Local residents will have to step-up their educational standards or risk being left behind according to the chair of the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce.
Christopher June told chamber members at the annual meeting the community a lack of a highly educated work-force is hurting the area.
"It's the thing that is really preventing us from being attractive to potential employers and if we're not teaching and preaching about the opportunities that post secondary education (and) trade certificates provide we are not going to stand a chance to recover economically," says June.
He says the area can't prosper on big box stores and minimal wages.
"You have to have an employable work-force, you have to have the skills, the trade, the technology abilities to be able to have employers be attracted to come into your community," says June.
June is concerned that many people in the area still hope that a return to a factory dominated economy will be enough, but he says they are not coming back.
He says there are tools in place to help people including RESPs, that provide grants to help save for education, and agencies like workforce planning groups and the Prosperity Roundtable.