Within the next 10 years, in virtually every profession and in every industry, access to skilled labour will be the number one challenge.
Why is this an issue? In Canada on average women give birth to only 1.4 babies. We are not alone. From Australia to Japan, virtually every modern economy, with the exception of the United States, is faced with declining birth rates. We are simply not able to replace the number of people exiting the workforce for the foreseeable future.
In Canada it was once thought that the “baby boom echo” would be sufficient to replace existing workers, but the evidence tells us that is not the case. According to noted demographic expert David Baxter of the Urban Futures Institute based in Vancouver, “there is no ‘echo boom’ to pour into the labour force and it is not possible to give birth to adults. Increased immigration and reduced emigration will be required if our labour force is to grow.”
By 2011 it is expected that immigration will account for all growth in the Canadian workforce. While we may have enough home-grown labour to replace workers, we will have no additional capacity to support business expansion. At a time when Canada needs to expand its trade both domestically and globally this is not a good situation.
Immigration is only one part of a complex solution to the issue. Canada also needs to develop a better approach to its apprenticeship and training programs to address specific shortages. In addition to developing a more highly skilled workforce within Canada, attracting immigrant workers with the necessary skills must become a priority. And employers must find better ways to boost the skills of those immigrants with training and job experience. A study by Statistics Canada found that 70 per cent of immigrants settling in 2000 and 2001 had trouble entering the workforce.
The federal government recently announced changes to Canada’s immigration policies. Those changes will focus more on family reunification, bringing more parents and grandparents into Canada. While the humanitarian objectives of those changes are laudable, they will not address the labour pool shortage.
Moreover, Canada’s immigration system lacks co-ordination and integration. The federal government controls immigration and the provinces control the licensing and there are major differences between provinces and professions.
Relocation practices must be progressive and supportive to ensure that employees and recruits who are relocated to fill business needs can be focused on the job demands and not on problems caused by shortcomings in policy and benefits.
HR managers must also be thinking about developing programs that focus on integration of workers into the workforce. Such things as cultural and language training will be much in demand, not just for newcomers but also for existing staff to ensure smooth integration.
Stephen Cryne is the executive vice-president of the Canadian Employee Relocation Council, an organization dedicated to education, research, knowledge and advocacy on all matters related to workforce mobility. He can be reached at (416) 489- 2555 or [email protected] or visit www.cerc.ca.
Why is this an issue? In Canada on average women give birth to only 1.4 babies. We are not alone. From Australia to Japan, virtually every modern economy, with the exception of the United States, is faced with declining birth rates. We are simply not able to replace the number of people exiting the workforce for the foreseeable future.
In Canada it was once thought that the “baby boom echo” would be sufficient to replace existing workers, but the evidence tells us that is not the case. According to noted demographic expert David Baxter of the Urban Futures Institute based in Vancouver, “there is no ‘echo boom’ to pour into the labour force and it is not possible to give birth to adults. Increased immigration and reduced emigration will be required if our labour force is to grow.”
By 2011 it is expected that immigration will account for all growth in the Canadian workforce. While we may have enough home-grown labour to replace workers, we will have no additional capacity to support business expansion. At a time when Canada needs to expand its trade both domestically and globally this is not a good situation.
Immigration is only one part of a complex solution to the issue. Canada also needs to develop a better approach to its apprenticeship and training programs to address specific shortages. In addition to developing a more highly skilled workforce within Canada, attracting immigrant workers with the necessary skills must become a priority. And employers must find better ways to boost the skills of those immigrants with training and job experience. A study by Statistics Canada found that 70 per cent of immigrants settling in 2000 and 2001 had trouble entering the workforce.
The federal government recently announced changes to Canada’s immigration policies. Those changes will focus more on family reunification, bringing more parents and grandparents into Canada. While the humanitarian objectives of those changes are laudable, they will not address the labour pool shortage.
Moreover, Canada’s immigration system lacks co-ordination and integration. The federal government controls immigration and the provinces control the licensing and there are major differences between provinces and professions.
Relocation practices must be progressive and supportive to ensure that employees and recruits who are relocated to fill business needs can be focused on the job demands and not on problems caused by shortcomings in policy and benefits.
HR managers must also be thinking about developing programs that focus on integration of workers into the workforce. Such things as cultural and language training will be much in demand, not just for newcomers but also for existing staff to ensure smooth integration.
Stephen Cryne is the executive vice-president of the Canadian Employee Relocation Council, an organization dedicated to education, research, knowledge and advocacy on all matters related to workforce mobility. He can be reached at (416) 489- 2555 or [email protected] or visit www.cerc.ca.
