Essex-Windsor EMS among many employers recruiting workers to relocate to region

There’s big growth happening in Windsor-Essex in every sector, and recruitment drives are being launched by a number of employers to attract talent from outside the region.

One new campaign, launched by Essex-Windsor EMS, is hoping qualified paramedics living outside the region will see the benefits of living in Windsor-Essex outside of just the job — pitching the amenities on offer, including the climate, proximity to the U.S. and the cost of living.

“There's lots of stuff going on here. You know, that's really ‘Why Windsor-Essex’ and that's what we're kind of honing in on,” said Justin Lammers, the chief of Essex-Windsor EMS. “This year, we're digging in deep and we're really swinging for the fences.”

Call volumes are up seven per cent as the region’s population grows, Lammers said.

The organization was just approved to hire 16 additional full time employees and is looking to hire about 40 positions, some part-time, in a new recruitment drive.

“We need staff to be able to enhance to meet the demands of the region,” said Lammers. “And that's just going to keep going. We're anticipating that call volume to keep rising with an increase in builds and the increase in economic investments.”

Lammers sees the growth happening thanks to recent investments in the NextStar Energy EV battery plant, Gordie Howe International Bridge, the future hospital and other, which are having a ripple effect throughout the community.

And while the EMS service relies heavily on an annual class of St. Clair College graduates, Lammers said they can’t fill that pool of jobs alone.

“We want to get ahead of it as much as we can. We don't want to wait for all the growth and then and then react,” Lammers said.

It’s not just paramedics that are in demand.

“Now we're at the cusp of sort of rapid growth and expansion and driving that is economic expansion, which is really exciting,” said Justin Falconer, the president of Workforce Windsor-Essex.

As manufacturing jobs come by the thousands, Falconer said spin offs jobs in just about every sector, both public and private, will follow.

“There's sort of growing demand everywhere. It's happening on all fronts,” Falconer said.

It’s happening at a time when a large chunk of the existing workforce is eyeing retirement and according to Falconer, one of the only ways to fill that labour gap is to lure people to relocate from other communities to Windsor-Essex, and it’s an effort that is already underway.

“We were experiencing double the growth that we were last year, and last year was double the growth of the year before,” said Falconer. “And so we are sort of growing exponentially.”

Falconer added many recruitment campaigns just like the EMS one are happening, with ads are selling the region along with the job — and a coordinated effort may be the best way to pool resources and attract the most eyeballs to opportunities available in Windsor-Essex.

“In the beginning, it's done by a few employers who are really desperate for filling those vacancies,” said Falconer.

He added, “But I think over time, we all need this and we all should just join forces and work together on this, you know, chip in some resources and make it happen...and showcase why people should relocate here.”