Local community associations and employers met with the provincial government today to discuss skilled labour and human-resource planning.

British Columbia’s manufacturing sector is one of the strongest in Canada and is one of the areas highlighted in the BC Jobs Plan. It provides the province with a competitive advantage and a wide range of opportunities for growth and innovation in aerospace and shipbuilding.

Building on the success of the BC Jobs Plan sector roundtables held between April 2015 and March 2016, the Province will continue to work with sector employers to better understand industry-labour concerns, drive industry interest and build on the understanding of BC Jobs Plan priorities. To date, 13 Access to Labour Sector roundtable have been held for a total of 644 participants in 12 sectors. 

Today’s roundtable, co-hosted with industry associations and employers, aimed to stimulate discussion and create awareness about how sectors can access skilled labour and satisfy human-resource requirements, as a result of an aging population. British Columbia has reached a tipping point with fewer young people entering the workforce than older workers leaving it.

These demographic realities - together with economic growth - place significant pressure on key sectors to find innovative solutions to address skills shortages. Through BC’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint, the Province is helping British Columbians get the skills they need to be first in line for these job openings.

Roundtable participants were invited to share information and discuss the unique challenges faced by manufacturers, specifically related to:

• recruiting and training a qualified workforce;
• the promotion of B.C.’s export-ready products internationally; and
• identifying opportunities for growth.

The sector-specific roundtables are another way government is working to provide employers and industry the opportunity to ask and respond to questions and inform the provincial government of key labour issues.

Quotes:

Greg Kyllo, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training –

“These local roundtables are a great opportunity for employers in Shuswap to learn about recruiting talented workers, and about what funding that they have available to them. Together we can move towards securing a strong workforce for the region and the province.”

Matt Koivisto, president, Salmon Arm Chamber of Commerce –

“We are pleased to see our community, the provincial government and leaders from the manufacturing sector come together to find solutions to local labour market issues. It’s a step towards sustainable labour solutions for our growing economy.”

Quick Facts:

• In 2015, British Columbia’s manufacturing sector generated $15 billion in GDP, representing 8.6% of Canada’s $174.1 billion in manufacturing GDP.
• British Columbia has approximately 12,000 manufacturing companies.
• Across all sectors, B.C. has over 170,000 direct manufacturing jobs, the third-largest share of manufacturing-sector workers of all Canadian provinces.

Learn More:

B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint: www.workbc.ca/

BC Jobs Plan: www.engage.gov.bc.ca/bcjobsplan/