EmployNext’s outreach team attended the CEN CAN Expo in Thunder Bay, one of the largest mining and resource sector events in Northern Ontario. Bringing together employers, industry leaders, training organizations, workforce development partners, and job seekers from across the region, the event provided valuable insight into the region’s evolving labour market and future hiring needs.
For EmployNext, events like this are about more than networking. It is about building relationshhips that create employment opportunities, supporting workforce development, and helping connect local talent with employers across Northwestern Ontario.
Supporting employers through workforce connections
For employers, industry events like CEN CAN offer direct access to workforce development partners, recruitment resources, and labour market intelligence.
Throughout the expo, EmployNext met with employers, recruiters, HR professionals, and industry leaders to better understand current and future hiring demands within the mining, resource, and skilled trades sectors. Conversations focused on workforce challenges, talent shortages, training requirements, and the skills employers are seeking as projects expand across Northern Ontario.
These insights help EmployNext strengthen hiring partnerships and connect employers with qualified job seekers before positions are publicly advertised. Several organizations expressed interest in continuing discussions after the event, creating opportunities to build new recruitment pathways and support future workforce needs across the region.
For businesses, looking to hire in Northwestern Ontario, collaboration with workforce development organizations can shorten recruitment timelines, expand access to talent, and improve hiring outcomes.
Creating more opportunities for job seekers
The benefits of events like CEN CAN extend far beyond the trade show floor.
Every employer relationship developed through industry engagement helps expand the network of employment opportunities available to local job seekers. As demand grows for skilled trades workers, mining professionals, apprentices, and other in-demand occupations, maintaining strong employer connections becomes increasingly important.
During the event, we reconnected with Seven Generations Education Institute and the team at NEW, both valued partners supporting training, career development, and employment services throughout the region.
These partnerships create stronger pathways into meaningful employment by connecting job seekers with training opportunities, workforce supports, and local employers actively seeking talent. When workforce partners, educational institutions, and employers work together, individuals gain access to more options for building long-term careers rather than simply finding their next job.
Strengthening Northwestern Ontario’s workforce
The true value of events like CEN CAN lies in the relationships they create.
A single conversation with an employer can evolve into a hiring partnership. A catch-up with a workforce partner can become a referral that helps someone access training, employment services, or a new career opportunity. These connections play an important role in strengthening the labour market and supporting economic growth across Northwestern Ontario.
EmployNext is grateful to the organizers, exhibitors, employers, and community partners who took the time to connect during this year’s event. We look forward to continuing the conversations that began at CEN CAN and turning those discussions into real employment outcomes for local communities.
Whether you’re an employer looking to fill skilled trades, mining, or industrial positions, or a job seeker exploring new career opportunities in Northwestern Ontario, strong connections are often where success begins.
See more photos from the event below:
