Employer Resource Corner

Home Employer Resource Corner

Recruitment and Retention are two major challenges currently facing local employers in Waterloo Wellington Dufferin. There are resources out there, but they can take some time to find. We hope this page will serve as a one-stop shop of recruitment and retention resources for you!

Do you have feedback or additional resources? Please email: [email protected].

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Finding Workers
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Active Job Seekers
Youth
Post-Secondary Schools
Immigrant Workforce

Active Job Seekers

Employment Ontario – Employment Services

A local Employment Services provider works with jobseekers and can help you attract and recruit the right employees and find financial incentives to offset on-the-job training costs. No fee charged to the employer, as services are government-funded. When looking for job seekers, go where the job seekers go!

Map of local Employment Ontario (EO) service providers
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Staffing Agencies

Also known as employment agencies, placement agencies, or recruiting firms. These are businesses that act as a middleman between employers and workers, helping to match qualified candidates with companies that have job openings. Some agencies may offer additional business support services. There is a fee charged to the employer.

Map of local Staffing / Employment Agencies
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Gig Workers

Conestoga College’s Gig Marketplace – Canada’s business incubator for freelance entrepreneurs.

Youth

School Boards & Programs

The School Boards in Waterloo, Guelph, Wellington and Dufferin have many programs that link their students to employers.

Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP): OYAP provides students with the opportunity to complete studies towards a high school diploma while beginning an apprenticeship program. Connect to the OYAP coordinator in your region via the OYAP Employers page.

The Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program offers students in Grades 11 & 12 the opportunity to explore a specific community, or economic and/or industrial sector in preparation for apprenticeship, college, university or the workplace. Students select a major as their focus in their senior years and complete three components (Certifications, Courses & Co-op) to earn their designation on their high school diploma.

Co-op: Cooperative Education allows students to earn secondary school credits while completing a work placement. The program consists of a co-op course monitored by a cooperative education teacher, a related curriculum course in any subject and a work placement.

Local Organizations

Waterloo Region

  • Business & Education Partnership (BEP) of Waterloo Region
    • Career exploration programs for students in Grades 7 – 12 in Waterloo Region. Programs bridge the gap between school and work to help students explore careers, gain meaningful professional connections, and learn valuable job skills.

Guelph, Wellington County, and Dufferin County

  • Career Education Council (CEC)
    • Collaborates extensively with local employers, educators, and community partners to provide learning opportunities that will help youth to make more informed choices about their future education, training, and career pathway.

Post-Secondary Schools

Local Colleges

Conestoga College

  • Conestoga’s Employer Services can assist you with your recruiting, employee assessment and training needs.

Georgian College

  • Georgian’s Employers and Partners link includes resources for accessing talent, building and growing your business, investing in innovation, and information on using Georgian’s event spaces and services.

Private Career Colleges

Local Universities

University of Guelph

University of Waterloo

Wilfrid Laurier University

Private Universities

Immigrant Workforce

Government Resources

Employment & Mentorship Programs

The organizations below are working directly with newcomers that want to find work! Employment programs provide job search assistance, and mentorship programs help internationally trained professionals widen their local network.

Settlement Services

Have you recently hired a New Canadian? Settlement services can help them find the things they need to feel settled in their new community.

Local Immigration Partnerships

Local Immigration Partnerships are made up of businesses, community agencies, current residents, governments and investors. They plan together how to attract newcomers to their area and improve their experience in the community.

Translation / Interpretation

Trained professional interpreters should be used for all legal, medical, and other situations that require informed consent, confidentiality, specialized terminology or impartiality. Trained interpreters are covered by Errors and Omission insurance and adhere to a strict code of conduct and industry approved Standards of Practice.

Local Professional Interpreters & Document Translators

On-Demand Remote Professional Interpretation


Workforce Planning
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Labour Market Information
Retention
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Labour Market Information

The Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin (WPB)

Report: "Mini Markets Big Impact". 2024 Local Labour Market Plan
Local Labour Market Plan

Retention

Workplace Literacy

As the Canadian workplace continues to evolve and automation decreases the need for routine work, jobseekers and workers may struggle to keep up with the changing skill demands of the modern labour market. The Government of Canada has identified nine (9) key Skills for Success. When these skills are underdeveloped, this can impact:

  • adapting to new technology
  • attendance
  • communication
  • health and safety
  • productivity
  • time sheets and paperwork

There are local organizations that can help improve these skills, customized for workplace, apprenticeship, and/or academic goals. Some may offer organizational needs assessments or other workplace supports, and others focus solely on providing service at the individual level.

Mental Wellness

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Immigrant Inclusion

Employer Playbook: Strategies for Immigrant Inclusion in Canadian Workplaces
from World Education Services (WES)

This Employer Playbook includes practical strategies and community resources to bolster immigrant inclusion throughout the four stages of the employment cycle:

  • recruiting
  • hiring
  • onboarding
  • and integrating.
Employer Playbook: Strategies for Immigrant Inclusion in Canadian Workplaces

Disability & Accommodations

Accommodations are personalized adjustments that remove specific barriers to ensure an individual can perform their job duties.

Use the Disability Confidence Toolkit (from CCRW) for learning and guidance on:

  • Accommodations
  • Built Environment
  • Career Development
  • Corporate Strategy
  • Communication
  • Evaluation
  • Onboarding
  • Performance Management
  • Recruitment
  • Workplace Culture

Waterloo Region

Wellington County

Dufferin County

2SLGBTQIA+

2SLGBTQ+ is a shortened form of an umbrella term that refers to the most commonly discussed queer identities and/or orientations (2-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer / Questioning). The + is used to include all of the other identities not covered by the shortened initialism – there are many more queer identities and orientations, and the list changes and grows as our understanding evolves.


Grants & Business Supports
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Federal & Provincial Government Supports
Municipal Government & Economic Development
Local Business Supports

Federal & Provincial Government Supports

Federal

Hiring Incentives

Incentives offered directly, or in part, by the Government of Canada. Some are offered through delivery partners.

Tax Incentives

Provincial – Ontario

Municipal Supports & Economic Development

Services offered by the City or Townships to support their local businesses.

Economic Development services may be offered by the municipality and/or additional local organizations. Services include programs, policies, and activities to improve the economic well-being of their communities.

Waterloo Region

Guelph & Wellington County

Dufferin County

Local Business Supports

Chambers of Commerce & Community Futures

Chambers of Commerce advocate on behalf of the business community, and serve as a local business network.

Community Futures organizations provide small business services to people living in rural and remote communities. Each office delivers small business loans, tools, training and events for people wanting to start, expand, franchise or sell a business.

Business Improvement Areas (BIAs)

The mission of a BIA is to make the area a better place to do business. It is an association of local businesses and commercial property owners who join together to promote the economic development of the district through various marketing, beautification, safety and advocacy initiatives.

Business Centres & Local Organizations

Waterloo Region

Guelph & Wellington County

  • Business Centre Guelph Wellington
  • Launch It Minto
    • Business community hub serving Minto, Mapleton and Wellington North
  • Innovation Guelph
    • provides mentorship and business support services that help innovative enterprises start, grow & thrive
  • Grow Guelph
    • network of non-profit organizations, government, and academic partners to help businesses start, stay, and grow in Guelph
  • 10C
    • community hub & shared workspace

Dufferin County

More Business Supports

  • Communitech
    • Helps tech employers start and grow their company
  • MaRS
    • Seed stage investor in Ontario, investing in IT, health and cleantech companies
  • Digital Main Street
    • Grants and services including digital how-to guide and program to help you grow your business
  • HelloHire
    • Online speed-hiring platform

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Logo: Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin
3 Logos: Government of Canada; Employment Ontario; Province of Ontario

This Employment Ontario project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

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