Local officials are looking to fill a gap when it comes to skilled tradespeople. 
Acting Director of Economic Development Stuart McFadden says there is a large demand for skilled workers.
“For some reason, we lost a generation of tradespeople,” McFadden says. “We must have all told our kids at a certain age to go away and be something other than tradespeople, because right now there’s a big hole in that area and it’s serious.”
According to McFadden, industry experts say a huge worker shortage is looming if more people don’t enter the trades workforce.
“We knock on as many doors as we can every day to talk to companies and take the pulse and find out how they’re doing and see how it is we can help. The reality is economic development departments don’t create jobs, we create an environment where people want to invest.”
Meantime, a job fair is being held this coming Tuesday as Cross Country Manufacturing in Blenheim is looking to fill 75 skilled trades positions.