With two area employers seeking in excess of 3,500 workers, what impact will this have on smaller firms hunting for employees?
After two years of shutdowns, mandates and labour shortages brought on by the pandemic, is this now a golden opportunity for job seekers?
Or are there other factors that have to be brought into the equation?
myFM approached Sean Dyke, CEO of St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation, about finding 2,000 or so employees for the Amazon fulfillment centre near Talbotville and the Maple Leaf Foods plant in south London, both opening next year in the midst of a tight labour market.
He adds the opening of these two plants is presenting a challenge for area employers with positions to fill.
At a job fair in St. Thomas earlier this month, over 500 job seekers were in attendance. Dyke observed, “people are obviously looking to get back into the workforce or into it for the first time.”
But, What about job seekers who have not been able to afford a reliable vehicle or families where there is only one vehicle?
The Amazon facility will not be accessible by public transit, proving a barrier to these individuals.
Dyke cites the example of a firm in the Listowel area.
“There is a company there called Listowel Technologies, a Japanese auto parts maker and they actually shuttle people in from the Kitchener-Waterloo area to get to work.
“They pay for that. It wouldn’t be unheard of for companies to do that. Obviously, there is a cost to that but you get the labour force that you need.”
Once the Amazon facility is up and running, will the remaining portion of the 622-acre property serve as a magnet for other businesses?
“Oh definitely,” says Dyke.
“There’s a lot of opportunity in the region right now. We’re being overrun with enquiries right now in our office.
“I can say that it is very busy. The challenge right now is we actually don’t have that much land to offer. But when you’re talking to people that piece out there by the 401 is very easily accessible by truck traffic and employees from across the region.
“I’m happy to see that site grow, even though it is not in the City of St. Thomas. It benefits us in other ways.”
Written by Ian McCallum
