Welcome to the website for the Council for Automotive Human Resources (CAHR). At CAHR, the key stakeholders in Canada’s auto manufacturing industry, including business leaders, government, academia and labour, have all come together with the common goal of addressing the human resource requirements currently facing the sector.

Today’s global auto manufacturing industry is moving at warp speed, in terms of productivity, competitiveness and innovation. We need to act quickly if we want to stay at the forefront of this fiercely competitive global industry. Our manufacturing plants use state-of-the-art technology, and that technology means we need a highly-skilled, visionary workforce.

CAHR was established as a way to maintain Canada’s competitive position in the world’s auto industry. Auto manufacturing currently accounts for 12 percent of Canada’s manufacturing GDP, and if our industry were to lose any of its strength, it would have a huge impact on the nation’s economy. As a result, we need to strive toward ensuring we have the workforce we need to keep us on top.

Since CAHR was formally established in 2004, we have made meaningful strides in addressing the human resource issues facing our industry. In the fall of 2005, we released our report, "Running Near Empty," addressing apprenticeship and the skills shortage in the Canadian automotive industry. We have created a comprehensive strategy now known as “Leadership. Skills. Innovation.” which clearly defines our direction for future success. We have undertaken an in-depth sector study that will give us the hard data we need on the HR issues facing the automotive sector. Working with our government partners to transform this information into responsive policies and programs is a priority objective moving forward.

If you would like to learn more about CAHR and our activities, please feel free to browse our website. We hope it will provide you not only with important information about Canada's automotive manufacturing sector and its opportunities, but that it will also expand our communications with all of the Council's broad array of stakeholders.

Sincerely,

Mark Nantais
Chairman
CAHR Board of Directors
President
Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (CVMA)