In recognition of World Maritime Day 2016, the B.C. government, Vancouver International Maritime Centre (VIMC) and the Association of British Columbia Marine Industries (ABCMI) have announced two new projects to help the industry meet its workforce needs.

The B.C. government has provided more than $193,000 through the sector Labour Market Partnerships program (LMP), to VIMC to lead the BC Shipping Industry Labour Market Situation Analysis, and to ABCMI to lead the BC Industrial Marine Sector Engagement Project.

Since May 2016, VIMC has been working with shipping industry partners, companies and training providers on the BC Shipping Industry Labour Market Situation Analysis project, worth more than $135,000. The goal of the project is to provide a better understanding of the labour-market needs of the international shipping industry and how this data can support new operations in British Columbia.

To achieve this goal, VIMC and project partners are conducting an analysis of the industry so they can then establish labour-market supply-and-demand data for key shipping sector occupations required for new and existing operations in B.C. and Canada. As part of this project, they will also focus on key occupations in the international shipping industry that are influenced by worker mobility. The project is expected to finish in January 2017.

In addition to this project, the government also provided ABCMI with $58,000 to implement the BC Industrial Marine Sector Engagement Project, which will be completed this month. The goal of this project is to engage all the industries that contribute to B.C.’s broad industrial marine sector and identify their labour needs, as well as factors that shape their workforce. The industries that were consulted included:

• Shipbuilding, refit and repair
• Marine products
• Small craft marine
• Ocean science and technology
• Marine industrial services
• Marine professional services

The sector Labour Market Partnerships program is funded through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement. The program helps employers understand and respond to changing labour-market demands, ensuring that training and education programs in B.C. are aligned with industry’s labour-market needs and priorities.

Quotes:

Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour –

“On World Maritime Day today, I’d like to thank our shipping and industrial marine sector employers and employees for their important contribution to B.C.’s economy. Our government remains committed to supporting a sustainable marine sector in our province and these two projects with the Vancouver International Maritime Centre and the Association of British Columbia Marine Industries are examples of how we’re working with the industry to ensure that they have the skilled workforce they need to grow in the future.”

Teresa Wat, Minister of International Trade and Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism –

“British Columbia’s shipping and industrial marine sector plays a critical role in B.C.’s international trade activities. It touches our daily lives, transporting the goods British Columbians need and exporting our B.C. products around the world.”

Graham Clarke, chairman and CEO, Vancouver International Maritime Centre –

“As we continue to market internationally to attract new companies and seek opportunities for high-paying jobs, access to highly skilled and uniquely specialized professionals is critical. This funding supports both government and industry needs for labour-market analysis and strategies to develop goals. It will enable a greater understanding of exactly where we must address the gaps.”

Kaity Arsoniadis-Stein, executive director, Vancouver International Maritime Centre –

“The VIMC initiative capitalizes on Canada’s opportunities as a Pacific Gateway and as a maritime province to create high-value knowledge jobs associated with global trade. Working with the provincial government of B.C., we want to ensure we are being responsive to industry needs to ensure we have the global talent required to support corporate operations.”

Mark Dixon, president, Association of British Columbia Marine Industries –

“The industrial marine sector in British Columbia is broad and diverse with capacities and capabilities that are being noticed provincially, nationally, and around the globe. The BC Industrial Marine Sector Engagement Project, supported by the B.C. government, gives us the opportunity to engage with all the industries in our sector, so that we can identify and prioritize key labour-market issues together.”

Quick Facts:

• Companies, within the industrial marine sector, range in size from single person owner/operators to having over 1,500 employees.
• The sector produces a wide range of goods and services, ranging from new construction to component manufacturing to repair and professional services.
• It is estimated that there are more than 600 companies that fall within the scope of the BC Industrial Marine Sector Engagement Project. They contribute more than $4 billion annually to the province’s GDP with about $1 billion in exports. It is estimated that more than 12,000 jobs are represented by this sector.
• With an estimated $10 billion in new investment and thousands of new jobs expected by 2020, shipbuilding, ship repair and industrial marine-sector growth is a key part of the BC Jobs Plan.
• In 2015, the Province of B.C. partnered with the International Ship-Owners Alliance of Canada and invested up to $3 million over three years to revitalize the Vancouver International Maritime Centre to attract new investment and strengthen British Columbia’s shipping industry.

Learn More:

Sector Labour Market Partnerships program: www.workbc.ca/sectorlabourmarketpartnerships

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

B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint: https://www.workbc.ca/Training-Education/B-C-s-Skills-for-Jobs-Blueprint.aspx

B.C. 2025 Labour Market Outlook: https://www.workbc.ca/Statistics/Labour-Market.aspx

Vancouver International Maritime Centre: http://vancouverimc.org/

Association of British Columbia Marine Industries: http://abcmi.ca/

United Nations International Maritime Day: http://www.un.org/en/events/maritimeday