NIA & Workforce Collective: Going farther, together.

Already partnered through initiatives like the Niagara Workforce Coalition, the Niagara Industrial Association (NIA) and Workforce Collective formally came together in September 2024 to share staff resources and expand operational capacity; ultimately providing better value to membership.

The Workforce Collective team has been supporting NIA’s marketing and communications, project development and event strategies. We’re taking our partnership to the next level and dreaming up ways to grow together.

About the partners

Comprised of 250+ members, the NIA is the leading voice and advocate for the manufacturing sector in Niagara. The NIA influences government policy, pursues business development opportunities, provides members with important industry information, builds strategic partnerships and leverages programs and services that support industrial development. 

As a “think and do tank”, Workforce Collective explores solutions to workforce challenges. We provide services like research and data analysis, project evaluation and impact assessment to inform better planning and decision-making.

Workforce Collective also provides administrative, marketing and communications, project management and event support in various ways to Literacy Link Niagara, Niagara’s Workforce Coalition and Niagara’s Immigrant Employment Council.

What we’re working on

• Hosting events to engage NIA members, share best practices across the network, and mobilize sector-specific information
• Developing marketing and communications activities to build the NIA member community, promote and celebrate advancements, and boost advocacy efforts
• Extending local workforce planning and development services to NIA members
• Distributing valuable statistics, data, and trends that will help NIA member businesses to make sound decisions

Manufacturing is an important sector that provides more than 23,000 jobs in Niagara and approximately 800,000 jobs across Ontario. It intersects with many other key industries that sustain our local economy (including retail trade, food services, construction, and healthcare).

With our respective strengths in supporting the sector and related workforce, Workforce Collective and NIA are committed to working together to providing valuable activities to develop our local manufacturing community.

Are you keen to help strengthen industry in Niagara too? Joining the NIA is a great next step.