The warden of Huron County says school boards and colleges have to work more closely with students to make sure they have the skills employers are looking for when they hit the job market.
Jim Ginn says the issue came up a recent meeting involving employers from Huron and Bruce counties, including Bruce Power. The employers say they're struggling to find people with the skills they need.
Ginn suggests parents are partly responsible for steering their children away from the skilled trades and towards universities and colleges. But he points out the skilled trades pay very well and there are jobs just waiting for young people with education in those skills.
Ginn says somehow they have to make that connection between the skills that schools and colleges are teaching, and the skills employers are looking for.
He also suggests if the jobs can't be filled by local youth in the region, they'll have to encourage more immigration to Huron and Bruce.
According to Ginn, "We've got to bridge that gap between what's needed and the skills that we have now have, and if that's further training or more college courses locally, or high schools or whatever, we need to work together to solve this problem."
