The Lakeview Oshawa: Community & Workforce Development
The Lakeview Neighbourhood in Oshawa, with its unique demographic and economic characteristics, faces specific labour market challenges and is recognized as one of five priority neighbourhoods in Oshawa. In 2018, Durham Workforce Authority (DWA) undertook a project that looked at Collective Impact and Community Service Planning in South Oshawa. Through local-level community engagement in Lakeview, that project provided a contextual overview of Oshawa’s Lakeview neighbourhood, highlighting key community issues, trends, and priorities.
Since the initial report, several significant factors have impacted the Lakeview neighbourhood, notably the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated inequalities and intensified challenges in accessing essential services and employment opportunities.
The Lakeview Oshawa: Community & Workforce Development report is now available to the community and builds on the previous report’s insights into service accessibility and job opportunities. This report summarizes feedback from community consultations and outlines actionable strategies to enhance service delivery, improve employment outcomes and facilitate greater community engagement and development in the Lakeview neighbourhood.
This report aims to provide policymakers, stakeholders and community leaders with actionable insights to build capacity to support workforce, economic and community development at the neighbourhood level in Lakeview. The new report establishes eight key recommendations:
- Leverage existing infrastructure
- Share findings with local partners
- Develop a clear and inclusive vision
- Support capacity building
- Connect service & community support organizations
- Engage local businesses
- Foster community relationships & trust
- Build momentum through quick wins
These recommendations emphasize the importance of community-led initiatives, collaboration across organizations, and the strategic use of existing resources to enhance the economic and social fabric of the Lakeview neighbourhood.
The full report can be found here.