KDCC Joins Partners to Strengthen Workforce Development in NWO
The Kenora and District Chamber of Commerce continues to advocate for an improved and stronger local job market, and is learning more about how to better support businesses in our region.
Leadership of the KDCC was invited to join the Northwest Training and Adjustment Board’s Community Consultation, which brought key community partners and business advocacy groups together to discuss workforce development and labour market planning in northwestern Ontario.
Manager Alex Evans and Communications Lead Ryan Forbes represented the KDCC at the meeting, helping to share insights, strategies, and action plans aimed at addressing the evolving labour market needs in the region.
Other community partners included representatives from LOWBIC, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, and the City of Kenora’s Economic Development team.
Throughout the event, participants shared the plans and initiatives their organizations are currently working on, or planning to implement, over the coming year. Discussions focused on finding innovative solutions to emerging labour market trends, as well as addressing key workforce development issues specific to the Kenora and Rainy River Districts.
The insights and priorities that emerged from these conversations will be published in the NTAB 2026 Local Labour Market Plan Report, scheduled for publication in February 2026.
Participants were also able to view NTAB’s 2022 – 2025 Local Labour Market Plan Report. Highlights of the report include: a lowering unemployment rate of 4.5% – the lowest it’s been in five years, participation fell significantly in 2024 – and at 59.2% – we sit below Ontario’s average, a net increase in migration to the region, and a 5% increase in businesses operating in the area.
NTAB is a community-directed, non-profit corporation that serves as a neutral facilitator of research, information sharing, and partnership development in the region. Supported by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, NTAB is part of the Local Boards Network of Ontario and plays a key role in guiding workforce development initiatives throughout the Kenora and Rainy River Districts.
