P.E.I. labour market ‘tightness’ linked to a skills mismatch, say civil servants
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — It’s known as a abilities mismatch.
P.E.I. has employers who can’t discover staff. The province additionally has staff who desire a job however aren’t certified for the roles which are vacant.
This was a key theme outlined earlier than an all-party standing committee by senior workforce planning employees in P.E.I.’s Division of Financial Development, Tourism and Tradition.
On Sept. 6, Mary Hunter, director of workforce growth, and Kal Whitnell, government director of financial and inhabitants development, informed MLAs that P.E.I. is going through discord between the roles the province must fill – nurses, tradespeople and cooks, amongst others – and the talents and coaching of staff who’re in search of work.
In some industries, this implies employers are receiving many functions for posted jobs however few that really have the specified {qualifications}.
On high of this, the province is going through a demographic cliff of ageing staff who’re hitting retirement age.
“We’re experiencing a labour market tightness that we have by no means skilled in our province earlier than,” Hunter informed members of the committee.
Statistics Canada information reveals that, for each job emptiness posted in P.E.I., there may be lower than one unemployed Islander.
“Which actually made us main the nation by way of our emptiness tightness that we have been experiencing within the province,” Hunter mentioned.
This has led financial growth decisionmakers within the province to focus programming on offering abilities coaching for in-demand roles.
Hunter talked about examples resembling a pilot program that pays a number of the tuition prices for staff searching for coaching to turn into a licensed sensible nurse or a resident care employee.
Immigration development
P.E.I.’s abilities shortages additionally means the province will face rising reliance on immigration to draw the province’s future workforce.
There have been some successes lately. P.E.I. met and blew previous key inhabitants development targets, reaching 167,680 as of April of this yr. The unique objective was to achieve a inhabitants of 160,000 by 2022.
Whitnell, the province’s lead on its inhabitants development technique, additionally mentioned the province hit its goal of rising the working age inhabitants to 100,000 in 2019. He mentioned the province is projecting the inhabitants will develop by one other 33,000 folks within the subsequent 13 years, reaching 201,000 in 2035.
“We are able to’t take a look at how can we develop our inhabitants with out taking a look at the place are folks going to dwell? Do we have now ample well being care?” – Inexperienced MLA Trish Altass
Whitnell added the province is planning to contract a marketing consultant to assist develop a brand new inhabitants development plan for the interval past 2023.
Liberal and Inexperienced MLAs raised questions concerning the slower tempo in funding in housing and health-care infrastructure to fulfill the rising inhabitants since 2017.
“We are able to’t take a look at how can we develop our inhabitants with out taking a look at the place are folks going to dwell? … Do we have now ample well being care?” Inexperienced MLA Trish Altass mentioned. “What can be totally different concerning the new technique that can take into consideration all the variables which are needed to know and construct on to successfully and safely develop a inhabitants that can be a profit to everyone?”
Whitnell mentioned housing and health-care planning have been exterior the scope of his division. However he additionally famous that “silos” between authorities departments hampered planning for the wants of the province’s rising inhabitants.
“It most likely was a bit disconnected by way of these motion objects,” Whitnell mentioned.
Whitnell mentioned the province is growing a planning device to assist mission housing wants because the province’s inhabitants grows
“We must always be capable to do some forecasting and get a greater understanding of possibly when investments ought to be made.”
Liberal MLA Gord McNeilly famous that UPEI took the extraordinary step in the summertime of telling potential worldwide college students to not come to P.E.I. on account of a scarcity of housing.
“We haven’t deliberate sufficient to permit folks to return to Prince Edward Island,” McNeilly mentioned. “I don’t know of 1 single place that any individual might lease.”
Financial Development Minister Bloyce Thompson mentioned UPEI’s new residence, on account of open within the winter, will assist alleviate the scarcity of housing for college kids. He additionally mentioned he would speak to the province’s minister answerable for housing, Matthew MacKay.
“We’ll ensure that our immigration goes together with our housing. It needs to be equal – we won’t put one in entrance of the opposite,” Thompson mentioned.
Stu Neatby is a political reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He will be reached by e mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @stu_neatby.
