Morning Coffee – By Aaron Hall
Weather forecast for Thursday, May 10, 2018
Today – Mainly cloudy. Wind northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40. High 21. UV index 6 or high.
Tonight – Mainly cloudy. Wind northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming northeast 20 this evening. Low plus 4.
Wallaceburg Biking group holding first ride tonight
The Wallaceburg Biking Community are getting started this evening, May 10, and will be holdig their first ride of the spring.
“Well the nice weather has finally arrived and many of us have dug out our bike and are ready to hit the open road,” the group posted on their website, which you can view here.
“If you are interested in joining us for a community ride through the Spring, summer and fall months we are looking forward to see you. Our first ride will be on May 10, weather permitting. I look forward to seeing my biking companions as this has been a long winter and hope to make some new ones this year. See you at the fountain. Until then ride safe, ride often and enjoy the view.”
The group is holding evening rides every Thursday in May, with a busier schedule planned for June with multiple rides planned for each week.
Ontario government to review public holiday rules
Ontario will conduct a review of the public holiday system under Part X of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) following feedback and discussions with stakeholders.
The review will be conducted in 2018 by the Ministry of Labour and forms part of the Ontario government’s on-going response to the Changing Workplaces Review (CWR), the first comprehensive review of the province’s labour and employment legislation in a generation.
“The Changing Workplaces Review was about bringing more fairness to workplaces in Ontario,” stated Kevin Flynn, Minister of Labour.
“Bill 148 is a reflection of that vision, with measures such as a $15 minimum wage, equal pay for equal work and paid sick days put in place in order to ensure that workers’ rights are always protected and that they are paid a decent wage. This review of the public holiday pay section of the Employment Standards Act is part of our overall commitment to address the realities of the modern workplace and create a fair society.”
The Changing Workplaces Review found that public holiday rules were the source of the most complaints under the ESA and needed to be simplified. The CWR helped inform the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017 (FWBJA), which amended the public holiday pay (PHP) formula.
As an interim measure the government has made a new regulation, O. Reg. 375/18, that reinstates the PHP formula that applied prior to the FWBJA for all employees. The regulation will come into effect July 1, 2018, and can be reviewed at: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r18375
National news
CanCode invests $50 million over two years
The CanCode program will invest $50 million over two years, starting in 2017-18, to support initiatives providing educational opportunities for coding and digital skills development to Canadian youth from kindergarten to grade 12 (K-12).
It also supports initiatives that provide K-12 teachers with the training and professional development they need to introduce digital skills, coding and related concepts into the classroom.
The program aims to equip youth, including traditionally underrepresented groups, with the skills and study incentives they need to be prepared for the jobs of today and the future.
Canada’s success in the digital economy depends on leveraging our diverse talent and providing opportunity for all to participate—investing in digital skills development will help to achieve this.
Why this is important
Innovation begins with skilled, talented and creative people. Canada is already home to one of the best educated workforces in the world, but in an increasingly competitive global economy, more needs to be done to ensure that Canadians can learn, adapt and have good jobs throughout their working lives. Budget 2017’s Innovation and Skills Plan advances an agenda to build Canada as a world-leading innovation economy that will create good jobs and grow the middle class. One of the key pillars of this plan is skills and ensuring young Canadians get the skills and experience they need to kick-start their careers.
Digital skills, like coding and understanding how new technologies can be used to solve real world problems, have become increasingly vital across all sectors of the global economy. For example, learning to code at a young age helps develop analytical thinking and fosters problem-solving techniques—skills that are important for further study in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and that are becoming increasingly in-demand for the job market.
Supporting digital skills and coding in the K-12 student population is critical to ensure that Canadian youth are exposed to the concepts needed to encourage post-secondary enrolment in STEM fields, while developing the kinds of skills that match future workforce demand, enabling them to seize opportunities emerging as a result of the rapidly evolving digital economy.
For general questions and comments, please contact the CanCode program, here.
World news
American prisoners freed by North Korea meet with President Trump
At least 21 killed after a dam bursts in Kenya
London is the best city in the world for students, study says
Fears for missing indie singer Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit
Israel retaliates against Iranian forces in Syria for reported rocket strikes
Malaysia’s opposition wins general election, ending six decades of single-party rule
California becomes first US state with solar panel mandate for new homes
CIA director nominee Gina Haspel: I don’t believe torture works
If you have a suggestion, story idea, column idea, or if you want to say hello… drop me an e-mail at aaron@sydenhamcurrent.ca.