OrilliaMatters welcomes letters to the editor. Send your letters to [email protected]. This letter is in response to a story published Feb. 18 about a recent roundtable discussion related to shortages of workers in the area.
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OrilliaMatters reported on a meeting arranged by the City of Orillia’s Economic Development Office and the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce dealing with difficulties and finding and retaining employees.
Some of the attendees, according to the OrilliaMatters' article, pushed for more immigration, particularly in tradespeople.
More immigration is not the route to follow when we have six-per-cent-plus unemployment.
The solution is to attract and make it possible for the majority of these people to get into the workforce through better wages, better working conditions and, in some cases, additional training and counselling.
Better working conditions and more respect for workers would also keep older people longer in the workforce which would increase the labour supply.
Konrad Brenner
Ramara Township
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