jay aspin-labour market groupNipissing-Temiskaming MP Jay Aspin announced 80 Thousand dollars in funding on Thursday for the Labour Market Group. Over half of the money- around 50 Thousand pays for phase 1 of a study on northern Ontario’s tourism sector which has already been conducted. The other 30 Thousand dollars will pay for phase 2 of the study  and will identify the labour force requirements of the industry. Aspin says phase 1 gives officials a snapshot of the industry and lets them know what they should be doing and what they shouldn’t be doing.

North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce president Jake Lacourse says the study provides more proof there is a skilled trades shortage here and that applies to food beverage servers, housekeepers and room attendants.

He says they need help from government, educational institutions and the hotel industry to address the issue.

The executive director of the Labour Market Group is Stacie Fiddler.

She says this area is not alone in the challenges they’re facing and it’s more of a northern Ontario issue.