‘Hang in there,’ Windsor
UNITED WAY IN THE NEWS
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Auto sector will rebound: Expert
Trevor Wilhelm
Windsor Star
There are brighter days down the road for Windsor’s auto industry, but it will require a newly trained labour force and the stamina to hang tough until better times arrive.
That was the message an economist had Wednesday at an auto industry-centred United Way summit in Dearborn that brought mixed messages of hope and despair.
High-tech skills continued
Louis Eric Theriault, the Conference Board of Canada’s economic forecasting director, said diversifying and embracing technology will be the key.
And it won’t be easy in the meantime.
“No growth in the short term and some decline in employment — 2006 and 2007 are difficult years,” he said. “Looking forward, we have a pickup in sales and prices. The good thing overall for Windsor is that among the Big Three, Chrysler is the one that is expected to expand in the coming few years. Hang in there for now. There is definitely a lot of hope down the road.”
About 100 people attended the summit, hosted by United Way organizations from southeastern Michigan, Greater Dayton and Windsor-Essex County. Their aim was to develop strategies to help communities hit by downsizing and plant closures in the manufacturing industry.
“We have some major changes happening,” said Sheila Wisdom, executive director of the Windsor-Essex County United Way. “The question is, how do we as communities respond to those?”
Theriault said they have to roll with the punches. The labour force must be retrained and redeployed to embrace the technological advancements in the industry, he said.
“You have to be able within your own industry to tackle those new jobs that are requiring some highly technical knowledge,” said Theriault. “Flexibility doesn’t mean you’re going totally out of your industry. There’ll be jobs in the industry.”
Lou Glazer, president of Michigan Future Inc., a non-profit organization that fosters technological innovation, wasn’t so sure. “I think, without question, tens of thousands of people will lose their jobs in the next 10 years,” he said during a panel discussion. “Those that remain will earn less. And that’s assuming one of the Big Three doesn’t go bankrupt.”
But Theriault said new products — getting away from the SUV segment — and pricing will help the Big Three, and places like Windsor.
“There are a lot of new models on the drawing board,” he said. “The Big Three are not looking at Toyota, Honda, Nissan building those small cars and making money at it, and just sitting on the sideline watching the train go by.”
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Auto sector will rebound: Expert
Trevor Wilhelm
Windsor Star
There are brighter days down the road for Windsor’s auto industry, but it will require a newly trained labour force and the stamina to hang tough until better times arrive.
That was the message an economist had Wednesday at an auto industry-centred United Way summit in Dearborn that brought mixed messages of hope and despair.
High-tech skills continued
Louis Eric Theriault, the Conference Board of Canada’s economic forecasting director, said diversifying and embracing technology will be the key.
And it won’t be easy in the meantime.
“No growth in the short term and some decline in employment — 2006 and 2007 are difficult years,” he said. “Looking forward, we have a pickup in sales and prices. The good thing overall for Windsor is that among the Big Three, Chrysler is the one that is expected to expand in the coming few years. Hang in there for now. There is definitely a lot of hope down the road.”
About 100 people attended the summit, hosted by United Way organizations from southeastern Michigan, Greater Dayton and Windsor-Essex County. Their aim was to develop strategies to help communities hit by downsizing and plant closures in the manufacturing industry.
“We have some major changes happening,” said Sheila Wisdom, executive director of the Windsor-Essex County United Way. “The question is, how do we as communities respond to those?”
Theriault said they have to roll with the punches. The labour force must be retrained and redeployed to embrace the technological advancements in the industry, he said.
“You have to be able within your own industry to tackle those new jobs that are requiring some highly technical knowledge,” said Theriault. “Flexibility doesn’t mean you’re going totally out of your industry. There’ll be jobs in the industry.”
Lou Glazer, president of Michigan Future Inc., a non-profit organization that fosters technological innovation, wasn’t so sure. “I think, without question, tens of thousands of people will lose their jobs in the next 10 years,” he said during a panel discussion. “Those that remain will earn less. And that’s assuming one of the Big Three doesn’t go bankrupt.”
But Theriault said new products — getting away from the SUV segment — and pricing will help the Big Three, and places like Windsor.
“There are a lot of new models on the drawing board,” he said. “The Big Three are not looking at Toyota, Honda, Nissan building those small cars and making money at it, and just sitting on the sideline watching the train go by.”
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