Grand Erie Skills Assessment Project
Grand Eries transition from a traditional manufacturing and agriculture base requires a
process to assess skills, identify gaps, and to determine training needs in order to assist
workers and employers maximize employment opportunities.
As the economic base of Grand Erie copes with a declining agriculture and goods-producing
manufacturing base, individuals affected by lay-offs, plant closures, and changing
workplace demands struggle to quantify their transferable skills to new/different
employers. Many good skills assessment tools do exist within the community, but there is
a lack of knowledge about who delivers these assessments; what they measure; and how
they can maximize a job-seekers transition to new economic conditions.
During the 2008 Trends, Opportunities and Priorities consultations, community members
identified a three-pronged approach to increasing the value of existing services for local
job-seekers, while improving the match and quality of works for existing and emerging
sectors.
