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Jodie Engbert is with the YMCA Employment Centre. (Photo Courtesy Ross Lavigne)

Officials note disconnect in local labour market

Apr 29, 2022 | 2:41 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – There’s word now of a disconnect in the local labour market.

According to the YMCA Employment Centre, some industries are having trouble finding new employees, and some workers are having trouble finding employment that suits them.

Employment Centre manager Jodie Engbert says oil and gas and construction are facing a labour shortage in particular.

Meanwhile, some job-seekers are becoming more particular in the jobs they want, and are asking about such matters as pensions and gas allowances.

To help fill the labour gap, Engbert says the employment centre is offering companies money to retrain new employees.

“We can offer employers wage incentives to hire maybe an under-skilled worker to help offset the training time to get them to become more qualified for those positions.”

The employment centre also offers career counselling, and has hosted job fairs for some employers.