The government of British Columbia is investing nearly $70,000 to help build and expand the province's resort community workforce under a partnership with go2 Tourism HR Society.

This five-month project, which is funded through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement, will identify resort community labour market trends, gaps, practices, and employee recruitment challenges in all 14 of B.C.'s resort communities.

This project supports the development of a BC Resort Community Labour Market Strategic Analysis. The strategic analysis will help enhance the overall effectiveness of B.C. resort community recruitment, training, and retention of staff. Producing the report will require data gathering, research and analysis, stakeholder facilitation, and drafting recommendations.

The 14 resort communities supported by the analysis include Fernie, Invermere, Radium Hot Springs, Sun Peakes, Valemount, Golden, Kimberley, Revelstoke, Tofino, Whistler, Harrison Hot Springs, Osoyoos, Rossland, and Ucluelet.

Go2 Tourism HR Society is an independent, not-for-profit society mandated to lead the planning and implementation of the BC Tourism Labour Market Strategy. In addition to providing general support to the tourism sector in areas of recruitment, training, and retention of staff, go2 is also the Industry Training Organization for the tourism and hospitality apprenticeship program, manages several related industry training and certification programs, provides strategic research and communication support to the sector, and is the tourism industry's Health and Safety organization.

Under the BC Jobs Plan and BC Skills and Training Plan, government is actively working to ensure that British Columbians have the skills they need to be first in line for jobs in the province through an investment of $75 million for new capital and equipment to complement $500 million in annual investments in employment and skills training programs.

Quotes:

Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour Pat Bell -

"Government is committed to supporting the tourism industry and British Columbia's resort communities. That's why we're providing funding to industry leaders like go2 to address key human-resource issues and identify ways to recruit and keep good employees in these 14 designated B.C. resort municipalities."

Arlene Keis, CEO of go2 -

"B.C.'s resort communities are virtual laboratories of innovative seasonal recruitment, training and retention practices. With labour shortages beginning to re-emerge across B.C., this project will give us many important and timely insights into the unique labour market dynamics and needs in not only resort communities, but also in other rural and remote communities in B.C. that rely on tourism."

Quick Facts:

• go2 Tourism HR Society and stakeholders throughout B.C. - including local governments, chambers of commerce and businesses - are partnering to identify ways to improve the recruitment, training and retention of seasonal staff within 14 designated resort communities throughout the province.

• The Labour Market Partnerships (LMP) Program is an employment program that provides financial assistance to organizations to encourage, support and facilitate labour force issues and human resource planning activities that are in the public interest.

• Through the LMP, government funds projects that encourage and support employers, employee and/or employer associations and communities in developing and implementing strategies for dealing with labour force issues and meeting human resource requirements.

• The Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA) Labour Market Partnership program provides financial assistance to organizations to encourage, support and facilitate labour force adjustments and human resource planning activities which are in the public interest.

• In British Columbia, funding under the LMDA is used to support labour market programs and services for residents who are collecting Employment Insurance (EI) benefits or have received them in the last three years, or for parents re-entering the labour force who have collected EI parental benefits in the last five years. It is also used to support employers in addressing human resources challenges.

• In 2012-13, the $280-million LMDA budget is being used to provide employment assistance services, job-creation partnerships, labour market partnerships, self-employment, skills development and targeted wage subsidies programs.

• During the month of November, the B.C. government asked for ideas from citizens on the topic of building a skilled workforce. See what government is doing to put ideas into action: www.bcjobsplan.ca/ideas-to-actions/

Learn More:

Go2 Tourism HR Society: www.go2hr.ca

BC Tourism Labour Market Strategy: www.go2hr.ca/research/bc-tourism-labour-market-strategy

WorkBC skills training programs: www.workbc.ca/Education-Training/Programs/Pages/Employment-Programs.aspx

Industry Training Authority: www.itabc.ca

Labour Market Partnerships Program: www.aved.gov.bc.ca/sector-partnerships/labour-market-partnerships-program.htm

BC Jobs Plan: www.bcjobsplan.ca/

BC Skills and Training Plan: www.bcjobsplan.ca/skills/

Ideas2Actions - results of the Skills4BC online discussion: www.bcjobsplan.ca/ideas-to-actions/

Canada-B.C. LMDA: www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/employment/partnerships/labour_market_development/bc/transf/bc_lmda_e.pdf

Media Contacts:

Media Relations
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
250 387-2799

go2 Tourism HR Society
Peter Larose, Director, Policy and Research
604 633-97-87 (ext. 225)
plarose@go2hr.ca