Investing in our Local Labour Market

Growing Economy, Persistent Gap

Media Advisory

For Immediate Release

TORONTO, ON (May 16, 2011) The GTA is expected to have one of the fastest growing economies in Canada. But why is there a persistent gap between the skills of Toronto’s labour force and the expertise employers need?

Each year the Toronto Workforce Innovation Group (TWIG) prepares Toronto’s Opportunities and Priorities (TOP) Report, a labour market update outlining the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of the labour market in the City of Toronto.   The report identifies the skills, training needs and workforce issues affecting our local economy and charts the course for TWIG’s strategic collaborations, community partnerships and research over the coming year.

Karen Lior, Executive Director of Toronto Workforce Innovation Group says this year’s report links pressing social issues with the need for developing an integrated workforce development strategy for Toronto,“without a good economic strategy that considers where the jobs are and where they’re going to be, and what skills we need to be developing in our people, we won’t continue to have a prosperous city.”

The 2011 TOP Report takes a new approach to addressing how to build a strong local economy and labour force in the context of rapid change.  This year TWIG has looked at the data and consultation findings through the lens of key issues affecting our city: diversity, technological advancement and the trend towards a greening economy. Some findings:

  • The City of Toronto has persistently high unemployment (9.1% in 2010) compared to the Greater Toronto Region and Ontario)
  • Unemployment rates in Toronto are higher for youth and women 25-49.
  • Despite having a highly educated workforce in Toronto, there is still a mismatch between the skills of workers and the skills employers need.
  • Systemic problems are inhibiting the development of the labour market—8 out of 10 public sector leaders think substantial changes in skills are required but  only 55% feel equipped to deal with predicted changes.


Price Waterhouse Coopers ranked Toronto #2 in its Cities of Opportunity. But remaining an attractive destination for workers and employers requires:

  • Developing a coherent and coordinated approach to economic development that considers workforce development and labour market needs;
  • Making sure employers’ needs match labour force skills;
  • Integrating newcomers, youth and women into the workforce;
  • Ensuring that people can move throughout the region.


Toronto needs to be strategic about its training priorities in a rapidly changing economy where the lines are blurred between traditional “occupational sectors” like Manufacturing, Information, Communications and Technology sector (ICT), Finance, Education, Arts and Culture and Healthcare.

  • 65% of new jobs within the next five years are expected to require some form of post-secondary education.
  • Literacy needs, including technical literacy, are getting higher and higher.
  • Instead of longer term “career pathways” we need to think in terms of “transitional pathways” and “transferrable skills.”
  • Curriculum from elementary school right up the college and university level must anticipate change, including the right mix of digital and communications skills.
  • Professional development and life-long learning for established workers is essential to ensure employers continue to enhance productivity.


The 2011 Toronto’s Opportunities and Priorities Report considers these issues sector-by-sector and through the lenses of a rapidly changing economy: diversity, technology and greening—making specific recommendations and areas for action on building a strong local labour market and economy in the City of Toronto.

Karen Lior, Executive Director of the Toronto Workforce Innovation Group will be taking calls from media on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 between 2-5 pm.

The report can be downloaded through the TWIG website or by clicking here.

For more information on Toronto Workforce Innovation Group or to access other TWIG publications, please visit our website, www.workforceinnovation.ca or contact us directly.                                                           

# # #


Karen Lior
Executive Director, Toronto Workforce Innovation Group
416-934-1653