Sept. 20, 2014 – The Greater Oshawa 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 Oshawa 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.
“We are excited that Durham College and UOIT are part of the Magnet network along with sixteen universities and colleges and the network of Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade across Ontario” adds, John Sturuup, Chamber President.
With Magnet, businesses can create profiles and search qualified talent within Oshawa and beyond. This effective, accurate, and efficient way works to match these candidates’ qualifications and interests with employers’ skills requirements.
“Ontario’s youth unemployment rate currently sits at 15.4%,” says Bob Malcolmson, CEO of the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce. Unemployment in the Greater Toronto Area is 9.1%.
Magnet is built upon revolutionary networking technology developed through Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone.
“It is important to have communities like Oshawa contribute to the Magnet network,” says Sheldon Levy, President and Vice Chancellor of Ryerson University. “By working together to build the network as a hub for making connections and discovering opportunities, we are helping to address unemployment and underemployment in the province.”
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.
The Magnet network officially launches in early October. To learn more, visit www.magnet.today.
