WWTAB analyses the workforce development needs of the community and responds by building partnerships to take advantage of opportunities to resolve workforce issues proactively. Listed below are the partnerships and projects that WWTAB is currently working on.

   Youth Job Fair Coordination Project

Description: This initiative works directly with youth employment service providers, local youth and employers to coordinate job fairs across Waterloo Region and Wellington County . The goal of this project is to consolidate youth job fairs across these regions and provide more direct contact between youth and the employers looking to hire them.

Next Job Fair will be in spring 2008. Details will be posted.

Partners: Waterloo Wellington Training and Adjustment Board, Service Canada, Youth Employment Service Providers including: Job Connect -Conestoga College, Second Chance, Cambridge Career Connections, Lutherwood and Northern Lights.

Products: Youth Employment Resources Manual

Fast Track to Registered Practical Nurse/Health Sector HR Demand Research

Description: This project has 2 phases
Phase 1 - Research into Health Sector HR demand for the next 5-10 years
Phase 2 - development and delivery of accelerated program for foreign trained health care workers/professionals (non-nurses) to the RPN designation

Status: Research underway as of April 2007 and first intake of students expected July 2007

Partners: Waterloo Wellington Training and Adjustment Board (Project Lead), Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Conestoga College, Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration

Products: Final Report available January 2008

Literacy Employer Awareness Breakfasts

Description: To provide an opportunity for employers to better understand the need for workplace literacy programs and worker upgrading. Employer tool kits/information packages will be developed and distributed.

Status: First event held in Arthur, September 2007. To date over 500 information packages have been distributed.

Partners: Waterloo Wellington Training and Adjustment Board (Project Lead), Project Read Literacy Network, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters

Products: Making Cents of Literacy

Agriculture Career Information

Description: Career information will be compiled on occupations in the agriculture/agrifood industry and formatted for DVD. 500 DVDs will be distributed to local resource centres, libraries, sector employers, training centres and schools to raise awareness of the variety of opportunities for employment within this industry. Material will also be used by proposed Agcareers.com website career map.

Partners: Waterloo Wellington Training and Adjustment Board (Project lead), AgCareers.com, Ontario Institute of Agrologists

Products: DVD release expected January 2008

Retail Awareness/Certification Day

Description: 4 workshop sessions to provide basic technical retail skills to local at-risk students, persons with disabilities, women, adult Job Connect clients and Ontario Works clients which will help them achieve employment within the sector.

Status: Completed October 2007. 49 students and adult clients participated.

Partners: Waterloo Wellington Training and Adjustment Board (Co-Lead), United Food & Commercial Workers Union Training Centre, Lutherwood, Waterloo Region District School Board (Co-Lead)

Products: Not Applicable

Persons with Disabilities - "Abilities Conference"

Description: A one day conference to bring together employers community leaders and persons with disabilities.

Status: Currently In the planning stage

Partners: Waterloo Wellington Training and Adjustment Board (Project lead) , Ministry of Community and Social Services, Regional Municipality of Waterloo

Products: Not Applicable

 SPP - Social Purchasing Portal

Description: A collaborative group of employers, purchasers, suppliers and employment agencies working together to achieve sustainable employment for the long term unemployed or hard to employ in Waterloo Region. The Social Purchasing Portal (SPP) is a new region-wide initiative that gives local businesses the opportunity to make regular purchases based on quality, price and service while also helping long term unemployed persons in their community achieve employment.

Status: 4 year project officially launched on November 22nd, 2006. Currently in year 2.

Partners: Waterloo Wellington Training and Adjustment Board (Co-Lead), Opportunities Waterloo Region (Co-lead)

Products: Website - see below

Website: http://sppwaterlooregion.org

Speakers Bureau

Description:  The Speakers Bureau is a resource to assist students with their career exploration through first-hand interaction with speakers from various occupations. WWTAB's Executive Director and other WWTAB directors regularly speak to students about local labour market information.

Status: Ongoing

Partners: The Business & Education Partnership of Waterloo Region (Lead)

Products: Not Applicable

Website: http://www2.bus-edpartnership.org/index.shtml

     SCWI - School /College/ Work Initiative

Description: The SCWI team works to expand and link more secondary school courses to college programs, and create communication pieces that encourage high school students to select college as a first choice post-secondary option.

Status: Ongoing

Partners: Waterloo Wellington Training and Adjustment Board, Skills Canada, Conestoga College, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Wellington Catholic District School Board, Waterloo Region District School Board,  Waterloo Catholic District School Board (Lead), Career Education Council, Business & Education Partnership, Foundation for Enriched Education, Avon Maitland District School Board, Upper Grand District School Board

Products: What are you Plannin’ on Doing with your Life DVD

Website: http://www.gotocollege.ca

Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network

Description: WRIEN is a forum for local strategies, to help ensure that the skills of immigrants are more optimally used to benefit immigrants and their families, our economy and the community as a whole. WWTAB's Executive Director and other WWTAB directors actively participate in WRIEN's work groups.

Status: Ongoing

Partners: Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce (Lead). For full list of partners, see website below

Products: See website

Website: www.wrien.com

Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) Scholarships

Description: A partnership to provide eight (8) $500 scholarships annually to OYAP students in all four (4) WWTAB area school boards who are going into an apprenticeship after high school graduation.

Status: Ongoing

Partners: Waterloo Wellington Training and Adjustment Board (Project lead), Waterloo Region District Labour Council, Guelph District Labour Council, OYAP coordinators from all 4 area school boards.

Products: Eight (8) scholarships of $500 each