Numerous young people leave Chatham-Kent every year to pursue higher education or other opportunities, but before they go municipal officials want to remind them their hometown has plenty to offer in the future.
Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff along with local entrepreneurs and business professionals shared that message recently through an online presentation to Chatham-Kent Grade 7 and 8 students in the St. Clair Catholic District School Board.
A session is booked later this month to deliver the same message to Chatham-Kent Grade 7 and 8 students across the Lambton Kent District School Board, Canniff said.
He would also like to do a similar presentation to Grade 10 students in both boards.
“We’re open to the education system on where they think we need to be delivering that message,” the mayor said.
Canniff said in his outreach to youth, a common feeling he hears is many young people believe there is nothing to do in Chatham-Kent and there are no jobs.
“We need to break that barrier down, we need to get people excited about staying in Chatham-Kent, let them know about what is happening,” he said.
Canniff said it is important to deliver the message to youth they are a valuable part of the community, because these students are in their “formative years” in deciding on what they want to do with their future.
The mayor told students during the online discussion to keep an eye on Chatham-Kent, because there will be great opportunities here.
“In the last two years we’ve built more homes than we have in the last 10 years,” he said
He added the same goes for apartment buildings.
More business and industry is coming here, which will bring more job opportunities, the mayor said.
He also noted the wheels are in motion to bring a lot of great amenities from sports to arts and culture to the community to make it a more enjoyable place to live.
“People are starting to discover how amazing it is here in Chatham-Kent.”
Panelists, including newly-elected Chatham Coun. Conor Allin, Tyler Dam, owner of Dam Home Hardware, Danielle Bertino, human resources manager at TekSavvy and Kyle Pinsonneault, owner of Canadian Executive Search, offered advice based on questions asked by students.
Allin, who moved back home to be around family and friends, told students: “There’s a lot of good things happening in Chatham and we want to keep a lot of our young professionals here.”
When asked what skills employers are looking for, he said, “Just being a good person. . . and that goes a long way in terms of showcasing who you are as an individual, in terms of some of the talent you may be able to bring to the table.”
Dam said when it comes to hiring an employee, “we look for emotional and social intelligence first.”
He said people who look him in the eye when talking to him and show some initiative is really important to him.
“If you’re good with people, you will rise through the ranks in any organization or any job you will find.”
Dam added he is always looking for people who willing to take initiative and “try things that they’re not good at, and problem-solve and work their way through those issues.”
Bertino, who is responsible for recruiting employees at TekSavvy, told students “soft skills” are important.
She said her company needs people who are great communicators, know how to work as a team, but are organized and self-motivated.
Bertino shared that the biggest mistake anyone can make in an interview is to speak badly about a former employer or job experience.
When it comes to jobs that will be in demand in the future, Pinsonneault said manufacturing will continue to be strong sector of the economy.
With the growth in the electrical vehicle sector, including the $5 billion electric battery plant coming to Windsor, he expects to see strong manufacturing growth in the next three to five years.
He added technology, which is always evolving, will also have many job opportunities along with healthcare as the population continues to age.
Canniff told the students there will be many opportunities in the future as the job market evolves.
He believes if people find things that interest them, there will be opportunities in that field.
“You get out of things what you put into them,” the mayor said.