Donna Gates, Chair of Fanshawe's James N. Allan Campus, is pleased with the outcome. "We were confident that TTCA would be very satisfied with the calibre of the workforce in our community and they have been."

Judy Rokoczi, Toyotetsu's HR manager, agrees. "We were thrilled with the wealth of talent in the local job market and completely overwhelmed by the response. The College officials assured us we would be and they were right."

Currently, 55 team members have been hired at the local plant that is scheduled to begin production in November. More offers of employment will be extended over the next several months. The plant is on track to reach its original target of 250 hires in the first year of operation.

Toyotetsu's Rokoczi credits much of the success of the endeavour to the College and its staff at the James N. Allan Campus. "From the beginning, the work they put into the planning process and their use of technology really paid off. Their staff are dedicated to their community. They set clear goals and then work together as a team to reach them. They know the job market, they know the community, and they are professionals in every sense. We would recommend the College to any company for all recruitment needs. Although this initial project is wrapping up, we look forward to a long-term working relationship with Fanshawe College."

Wanda Jacobs, Manager of Career and Employment Services for Fanshawe's James N. Allan Campus in Simcoe, also gives credit to the applicants themselves. "It was a rigidly controlled process and we were handling literally hundreds of applications each day. The applicants followed instructions and respected the process. They were patient and that helped a lot. Even some of the applicants, who themselves had to stand in line or wait their turn, commented that they thought it was professional and well-organized. We are proud of our community and the impression they have made on this new employer."

All applicants have been sent a communication and those who will not be moving into the final phase have been offered the support of Fanshawe's Simcoe campus Career and Employment Services department for job search assistance. Jacobs is hopeful that those who are still seeking employment are not discouraged. "Remember the number of applications relative to the number of positions made this process highly competitive. There are other local opportunities. We hope people will take advantage of the programs and services offered by the James N. Allan Campus's Career and Employment Services office."

Toyotetsu is no longer accepting applications for production positions. They will extend job offers only to those who participated in the initial hiring process. They anticipate no difficulty in filling their employment needs from the bank of candidates they have received.