A young, enthusiastic workforce is the key to success for Brotech Precision, a local business on the leading edge of technology. Now a $257,000 provincial grant will enable the Barrie business to keep growing and working with global giants such as Tesla, Rolls Royce Naval/Marine, Airbus and Boeing.
Brotech now employs 32 people and the grant, announced by Barrie MPP Ann Hoggarth on Tuesday, will bring more staff and new equipment.
"This will allow us to grow quicker," said Brotech president Brian Wetherall. "I think we have to take advantage of what's out there in the world right now. Get our technology up. It's what we have been striving to do for the past five years."
Brotech is a precision manufacturer specializing in exotic metal parts for the aerospace, defence and medical industries as well as the energy markets including nuclear and wind power.
About half of the employees have less than five years experience in machining.
"We look for skilled people, but they're not easy to find," said Wetherall "So we hire them out of the college and we train them. That's mainly where we are getting our people."
While many manufacturers struggle to find enough employees, Brotech's human resources strategy targets students.
"What we are doing is growing them from the ground up."
CNC machinist apprentices come from programs at Georgian College and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program which has a special metal cutting program. Partnerships with the Simcoe County District School Board and the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic School Board provide opportunities for teens.
"We are helping to bring co-op students through and excelarated apprenticeship program," said. "We could not grow if we didn't have those young people coming into the CNC machine trade."
