ManuFacts A Newsletter for Manufacturers in Huron County

#2 2012

Inquiries can be directed to the Huron Manufacturing Association, 57 Napier St., Goderich ON N7A 1W2. Phone 519-524-8394 ext 3/ Fax 519-524-5677

The Workforce & Training Issue

Cont’d on page 2

Technical Training For All Ages

Jean Crawford McVittie, Organization Developer

I had to opportunity to chat with Shawn Bontaine, Business Manager of the Technical Training Group and learn what his training has to offer people of any age. Nestled within the Stratford/Perth Centre for Business is a very unique non-profit organization known as the Technical Training Group or TTG. TTG is an Associate Member of the Huron Manufacturing Association, but few HMA members know what they are all about. I decided to sit down with Shawn and find out more.

TTG is a Training Delivery Agent (TDA) for welding levels 1, 2 and 3. The training facility for welding is Stratford Northwestern Secondary School. Apprentices train between the three levels during evening hours Monday thru Thursday from September to June. To be eligible for this training you must be sponsored as an apprentice. TTG is also an accredited test centre for CWB (Canadian Welding Bureau) and TSSA (Technical Standards and Safety Authority). They offer custom weld training which is geared to the requirements of a

particular company and priced at a competitive rate.

TTG consists of five training areas. The welding apprenticeship training, the youth awareness program, which contains two programs: the first is Fun Tech which is a one day event in November on a Saturday, Fun tech includes a culinary workshop and a cosmetology workshop amongst its other workshops. The other program is called STEP camp. It is a one week long camp in the summer. They also have a pre-apprenticeship, basic skills program and the custom weld training. The HMA sponsors the STEP camp annually with a donation of $1,000.

Individuals are welcome to contact TTG for personal welding ticket testing. If they need weld time to achieve certification, they can work at the training facility located in Stratford to achieve their goals. Pre-testing is done first to determine the skill level of the individual pursuing the testing. Once that is accomplished, TTG works with them and figures out a time/cost program/schedule to accommodate their needs.

Electromotive London was one company that worked with TTG to get their employees their “Red

Page 2 Manufacts April 2012

Seal” for welding. This helped the displaced employees transition to other jobs after the announcement their plant was closing.

The basic skills prep programs consist of a 10 week basic course to see if the trade is for you. The choices include electrical pre-apprentice plumbing pre-apprentice prep, and commercial spray painting. The cost of such courses is about $550 for 10 weeks/60 hrs. St. Mike’s is the location for the basic skills training. A new course in the works is a 10 week course specializing in flooring. It consists of 60 hrs in-class training. The students learn how to install hardwood, laminate, ceramic floors and also carpet.

This year the TTG has partnered with Georgian College from Owen Sound with the intent to offer an Electrical Techniques Program for September 2012. It is on a part-time basis and will be run out of Stratford. It is a two year course.

Inquiries can be directed to the Huron Manufacturing Association, 57 Napier St., Goderich ON N7A 1W2. Phone 519-524-8394 ext 3/ Fax 519-524-5677

Fanshawe Studying Potential to Offer More Courses in Huron To be successful in business in a rural area, organi-zations must always be looking towards the future.

Fanshawe College is exploring the training needs of Huron Manufacturing Association members, as they consider expansion of course offerings in Huron County.

Complete Survey to Win a $50 Gift Certificate There has been a survey created for HMA members about potential Fanshawe College courses in Huron

County. It can be found by copying the following link into your web-browser:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NQZ2QXS

The survey will be open only until April 27. For com-pleting the survey the HMA will enter your name into a draw to win a $50 gift certificate to the Huron County restaurant of your choice.

Queens University Student for Hire The HMA knows that members are always on the lookout for local talent. We wanted to tell you about a local Mechanical Engineering student actively look-ing for work in the area. Employment wanted post-ings for other workers can be found on the HMA website.

Michael Hogan is a second year Mechanical Engi-neering student from Lucknow, Ontario. He is seek-ing employment in an engineering capacity for the upcoming summer. He is a team player with strong technical and professional skills who is looking to be challenged in a safe but important role. Michael is an excellent communicator with strong technical writing skills, experienced in presenting ideas and designs using a variety of programs and methods. He is a B.Sc. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. His GPA is 3.59 (Dean’s Scholar).

For more information or to set up an interview, you can reach Michael Hogan at 1-613-217-3212 or Email m.hogan@queensu.ca

Page 3 Manufacts April 2012

Inquiries can be directed to the Huron Manufacturing Association, 57 Napier St., Goderich ON N7A 1W2. Phone 519-524-8394 ext 3/ Fax 519-524-5677

E learn network recently celebrated three years of helping people reach their education goals of certifi-cate and diploma programs right here in Huron County.

Many people in the southwestern Ontario area can do something extraordinary for themselves. They can expand their horizons by furthering their educa-tion – right here in their own backyard.

Contact North/elearnnetwork.ca was created by the Government of Ontario in 1986. The mandate is to provide residents of small, rural and remote areas, and Aboriginal and Francophone communities in On-tario with access to the more than 10,000 courses and 800 programs currently offered by Ontario’s col-leges, universities, and essential skills providers – ranging from basic literacy courses, secondary school upgrading and college certificates, to college diplomas, university undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Contact North elearn network has full-time and part-time staff available to assist students with research-ing courses and navigating the registration process. The centre also proctor exams and offer moral and technical support throughout the course of their studies. The access centres are equipped with Inter-net access and state-of-the-art computer work-stations that support e-learning, audio conferencing and videoconferencing platforms and technologies. Because they are fully funded by the Government of Ontario, the only cost to students is the course or

program fee charged by the educational institution. The centre believes in the value of education and partnerships. By working together, organizations can find ways to reach out to those who want to learn – encouraging them, helping them and, ultimately, congratulating them.

If you would like to learn more, please feel free to call 519-235-1232, or email: exeter@elearnnetwork.ca

Learning for Interest or Career Development Whether your goal is to improve your employment prospects or just develop your personal knowledge there are many ways of increasing ones education with Huron County.

One post secondary education provider is Lake Hu-ron Learning. Established in 2004 they offer person-al interest courses such as home landscaping, blog-ging, or cell phone basics just to name a few. They also offer college and uni-versity courses such as Of-fice Administration Certifi-cate Course and Project Management Certificate program. Check their web-site www.lakehuronlearning.ca for current up to date schedule for what’s coming to the area to help you to continue with you education. Remember, learning is a life-long pursuit.

For more information call 519-524-4154 or Email info@lakehuronlearning.ca

Knowing Labour Market Trends is Critical

Check out the HMA website for a comprehensive report from the Four County Labour Market Planning Board on the latest trends in our local labour mar-ket.

Manufacturers often say that finding the employees that they need is a big challenge. By understanding the trends in the labour market manufacturers can stay ahead of the curve and plan strategically for their labour needs.

ManuFacts

For the Latest News and Event Information from YOUR Manufacturing Association. Visit www.huronmanufacturing.ca.

Huron Manufactur ing Assoc iat ion

Hiring Foreign Trained Professionals – The Kenpal Experience

Hiring a Foreign Trained Professional (FTP) has its own inherent challenges, according to Frank Palen, Huron Manufacturing Association Chair and Purchas-ing & Special Projects Manager with Kenpal Farm Products Inc.

The overall benefit to an employer hiring well-qualified individuals is self-explanatory; but, hiring a foreign trained professional involves such a high lev-el of employer support that some small companies might not have the time and resources to access this skilled labour pool.

Kenpal Farm Products Inc. located outside Centralia, Ontario, offers high quality nutritional products cus-tomized feeding programs, a line of specialty prod-ucts, and organic minerals for the livestock industry. Always on the lookout for quality employees, espe-cially in the field of monogastric and ruminant nutri-tion, Kenpal, over the years has advertised widely for potential candidates.

Already having experience in bringing in a Plant Manager from Scotland several years earlier, Kenpal was not averse to expanding their search beyond the Canadian Border. Then, just by chance, in 2006 another company referred a possible candidate to Kenpal.

After reviewing the individual’s qualifications, Kenpal decided to move forward into the hiring process and

KENPAL FARM PRODUCTS INC. Centralia, Ontario

invited the candidate over for a preliminary inter-view. Along the way, Kenpal rediscovered the spe-cific conditions that need to be met in order to hire a foreign trained professional. These conditions can change dramatically from year to year depending on the employment situation in Canada at the time. Kenpal outlined some of the factors involved in hir-ing the foreign trained professional for their opera-tion and what may have to be considered:

The employer must show a genuine attempt to

hire Canadian workers first;

The employer must demonstrate why a particu-

lar skill is required by the internationally trained person being considered;

It is a time-consuming job to obtain an immi-

gration work permit;

A work permit may be necessary from the Ca-

nadian Embassy of the immigrant’s home coun-try;

The potential applicant’s passport must be valid

for at least the period of work visa;

Existing Kenpal staff should be informed why the

employer is hiring from outside the Country.

Attempting to Hire Canadian Workers First The employer must show a genuine attempt to hire a Canadian worker or permanent resident first. This means the position must be widely advertised: a technician or labourer position should be advertised locally; a manager or professional position should be advertised locally and nationally. All labour pools would need to be targeted including aboriginal,

For the Latest News and Event Information from YOUR Manufacturing Association. Visit www.huronmanufacturing.ca.

Huron Manufactur ing Assoc iat ion women, and youth. Advertisements must include a complete job description that outlines job duty, edu-cation and experience required, the wage offered, and who they would report to.

Looking Internationally – The LMO If you are unable to find a suitable employee in Can-ada, employers can apply for a Labour Market Opin-ion (LMO). The LMO application is usually completed before a suitable overseas candidate is found. If the application is successful, a ‘pre-approval’ is given. This process usually takes 5-6 weeks. After your company finds a suitable candidate, the LMO appli-cation can be modified to include his or her details. The LMO for skilled workers would be valid for up to 3 years.

The Immigration Process The immigration process is lengthy and time-consuming and paperwork predominates. Palen ex-plains there are certain requirements needed for the immigration process:

1. A Work Permit (Visa) is needed from the Canadi-an Embassy in their country of residence;

2. All passports need to be valid for at least the period of their work visa. It is easier to renew locally (their country) than at a distance (Canada);

3. Obtain an International Driver’s Licence. This has to be obtained in their home country. It al-lows them to drive in Canada for up to a year and gives them time to prepare for and write a provincial driving test. Most importantly it ena-bles them to get vehicle insurance.

4. If they plan on making Canada their permanent home they should ensure that they have all the personal documentation required to apply for residency in their possession or readily available. Having this paperwork in their home country does not help them when they need them in Canada and copies are not accepted.

Birth & marriage certificates

Education & Trade qualification certificates

Work references

The work permit needed for temporary resi-

dents

Frank observed that there are many settlement is-sues FTPs and their families would need help with such as finding a place of residence, locating English as a Second Language classes, or understanding local customs. The list below outlines a number of such issues:

Getting transportation from the airport after

they arrive in Canada;

Finding suitable housing;

Showing them where they can shop for

clothing, groceries and other staples;

Help in obtaining a social insurance number

Help in opening a bank account;

School information and help in registering

any school-aged children;

Information on immigration settlement ser-

vices (if available);

Information about English as a second lan-

guage schooling (If required);

The locations of various schools, churches,

libraries, sports facilities;

Familiarization with Canadian money and the

use of same; and

Help in understanding their salary (wages)

and what is left at the end of a month (CPP, UI & tax deductions.

In Kenpal’s own experience, settlement support was needed by the job candidate during and after the hiring process. During the initial interview process, the applicant required a pick-up at the airport, trans-portation to the interview, and reservations made at a bed and breakfast. Remember, the employer also has to make sure that the FTP likes what he sees in the employer as well. Once hired, the employee may need help to find a place of residence, to arrange the moving of his/her belongings, to set up utilities in the new home, and to integrate into the new workplace.

Ongoing Integration Assistance To facilitate integration, Kenpal insists that work-place inclusion practices and after-work social op-portunities need to be offered to enable a smooth transition for current staff and the newcomer: “Existing staff need to be kept informed about why the FTP was hired and ask them to be involved in the integration of their new colleague as he/she ad-

Page 6 Manufacts April 2012

Inquiries can be directed to the Huron Manufacturing Association, 57 Napier St., Goderich ON N7A 1W2. Phone 519-524-8394 ext 3/ Fax 519-524-5677

justs to their new environment. They may need to be told that their own jobs are not threatened and explain what the benefits are that the foreign work-er brings to the business prior to the arrival of the worker, and consider having get-togethers and bar-becues.”

Newcomers may also need assistance with smaller tasks that residents take for granted, such as how to make local or long distance phone calls; how to mail a letter; how to find a doctor, optometrist, or den-tist; how to purchase personal, home, life, and vehi-cle insurance; and how to find transportation (taxis, buses, and trains).

Retaining Foreign Trained Professionals Retaining foreign trained professionals can be easier said than done, according to Palen. Kenpal has lost FTPs due to issues with English language skills; bet-ter pay offered elsewhere; the prestige of for a mul-tinational company; and questions of employee ethi-cal behaviour. Palen says, “It is an awesome, time consuming job and difficult for a small company to retain the immigrant worker once they arrive.”

Kenpal believes that retaining FTPs requires ongoing communication, encouragement, and welcoming their full involvement. Employees need to feel val-ued beyond the salary, they need to feel included.

Hiring foreign trained professionals takes a high lev-el of commitment from all involved, not to mention ongoing integration and social support from co-workers and community members. It’s not an easy task to undertake and has been a long journey for Kenpal.

About the enlightening, intensive experience, Palen muses, “It’s worth it if you get what you want; it’s not if you don’t. You have to do all you can to make and keep the FTP feeling involved and welcome.”

Take the Sustainable Manufacturing Toolkit Challenge Whether you are interested in making a small change, or embarking on a complete overhaul of your business the Sustainable Manufacturing Toolkit can help. The toolkit offers you and your employees the guidance you need to make profitable and sus-tainable changes to your business.

The toolkit was first launched at the Manufacturing Excellence Awards in November 2011. Some manu-facturers in attendance accepted the challenge and took the toolkit with them to start thinking about changes to their business.

The HMA is now sending out copies of the toolkit to every manufacturer in Huron County and challeng-ing them to make one small change to their busi-ness, be it large or small.

By following the toolkit step by step, and tracking your progress, you will soon see the results and be reaping the rewards. What seems like a small change can have a large impact on your bottom line. The following quote is from the toolkit book, “Sustainability is about looking at your existing ef-forts and data in a different way-this includes

better baselines, taking advantage of new market

opportunities, deriving new value-added metrics for assessing for your footprint, improved communica-tion and promotional effort.”

How have you implemented the toolkit since it was first launched or are you just starting on your sus-tainability journey? We’d love to hear feedback.

Page 7 Manufacts April 2012

Inquiries can be directed to the Huron Manufacturing Association, 57 Napier St., Goderich ON N7A 1W2. Phone 519-524-8394 ext 3/ Fax 519-524-5677

Scholarships Reward Excellence in Next Generation of Skilled Workers The Huron Manufacturing Association along with United Communities Credit Union are proudly work-ing to recognize outstanding achievement by local apprentices.

The HMA/ United Communities Credit Union Appren-ticeship Scholarships are awarded annually to ap-prentices that are demonstrating excellence in their chosen trade. Last year five scholarships awarded at the annual Manufacturing Excellence Awards.

Each year four or more deserving winners are pre-sented with a cheque for $1,000 to help with the cost of tuition and tools and to encourage them in their pursuit of excellence in their trade.

For more information about how apprentices can apply for the scholarship visit the HMA website at www.huronmanufacturing.ca.

Email hma@huroncounty.ca with your successes and/or challenges with implementing the advice found within the toolkit.

Blyth Festival Offers Leadership Training Do you struggle to understand how to inspire and motivate your employees? Do you wish to make a better connection with your customers?

A new leadership training program offered by the Blyth Festival is aimed at helping business owners be more effective leaders. How do you approach people? How do you advertise to sell your wares? Do you tell everyone how great your product, services or business is … but still have trouble closing every deal? You can learn to develop an effective message for every conversation .. And close the deal by inspiring your customers. Ken Cameron, Presentation Coach and Persuasive Communicator comes with more than a decade of experience presenting publicly before audiences

A leader persuades others to adopt their point of

view by using inspiration to motivate action. The

word “inspire” is an ancient one, meaning “to

breathe into.” By inspiring your listeners you are

literally breathing your ideas into them. Whether

you are persuading a client, convincing your staff

or influencing

your boss, you

need to be

inspiring those

around you all

large and small—and more than two decades direct-ing and writing for the theatre, where people “present” to an audience every day—nationally rec-ognized write and theatre producer. Ken Cameron is ideally suited to coach business leaders on how to give effective presentations. DATE: Friday May 25, 2012 LOCATION: Blyth Festival, Lower Hall TIME: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. FEE: $55/person

Jim DeBlock of United Communities Credit Union congratulates 2011 Apprenticeship Scholarship winners.

Page 8 Manufacts April 2012

Annual General Meeting

Thursday, May 31, 2012 White Carnation, Holmesville

5:00p.m. to 8:00p.m.

Registration Form

Company Name Your Name Guest(s) Name(s) Phone

Agenda 5:00 Welcome 5:30 Annual General Meeting 6:00 Hot Buffet Dinner 7:00 Guest Speaker 8:00 Adjourn

Fax registration to (519) 524-5677 or E-Mail mwalker-bolton@huroncounty.ca

Tickets Only $20 for Full Members, Associate Members and their guests, all other tickets $30.

Guest Speaker Dale Donaldson is the owner of Smartgrain in Seaforth, a division of Eversprings Farms Limited. He will be sharing the story of starting this business venture and speaking to HMA members about the current trends in food products manufacturing.

Deadline to Register is Friday May 18

Full or Associate Member & Guest $40.00 Full Member or Associate Member $20.00 Regular Member or Non-Member $30.00

Dale Donaldson accepts the Innovative Product Award for Smartgrain at the Manufacturing Excellence Awards.