STIC - Automotive Services: A. Introduction to Workshop - Labour Market

Components of Labour Market Information

a) Brainstorm answers to the following questions:

What kind of information about their trade will help them get back into the field in Ontario?
What does the word "trend" mean?
[Trend: A long-term change in social direction, broad in scope and identified by many sources.]
What kinds of changes have they noticed in the trade, both in their home countries and in Canada? Keep in mind the following factors and how they have influenced the trade (see Overhead 2 "Workshop Benchmarks"):
- innovations in technology
- globalization of trade
- the shift to non-standard employment
- industrial shifts
- demographic changes
How many have looked for work in the automotive service field in Ontario?
- What kinds of jobs are available?
- Where are the jobs located?
- Who are the employers?
If you were employing an automotive service technician, what general skills would you be looking for?

b) Distribute the Handout 1 " Employability Skills Profile."

Divide the participants into two groups.
Group 1 will:
- identify the "hard" skills listed in the profile
- document the hard skills the members of the group have to offer an employer
Group 2 will:
- identify the "soft" skills listed in the profile
- give individual examples of how they applied such skills in their previous work experience
Debrief.
Distribute the handouts: Handout 2 "Ties that Bind" and Handout 3 "Transferable Skills"
Agree or Disagree?
- In today's organizational structures, 80% of the time you will be part of a team.
- In today's labour market, computer skills are considered as basic as reading, writing and math skills.
- The ability to make conversation easily is an essential employability skill in today's labour market.

c) Brainstorm:

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