HIGHLIGHTS OF RECENT PROGRESS & ACTIVITIES
Business Development
John-Paul Shearer, Director of Business Development and Elizabeth Allen, Project Manager – Labour Market Development continue to meet with representatives from Southeastern Ontario Academic Medical Organization (SEAMO), Kingston General Hospital and Queen’s University to learn more about the recruitment and retention efforts for medical specialists in Kingston.
Future meetings will include representatives from Providence Care and Hotel Dieu Hospital. These meetings are intended to provide further learning on analyzing current demands for specialists, practice structure, attraction campaigns and referral processes. From this, KEDCO intends to work closely with the hospitals to support a targeted recruitment strategy for specialists. In addition, KEDCO has created a Health Care Sector Development Group, which brings together members from the Family Health Teams, Family Health Organizations and 3 hospitals to identify opportunities, discuss challenges and provide feedback on how KEDCO can most effectively support the health care community.
Elizabeth Allen, Project Manager – Labour Market Development and Charlie Mignault, Director of Business Development – Corporate Learning & Performance Improvement at St. Lawrence College (SLC) are working together to develop a strategy around skills training and labour market development of stationary engineers in Eastern Ontario.
KEDCO and SLC have identified the supply and demand requirements of stationary engineers as a regional priority and are committed to providing ongoing support and assistance to our employers. To develop a comprehensive understanding of the current and forecasted demand for these engineers, KEDCO and SLC are collaborating to conduct a regional needs analysis. The results from this assessment will be used to inform the direction and provide a foundation upon which recruitment strategies and training programs can be developed for our local employers.
On August 4, Minister Gerretsen announced that Centennial Global Technology, through the Eastern Ontario Development Fund, was the recipient of a $600,000 grant towards a project of $6 million. This investment will create 50 jobs within the City of Kingston and will help to expand the solar manufacturer’s operations.
Tourism Kingston
On July 27, Kayla Napier, Marketing Assistant and Partnership Services, held a Meridian feedback session. The session was held to discuss recurring issues, new getaway packages and to take suggestions for improving the system. Overall, the response was very positive and supportive of the new Meridian Reservation System.
