New Talent Strategy & Roadmap Aims to Strengthen Ontario’s Automotive and Mobility Sector, with a focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

January 24, 2022

A series of initiatives will focus on supporting Ontario talent, driving further collaboration, and improving equity, diversity, and inclusion in the auto and mobility sector.

January 24 – Toronto, Ontario – Today, on World Education Day, the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) is continuing to strengthen and grow Ontario’s automotive and mobility sector, while responding to the needs of its labour force.

Today, OVIN released a Talent Strategy & Roadmap.

The Talent Strategy & Roadmap is positioning Ontario’s automotive and mobility sector for long-term success by outlining key objectives and initiatives to help achieve OVIN’s 2030 vision for Ontario’s automotive and mobility workforce: to have a highly skilled, adaptable, and diverse workforce in the sector, reinforced by a global-leading network that provides tailored and responsive initiatives that meet the workforce’s evolving needs.

“This Roadmap outlines the objectives and initiatives that will drive talent development and promote Ontario’s automotive and mobility industry – ensuring the province remains at the forefront of a sector that generated $64B in GDP in 2019 and has grown 28% in the last decade,” said Minister Monte McNaughton, Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Training, and Skills Development.

Coupled with this, OVIN also released a Skills & Career Navigator platform. This tool is a centralized source of information designed to help Ontarians who are interested or currently working in the automotive and mobility sector to better understand the sector’s transition, and to navigate learning and career pathways based on their unique experiences and skillsets.

The free-to-use Skills & Career Navigator tool includes a range of resources targeted to current employers and employees in the automotive and mobility sector, people interested in joining it, and other stakeholders like industry, education providers and government. The aim is to help build a talented automotive and mobility workforce in Ontario that is equipped with the skills that are in demand for jobs both now and into the future.

The Talent Strategy & Roadmap and the Skills & Career Navigator were created in collaboration with Invest Ottawa and a broad range of sector stakeholders, including post-secondary institutions, private training institutions, not-for-profits, government, and industry – each having a significant role to play in the long-term strength and success of the sector.

“The goal is to help everyone, whether you’re a student or already in the workforce, to learn more about these emerging opportunities and our shared connected, autonomous, and electric future,” added Minister McNaughton.

“Ontario’s 300 companies and organizations pioneering connected and autonomous vehicle technologies will play a vital role in our government’s Driving Prosperity auto plan,” said Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “OVIN’s Talent Strategy & Roadmap and Skills & Career Navigator strengthens our auto ecosystem and ensures Ontario has the talent we need to build the next generation of vehicles.”

“Our government understands that when the automotive sector succeeds, our province succeeds. The Talent Strategy & Roadmap will strengthen and diversify the pool of talented workers who will help design and create the next generation of transportation technologies, supporting innovation and economic growth in Ontario,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation.

About the Talent Strategy & Roadmap
The Talent Strategy & Roadmap contains four objectives, supported by nine initiatives, to help achieve Ontario’s 2030 vision. The objectives cover the following themes:

1. Collaboration and Coordination Across the Province
2. Talent Sourcing and Attraction
3. Workforce Development and Retention
4. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

To read the full Talent Strategy & Roadmap, and associated initiatives for each objective, click here:
English | French. To view the OVIN video, click here.

About the Skills & Career Navigator
The tool houses interactive data on Ontario’s labour market, such as the demand for skills today, anticipated future skills needs, and includes a breadth of resources on training opportunities across the province. Using a built-in algorithm, the tool also provides personalized recommendations for training opportunities and career pathways, helping prospective talent identify necessary skills to help secure a career in the sector, based on their experience and skillset.

You can access the Skills & Career Navigator here.

About OVIN
The Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) is the Government of Ontario’s flagship initiative on the future of automotive and mobility.

OVIN is led by the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), and supported by the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, the Ministry of Transportation, and the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. OVIN aims to be the global leader in accelerating the development, testing, commercialization, and deployment of the next generation of electric, connected, and autonomous vehicle and mobility technologies.

OVIN’s five objectives are to: foster the commercialization of Ontario-made advanced automotive technologies and smart mobility solutions; showcase Ontario as the leader in the development, testing, piloting and adoption of the latest transportation and infrastructure technologies; drive innovation and collaboration among the growing network of stakeholders at the convergence of automotive and technology; leverage and retain Ontario’s highly skilled talent; and harness Ontario’s regional strengths and capabilities to support its clusters of automotive and technology.

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Contact:

Alicia Pereira
Director, Communications & Strategy, Ontario Centre of Innovation
416-888-4088