On 18 September 2024, five SEDRD graduate students set out to collect information from business owners in Seaforth, Ontario, to better understand the realities of attracting and retaining employees. Paul Sitsofe (Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development student), Paul Anim (Master of Science in Capacity Development and Extension student), Lucas Berek (Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development student), Calum Jacques (Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development student), and Damilola Oyewale (Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development graduate) travelled throughout Seaforth to speak with business owners. Information was gathered on the challenges business owners experience in finding new staff, supports that would be useful to assist in finding new staff, and success stories of approaches in finding new staff. Over the coming weeks, a report on the data will be available. Stay tuned for more information on report and key findings!

Image:  From Left to right:  Lucas Berek, Calum Jacques, Ryan Gibson, Paul Anim, Paul Sitsofe, and Damilola Oyewale.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Paul Sitsofe [1] or Prof. Ryan Gibson [2]. To learn more about this initiative, please visit the project website [3].