Report sheds light on the current and future needs of BC employers

News release from the BC Association of Institutes and Universities (BCAIU).

The Conference Board of Canada recently released a report entitled, Skills for Success: Developing Skills for a Prosperous BC. This report, jointly commissioned by BC Colleges (BCC) and the BC Association of Institutes and Universities (BCAIU), highlights the occupations, credentials, and skills required by employers for a prosperous BC. This report finds that BC’s skill shortages and mismatches cost the economy up to $6 billion in forgone GDP and $785 million in provincial tax revenues annually.

The report was produced following surveys with 854 BC employers — covering over 130,000 employees or 9 per cent of total provincial employment — to determine what skills, occupations, and credentials employers require in order to meet current and future needs. The report fills in knowledge gaps about the occupations, post-­secondary credentials, and skills required by a large number of BC employers.

“This report gives us additional insight into the needs of BC employers,” states BCC Chair and Selkirk President Angus Graeme. “The information gathered by the Conference Board of Canada, combined with Labour Market Statistics and our own on the ground experience, helps ensure that our programs are aligned with the current and future needs of the market. It’s another piece of the puzzle that helps ensure we are educating students to meet the demands of a rapidly changing economy,” continues Graeme.

“Our institutions already work quite closely with industry and business,” adds Dr. Mark Evered, BCAIU Chair, President and Vice­ Chancellor of University of the Fraser Valley, “but this report helps narrow down where we need to focus as we develop our programming and advise our students. It also highlights the broad range of career opportunities that will be available for our graduates, and guides us in preparing them with essential skills, especially skills in critical thinking and problem solving, that will be indispensable for success in whatever field they choose,” says Evered.

To learn more about the content of the report, the impact on BC and how colleges, institutes and universities are collaborating with business and industry to ensure a prosperous BC visit www.SupplyingTheDemand.ca.

The BC Association of Institutes and Universities (BCAIU) represents the University of the Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island University, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, Justice Institute of BC, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Emily Carr University of Art & Design, and BC Institute of Technology.