Who are you and what is your role?

My name is Paul Jackson and I am the Community and Business Development Manager at VPI Working Solutions. My role is to establish relationships with businesses and community partners and to ensure their business objectives are met, while also keeping abreast of local labour market conditions.

What is your business?

VPI Working Solutions is an Employment Ontario service provider with 17 locations spread throughout Southern Ontario. For over 30 years, we’ve been actively helping and supporting the needs of local businesses and job seekers, free of charge.

Our team works closely with job seekers by helping them increase their job readiness and connecting them with businesses who are hiring. We also help our ever-growing network of businesses with their hiring and training needs – helping them find quality candidates, host job fairs, and secure funding to subsidize the cost of training new and existing employees.

When did you become a member of the Mississauga Board of Trade?

We’ve been a member of MBOT since 2018.

What’s your favorite aspect of MBOT?

MBOT holds various events throughout the year, and this is a great opportunity to engage and network with the local business community.

These events have allowed me to speak directly to businesses about challenges relating to talent acquisition and staff training. Being able to hear about the specific challenges these businesses are facing enables me to work with them to come up with solutions that work for everybody.

MBOT has also provided me an opportunity to effect change and advocate on behalf of the business community by sitting on the HR and Policy & Government Affairs Committees.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about joining MBOT?

I would advise potential MBOT members to think of your membership as a marketing opportunity and to set out clear objectives for what you want to get out of it. I would also recommend making the most of your membership by being patient and committed to attending events.

MBOT is a great platform to develop your brand and to build networks with likeminded people. And remember, you only get out of it what you put into it!

How has MBOT helped your business?

MBOT has helped VPI connect with and help numerous businesses by assisting them with talent acquisition, and by providing grant money to subsidize training costs.

MBOT has enabled us to grow our network, expand our reach, and allows us to serve the many different needs of our local economy.

About the Author

Mississauga Board of Trade