SEPT/OCT 2014
H
business elite canada 45
in the energy and bio-based chemical indus-
try with a skilled labour pool and applied re-
search.
“The college has a very strong working re-
lationship with industry and has realigned its
programs and continues to make realignment
where necessary in terms of skills and infra-
structure to be able to deliver what the indus-
try needs,” said Mallay.
The region has about a 30 per cent unemploy-
ment rate of skilled trades people. Its labour
force has among the highest safety record in
the country, and there are generally low em-
ployee turnover and absenteeism rates.
Owing to the region’s chemical industry,
there are over 100 manufacturing and indus-
trial services companies that are strong in en-
gineering, in metal fabrication, machining and
environment, which can build from pilot scale
to full-scale chemical plants.
“We’ve really been working with those com-
panies to make them more export-oriented,
and they have come together and formed
something called the Sarnia Lambton Indus-
trial Alliance. They have been doing a lot of
marketing to Western and Eastern Canada and
