Round Table DiscussionViable Solutions for Skilled Labour Shortages – Why a Shift in Thinking and Increased Collaboration Are Necessary for Success
Kelly Dixon
President
Workopolis
Gil McGowan
President
Alberta Federation of Labour
Steve McCrum
Vice President, Western Canada
Randstad Engineering
Bev Parker
Executive Director, Northeast Region, Employment & Financial Supports
Alberta Works – Human Services, Government of Alberta
- Projected shortages in skilled workers in the oil sands and other resource industries in western Canada
- Understanding the projected scope of these shortages
- Which areas will be the hardest hit?
- How labour and service shortages in supporting industries will impact oil sands development
- Examining the roles that federal and provincial governments and industry must play in devising and implementing solutions
- Who is currently responsible for what?
- What programs are currently in place?
- What types of programs are being planned for the future
- How organized collaboration could expedite the realization of these programs and what must be done in order to make this happen
- Who is currently responsible for what?
- Determine how the available labour resources in Canada that are underemployed and under deployed be translated into productivity for the oil sands over the next 5-8 years
- How the implementation and realization of mandatory apprenticeship programs could alleviate knowledge gaps caused by retirement
- What role should temporary foreign workers play in the short and long-term strategies to alleviate skilled labour shortages?
- What is the current level/percentage of foreign workers being used in the oil sands?