurbishment of Toronto’s ageing road and utility infrastructures, including the Gardner Expressway. Not only is the pace of building activity and investment projected to expand, but construction is transforming as a result of new technologies, building processes, materials, competitive pressures, and regulatory challenges. New ‘green building’ models are creating demand for construction occupations that didn’t exist until recently. As a result, existing labour markets, skill sets, and workforces are being reshaped and re-purposed. This report examines prevailing work-site and occupational profiles that will be relevant moving forward. It also draws attention to what a more sustainable construction sector, which works for all Torontonians and is responsive to all relevant stakeholders, would look like.


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