Chatham-Kent's mayor says that fears about the readiness of the local work-force are valid and the municipality is trying to deal with them.
Randy Hope was reacting to fears expressed by Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce Chair Christopher June last week, that a fairly low level of post secondary educated, and skilled trades workers are making it harder to attract new business.
"That's why we established the Workforce Planning Board to give us the data," he says. "Second of all we have been meeting with our educational partners throughout Chatham-Kent, both university and the college and the elementary school system to talk about the high school system and the trades and the other areas that we need to look at."
Hope says as well as training there are infrastructure improvements that the municipality can't deal with alone.
He says a full fibre optics network and high speed rail would help in economic development immensely.