TRENTON, ON, September 24, 2014: The Quinte West Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Ryerson University and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce to help turn the tide on youth unemployment and address the skills gap. The Chamber is announcing Magnet, a leading-edge networking platform that will help employers in Quinte West connect with recent graduates and qualified candidates.
The Magnet network has one goal: to ensure that individuals within its network are matched to promising job opportunities and that organizations connect to qualified candidates.
With Magnet, businesses can create profiles and search qualified talent within Quinte West and beyond. This effective, accurate, and efficient way works to match these candidates’ qualifications and interests with employers’ skills requirements.
“The Quinte West Chamber of Commerce is pleased to be part of this program as it will create new opportunities for our local employers,” says Suzanne Andrews, manager at the Quinte West Chamber of Commerce. “We will be working with Loyalist College and Quinte United Immigrant Services who have also signed on to be part of this program, to ensure Magnet is successful here in the Quinte Region.”
Magnet is built upon revolutionary networking technology developed through Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone.
“The Quinte West Chamber of Commerce is helping grow a network where individuals, organizations, and employers can come together and flourish,” says Sheldon Levy, President and Vice Chancellor of Ryerson University. “By helping these groups gain access to the right connections and opportunities, the Chamber is playing a key role in bridging the skills gap that exists in our provincial labour market right now.”
The Magnet network currently includes 18 universities and colleges across Ontario, representing over 500,000 students and graduates, the network of chambers of commerce and boards of trade throughout Ontario, representing 60,000 employers and two million jobs, and over 30 labour- and opportunity-based organizations.
“Ontario’s employers are telling us that they’re finding it difficult to connect with workers that have the skills they need. Magnet is not only going to address this barrier by connecting businesses with the right candidates, but also by creating youth employment opportunities across the province—it’s a win-win scenario,” says Allan O’Dette, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
“Over the next few months we will be reaching out to the local business community to ensure they know the benefits of Magnet and to encourage them to use the system to help find the talent they need,” adds Andrews.
The Magnet network officially launches in early October.
To learn more, visit magnet.today
- 30 -
For more information, contact:
Suzanne Andrews, Manager
Quinte West Chamber of Commerce
613-392-7635
manager@quintewestchamber.ca
Key Facts
- Ontario’s youth unemployment rate currently sits at 15.4%.
- Unemployment in the Quinte West region is 8.3%.
- According to an Ontario Chamber of Commerce survey, 33.3% of businesses in the Qunite West region claim to have had difficulty hiring someone with the right qualifications.
- The Government of Ontario has invested almost $1.2 million to help expand Magnet across the province.
- Magnet is built upon revolutionary networking technology, called WhoPlusYou, developed through Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone.
- The Magnet network currently includes 18 universities and colleges and the network of chambers of commerce and boards of trade across Ontario.
