The Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership (SLEP) will welcome skilled newcomers from Peel Region, who may be interested in filling difficult-to-staff positions.
SLEP has again partnered with the Newcomer Centre of Peel to hold the Opportunities in Motion bus tour on Wednesday, June 17.
Economic Development Officer Cari Meloche said the event is focused on workforce development.
"Our team works with employers to identify and address labour shortages in our local area, and we do that in two key avenues," Meloche said. "One is either helping retain our local talent and secondly, by attracting skilled talent to our local region to help with our long-term success of Sarnia-Lambton."
Meloche said the tour will include approximately 40 participants who will meet with local employers, specifically those facing challenges with hard-to-fill positions.
"The employers that will be joining us on Wednesday are connected through our health care-related positions, also home support workers, IT specialists, and social services," Meloche said. "So the participants we have on the bus tour are aligned to those particular skillsets."
Roughly 15 local employers will meet with newcomers during a networking luncheon at St. Clair Corporate Centre.
The tour itself will include the Township of Warwick, Sarnia-Lambton Western Research Park, Sarnia-Lambton’s Energy and Petrochemical Cluster, Bluewater Health, and the Blue Water Bridge. Participants will also see local amenities and waterfronts, such as Canatara Park.
Meloche said it offers the perfect opportunity to showcase what Sarnia-Lambton has to offer.
"By allowing them to have the opportunity to network with local employers, it gives a great opportunity for them to also see the waterfront and the great green spaces we have to offer in our community as well," she said.
Tour participants will also hear from award-winning speaker and leadership trainer Andy Thibodeau.
Meloche said SLEP has hosted bus tours with the Newcomer Centre of Peel in the past.
"I believe this is our third employment bus tour we've hosted over a number of years (approximately five years). The feedback has been so positive from the participants' perspective, and also from the employers, they're simply so impressed with the skills and the experience that these permanent residents bring to our area."
The bus tour is sponsored by Community Futures Lambton through the 2026-2027 Community Futures Grant.
The initiative ties in with the Sarnia-Lambton Newcomer Hub, which launched last year. The three-year program, through SLEP, serves 190 permanent residents, providing networking with mentorship opportunities.
