Businesses discuss immigrant employment and labour shortage

Businesses discuss immigrant 
employment, labour shortage


By Alex P. Vidal


SURREY, British Columbia -- Employers representing businesses in the Surrey region met on February 10 for an employer consultation, one of 15 sessions being held across the province, to obtain feedback and advice from BC employers on attracting, hiring and retaining skilled immigrants. 
Business in Surrey reported that the meeting was led by the Immigrant Employment Council of BC (IEC-BC), with funding from the Province of BC. 
The consultation was held "to better understand the labour market needs of the Surrey region as part of an overall effort to develop more effective solutions that address the hiring challenges of businesses in BC."
Business in Surrey added that Surrey has a rapidly growing immigrant population, "yet employers are finding it increasingly difficult to find and retain talent." 


IMPORTANT


"As a result," it added, "it is becoming increasingly important to work with employers to develop solutions to more efficiently and effectively connect employers with the talent they need." 
These solutions will reportedly benefit Surrey's economy and offset the growing number of retirees, as the population ages and as residents leave the workforce.
"Business, small and large, need to seriously think about the skills that they need to make their products, sell their products and services," Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade.
"A global talent shortage is poised to hit employers by as early as 2015. This means we will require a significant influx of talent to counter the rate at which our aging population is leaving the workforce," said Kelly Pollack, Executive Director, Immigrant Employment Council of BC.


RELIANT


"Employers in BC will become increasingly reliant on skilled immigrants to remain competitive in this changing economy. Integrating immigrant talent is critical to BC's future economic prosperity. 
"However, we need to see this talent pool not as a temporary economic remedy, but as a new reality about our diverse community that will unquestionably affect the way we hire and conduct business now and for the foreseeable future." 
"We are taking a sector-based and regional approach to develop solutions that address the labour market needs of employers in BC. This is why we are meeting with employers in regions across BC to obtain feedback on how to more effectively attract, hire and retain immigrant talent."


POPULATION


Surrey's visible minority population in 2010 was 182,860 or 38.3 per cent of the city's total population and 24.8 per cent of the provincial population. 
Population growth in Surrey was higher than the provincial rate (2.9 per cent increase between 2005 and 2010, compared to 1.5 per cent) and Surrey's business community has identified immigrant employment as a top business priority in the region.
With support from the Surrey Board of Trade, IEC-BC has invited businesses operating in Surrey, and the surrounding region, to participate in a guided focus-group that is expected to yield recommendations that will inform the development of provincial and federal programs and policies that support immigrant labour market integration in BC, where appropriate. 
This feedback will also assist IEC-BC in building concrete tools, resources and effective practices for employers, especially SMEs, that would benefit their bottom line and ultimately grow BC's economy.


ABOUT THE SURREY BOARD TRADE


The Surrey Board of Trade represents 3,600 member contacts, and over 30,000 employees, representing 1500 businesses.  The purpose of the organization, on behalf of its members, is to advocate at all levels of government, facilitate networking opportunities, and provide cost-saving benefits and marketing opportunities. We are a not-for-profit organization with a common goal of furthering the interests of businesses in our region.  We have demonstrated, through our projects and initiatives, a commitment to enhancing the local economy. Our membership is comprised of individuals in various sectors of the economy. The Surrey Board of Trade, also known as the Surrey Chamber of Commerce, owns both names.