Former Windsor Unifor president named skilled trades adviser

Former Windsor union president Dave Cassidy has been tapped to help the province meet the growing demand for skilled trades workers.

His appointmentas skilled trades special adviserto the minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development was announced Monday.

Last month,Cassidy announced his retirement as the president of Unifor Local 444, which represents workers at Stellantis and feeder plants in the automotive sector in Windsor.

The province says Cassidy will assess needs in the workforce for skilled trades workers, particularly in manufacturing andautomotive, includingelectric vehicles.

"Our government has attracted $43 billion in investments in advanced manufacturing, including automakers and EVs. As these sectors grow, we need to prepare our skilled trades workforce for the jobs of today and tomorrow, and that begins with finding out where those jobs are and how we can build a talent pathway to fill them," said Labour Minister David Piccini in a media release.

Over the next decade, the province expects demand for workers in skilled trades-related fields to grow to more than 500,000 people.

As part of his role, Cassidy will help deliver a report that includes recommendations on how to "improve the skilled trades system."