The heads of Canadian Manufacturing and Exporters and the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council in the U.S. have a memorandum of agreement that could improve the flow of skilled workers across the border.
The agreement was signed Tuesday at the NASCO or North American Strategy for Competitiveness conference at Caesars Windsor at the beginning of two days of meetings.
Jayson Myers with CME says industry faces some challenges, but recognizing the certification of front-line manufacturing workers shouldn't be one of them. He says the agreement could help narrow the skilled trades gap in both countries.
"This will allow workers to say I am competent in carrying out this task, and that's exactly what manufacturers need some assurance."
Harmonization could also help those considering a career in manufacturing find work too.
"We've been asked for ages and ages by training organizations, by schools what is it that manufacturers really want in terms of graduates, and then often find that manufacturers aren't hiring them. So, we're telling them."