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The Leduc, Nisku and Wetaskiwin Regional Chamber of Commerce has seen exciting growth and success in our business community. Our members are incredible, and we thank them for their continued hard work and engagement in the community!
Some of the Chamber’s ongoing initiatives include:
StartUp Leduc Wetaskiwin Region provides free business resources, networking, and training for new businesses under five years. StartUp facilitates the eight-month SMARTstart Entrepreneurial and Mentorship Program, giving new businesses the foundation for success.
The regional Job Connector is a job board and resource that helps local businesses and job seekers find each other and builds our regional workforce. Employers, job seekers and students can use the free tools and resources to find relevant job training and financial support.
The Opportunities and Listings is a newsletter and webpage to find local commercial real estate listings, businesses for sale, space for lease and view the local bids and tenders.
Chamber policy and advocacy:
Our Chamber policy committee worked with our transportation industry members regarding the class 1 driver shortage. Successfully taking a policy forward at the federal level to classify truck driving as a skilled occupation. This change allows foreign workers a path to residency, makes truck driver training eligible for student loans, and encourages the government to support mentorship programs to make our roads safer, reduce insurance costs and increase diversity in the industry.
In response to the Provincial Government’s Action Plan on Homelessness, the policy committee has proposed five recommendations listed in Provincial Accountability on Homelessness: The Burden on Business. These recommendations would support businesses impacted by the growing crisis and use federal funding to relieve the pressure on municipalities and create long-term solutions.
Working with the Digital Economy Program, the free digital support program for small businesses has improved and has been renewed for an additional year. Consultants with the University of Alberta help successful applicants set up and improve digital tools such as Google My Business, website, social media, e-commerce, and more. Regions like Wetaskiwin have several spots for new applicants; apply at yourdep.ca.
Effective advocacy to government leaders is just one thing the Chamber of Commerce does. Recently The Chamber hosted the annual golf tournament in Wetaskiwin it was an incredible day of networking, connections and, of course, prizes! The free City of Wetaskiwin By-Election forum was planned and hosted by the Chamber, allowing voters to ask questions of all the candidates. This included an audio recording of the forum posted on the chamber website for those who could not attend—supporting the democratic process and making important information accessible to voters.
Upcoming Chamber events:
September 8: Belonging at Work & Beyond
This event gives owners, managers and HR professionals a chance to discuss issues impacting employee performance and find solutions to keep their workforce effective. More than ten local social support agencies will be on-site to provide information about resources available to organizations and employees.
Plus, learn how small actions can create a positive workplace and increase employee effectiveness and satisfaction with keynote speaker Michelle Devlin from Creating People Power.
October 21: Business Expo & Job Fair
Local businesses can market, sell products + services, connect with the community, and hire new employees – all in one day at the Wetaskiwin Mall.
Shoppers, families and job seekers can experience the expo with free admission, a pancake breakfast, face-painting and balloon twisting while perusing local businesses and connecting with potential employers!
For more information on these events, initiatives and more, connect with Jamie, Membership Manager for the Wetaskiwin Region, at the Chamber office, by email at jmantie@yourchamber.ca or visit yourchamber.ca.
Local BusinessOpinion
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