Centre for Workforce Development expands services to Lanark and Renfrew Counties

In an effort to strengthen and expand regional workforce planning and labour market support across Eastern Ontario, the Centre for Workforce Development is taking on a broader role in serving both Lanark County and Renfrew County.

Initially incorporated as the East Central Ontario Training Board in 1997, The Centre for Workforce Development (CFWD) is a non-profit organization supporting workforce development initiatives through labour market research, community planning, partnerships, and strategies that reference local employment and training needs. 

In an announcement last week, the CFWD shared it has been selected by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development to extend its Local Board services into the two counties for the 2026–2027 fiscal year.

According to the release, this move follows a “ministry assessment” aimed at ensuring continuity of Local Board services in Lanark and Renfrew. The expansion will run from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027, and includes the establishment of an additional service site in the region.

CFWD has already established a presence in Hastings, Prince Edward and Lennox & Addington counties. With this new expansion, the organization says it is excited to “work closely with local employers, partner agencies, educators, governments, and other stakeholders across Renfrew and Lanark Counties.”

According to the release, the goal of the expansion is to support more informed workforce planning, improve labour market responsiveness, and help communities better align employment and training opportunities with local needs.

“This expansion reflects our organization’s proven experience and capacity to conduct labour market research and implement workforce development services in a timely manner, deliver mandated functions consistently and equitably across service areas, and foster strong community partnerships,” said Sandi Ramsay, CEO for CFWD.

As CFWD moves ahead into this next chapter, the organization says they are focusing on building “meaningful partnerships” to be able to better support the workforce development needs of employers, agencies and other organizations within these new communities.