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| Fast Cities Supplement Sponsor: City of Mississauga |
May 1, 2006 |
Mississauga’s talent base a big business draw
In the business world, there are a number of significant factors which can help propel, and support, a city’s economy. Some factors include a good location, sound infrastructure, available transit, nearby academic institutions, ample land availability and nearness to global markets. But around the world, economic developers are talking about what some say is perhaps a city’s greatest strength – the availability of a world class talent pool to sustain and grow an international, national or local business.
In Mississauga, the city is fortunate to have an abundance of highly talented and skilled residents. Certainly the fact that Mississauga has 21 universities and colleges within commuting distance is one of the main reasons for our talent strength. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada findings, our city is also benefiting from the skills sets of new immigrants.
For example, in 2005, 75 per cent of the nearly 20,000 people, who settled in Mississauga that year, have some post secondary education. According to the recent findings, almost all the new immigrants that settled in the City of Mississauga could be classified as having technical and/or business capabilities.
That’s good news for our potential employers. It indicates a talent pool in which companies can easily draw upon to successfully build their business. An example of one firm building a strong business base in Mississauga is Minacs, Canada’s largest business process outsourcing company.
Minacs just opened in Mississauga this fall with 300 employees but has plans to expand to 1,000 by January 2008. One of the key reasons why Mississauga was chosen for their new office was the availability of top talent. Minacs’ North American President, Fariba Rawhani, commented that Mississauga has the talent and the educated workforce they were looking for, as well as infrastructure and other business considerations that made it a logical business choice. Minacs’ serves its clients in 20 different languages and the wealth of languages available here certainly strengthened the location decision.
From a regional perspective, Mississauga is a prime source of talent as well. The Toronto Region Research Alliance (TRRA), which looks at building the Toronto region into a world-leading centre for research and research-intensive industry, boasts some significant positive talent numbers.
Specifically, TRRA research includes the broader Toronto region, embracing Hamilton, Guelph, the Waterloo Region and the Greater Toronto Area. TRRA’s research shows that of the more than 100,000 new immigrants that settle in the Toronto region every year, almost three-quarters of these newcomers over age 15 have a post-secondary degree or certificate. In fact, the Toronto Region, which includes Mississauga, has the highest concentration of post-secondary institutions in the country.
In today’s global economy, having a multicultural, multilingual and highly-educated society further positions Mississauga as a solid location decision for business. The connection between a talented work force and economic growth is no longer an economic trend to watch, it is one of the major criteria in any search selection process for a company
www.mississauga.ca/business
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