HRPA Applauds Direction of Ontario Premier's Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel Report

TORONTO, June 23, 2016 /CNW/ - The Human Resources Professionals Association ("HRPA") applauds the direction outlined today by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne's Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel.  Ontario's economy is changing at a rapid pace.  Its workforce is aging, its industries are shifting and technological innovation is changing the job requirements of tomorrow. Today's Panel Report makes recommendations on how Ontario can better prepare its current and future workforce for these changes.

"Ontario must ensure its workforce is well positioned to adapt to these changes if we are to compete in the global economy," said HRPA CEO Bill Greenhalgh.  "The HRPA has consistently called on government to implement many of the approaches recommended in today's report, and we are very pleased that the Premier's Expert Panel has also endorsed them."

Of particular significance is the Panel's recommendation for an integrated national labour market information system, as well as a provincial Labour Market Information Strategy and an Ontario-specific website to showcase this information.  Today there is a patchwork of federal, provincial, local and community sources where different labour market data points are available.  Due to the sheer number of areas a person can look to for advice, students can easily get lost as they try to figure out the direction they want to take.  Implementing these recommendations will help ensure Ontario students, businesses and educators have an accurate understanding of the skills that are required.

"The HRPA has advocated for the Ontario government to gather accurate labour market data and present it in a useable manner.  We strongly support this recommendation and believe it is a critical component to growing a highly skilled workforce," said Greenhalgh.  "The HRPA looks forward to working closely with the Province as it develops actions to implement these and other key recommendations of the Expert Panel, and commends the government for making this a priority."

About the HRPA
The Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) is the professional regulatory body and the professional association for Human Resources professionals in Ontario, Canada. It oversees more than 22,000 members across the province. It connects members with an unmatched range of HR information resources, events, professional development and networking opportunities and annually hosts Canada's largest HR conference. In Ontario, HRPA issues three levels of professional certification: the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation for practitioners entering the profession and working in administrative capacities; the Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), for practitioners working in fully professional capacities; and the Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE), for senior executives.

SOURCE Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario

For further information: Duff McCutcheon, HRPA communications specialist, 416 923 2324 x324, [e-mail]