The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) has released a new report examining the recruitment, retention and workforce development challenges facing municipalities across the region.
It was done in partnership with the four Northeastern Ontario Workforce Planning Boards, with a survey launched at the FONOM conference in Timmins earlier this year.
Officials say findings demonstrate workforce pressures affect municipalities of every size, with 94 per cent of respondents reporting difficulty attracting qualified candidates for a variety of roles.
Other difficulties identified include limited financial resources, smaller candidate pools, geographic isolation, and more.
“Municipal employees deliver the essential services that residents and businesses rely on every day. When a community cannot recruit a treasurer, public works employee, building official or senior administrator, the impacts are felt throughout the municipality,” says Dave Plourde, FONOM President. “Northern Ontario continues to be an economic engine for the province, but our communities need a strong and sustainable municipal workforce to support that growth.”
He adds they’re looking forward to working with the province and their workforce planning partners on practical solutions.
