Municipalities struggling to attract, retain qualified staff

Responding to a new report from the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) and the region’s four planning boards, Temiskaming Shores Mayor Jeff Laferriere said the city is already taking steps to ensure qualified staff remain on the job here.

The Municipal Workforce Development and Job Vacancies Survey is a compilation of feedback from 61 municipal representatives across the districts of Timiskaming, Algoma, Cochrane, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, and Sudbury.

The findings suggest workforce pressures are affecting municipalities of every size, with 94 per cent of respondents reporting difficulty in attracting qualified candidates, either generally or for specific positions. Senior management, public works and finance, followed by administrative, by-law enforcement and water and wastewater positions were deemed the most difficult to fill.

“I believe this report is very accurate and paints the same picture for Temiskaming Shores that other communities are experiencing,” Laferriere told The Speaker.

“We have completed salary benchmarking, increased salaries and adjusted pay scales to remain competitive.”

Julie Joncas, executive director of the Far Northeast Training Board, said the pool of qualified candidates in the North makes it more difficult for recruiters.

INCREASING COMPETITION

“Northeastern Ontario municipalities are competing for workers in a challenging labour market, often with fewer resources and fewer qualified candidates available locally,” she said.

“This (report) provides a stronger regional understanding of those pressures. By working together, we can develop solutions that reflect the realities of Northern communities and help build the workforce needed to support municipal services and future economic growth.”

Smaller municipalities reported particularly difficult circumstances due to limited financial resources, smaller candidate pools, geographic isolation and a lack of dedicated human resources capacity. Municipalities also face increasing competition from mining operations, other public-sector employers and larger communities for skilled and experienced employees.

About 75 per cent of respondents said their municipalities had increased salaries or adjusted pay scales to remain competitive. However, the report concludes that pay alone won’t resolve the challenge. Municipalities identified salary benchmarking, centralized recruitment resources, shared human resources support, improved training opportunities and assistance with succession planning as important regional priorities.

The report also found that leadership and management abilities, regulatory and technical knowledge, and skilled trades certifications are among the most evident skills gaps. Respondents highlighted the need for more accessible training, including opportunities outside the largest Northern centres, streamlined certification pathways and increased support for succession planning.

Temiskaming Shores has already identified some of these challenges and is working to mitigate them, Laferriere said.

“We have utilized centralized recruitment resources, focused efforts and plans around training opportunities and assistance with succession planning,” he told The Speaker.

SCOPE OF THE CHALLENGE

Stacie Fiddler, executive director of the Labour Market Group, said the survey is valuable in confirming the scope of the challenge and offering opportunities to address some of them.

“This survey gives us valuable, on-the-ground information directly from municipal leaders and staff,” she said.

“The results confirm that recruitment and retention pressures are widespread, but they also point us toward practical areas for collaboration. Better labour market information, expanded access to training and certification, and stronger workforce planning tools can help municipalities prepare for both their immediate and long-term staffing needs,” said Fiddler.

“Municipal employees deliver the essential services that residents and businesses rely on every day. When a community cannot recruit a treasurer, public works employee, building official or senior administrator, the impacts are felt throughout the municipality,” said FONOM president Dave Plourde.

“Northern Ontario continues to be an economic engine for the province, but our communities need a strong and sustainable municipal workforce to support that growth. FONOM looks forward to working with the province and our workforce planning partners on practical solutions.”

FONOM and the four Workforce Planning Boards will use the findings to support continued regional collaboration and discussions with the Ontario government. The partners will explore opportunities to improve municipal recruitment, retention, training, succession planning and workforce development across Northeastern Ontario.

“Municipalities are doing everything they can to adapt, but this is a regional and provincial challenge that requires a coordinated response,” added Plourde.

“Supporting the municipal workforce is an investment in strong communities, reliable public services and the continued economic success of Northern Ontario.”