Increasing Ontario's Productivity and Competitiveness

Jobs and Prosperity Council Highlights Key to Ontario's Success

TORONTO, Nov. 7, 2012 /CNW/ - Increasing Ontario's productivity and competitiveness will require leadership from all participants in the economy — businesses, non-government organizations, academia, labour and government.

Today, Gord Nixon, Chair of the Jobs and Prosperity Council, accompanied by members of the Council addressed delegates at the Jobs and Prosperity Summit. In advance of the Council's report, Nixon touched on five key areas that the Council believes are critical to building a globally oriented economy.

Ontario must:

• Seize global opportunities by encouraging businesses to become early adopters of cutting edge ideas and focusing on the development of innovative products and services.
• Unleash innovation and entrepreneurship by increasing export-oriented commercialization of Ontario products, ideas and services while fostering innovation and a culture of entrepreneurship.
• Capitalize on talent by strengthening ties between educational institutions and the private sector to build the labour market skills that employers need and give young people more opportunities for high-paying sustainable jobs.
• Drive productivity growth by leveraging private-sector expertise and encouraging investments that would enable manufacturers to develop productivity-enhancing infrastructure.
• Deliver smart, efficient government by further improving the regulatory environment in Ontario, including the tax code that would enhance the province's competitiveness, with a particular focus on business support programs.

The Jobs and Prosperity Council will release its final report and recommendations by early 2013.

QUOTES

"The way the world does business has changed, and so Ontario must change the way it does business. To succeed in the global economy, Ontarians need to work together to focus on using Ontario's advantages to seize opportunities."
— Gord Nixon, Chair, Jobs and Prosperity Council

"We've laid a strong foundation for growth and prosperity — our corporate taxes are more competitive and our workforce is more highly skilled than ever before. I'm looking forward to seeing the Council's advice on how we can engage more Ontarians in keeping up that momentum, building a bold, confident provincial economy that sells more and better products to the world to create good jobs and a high quality of life at home."
— Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario

"While Ontario's economy is moving in the right direction, the new global realities continue to present us with challenges and opportunities. The work of the Jobs and Prosperity Council will help to ensure that Ontario is well positioned to succeed."
— Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and Innovation

QUICK FACTS

• The Jobs and Prosperity Council was created following the 2012 Ontario Budget.
• The Council comprises 14 leaders from business, labour and the research community, and draws on experience from across Ontario.
• The Jobs and Prosperity Summit was part of the Ontario Economic Summit, which brings together influential leaders from business, government, labour, academia, non-profit organizations and Aboriginal communities to help bring economic growth, renewed competitiveness and increased prosperity to the province.

LEARN MORE

• Read more about the Jobs and Prosperity Council

 

SOURCE: Jobs and Prosperity Council

Brigitte Marleau
Communications Branch
416-325-2479
[email protected]