IN recognition of the current demand for skilled professionals in northern BC communities, the Immigrant Employment Council of BC (IEC-BC) has launched a new website that connects skilled new Canadians living in Metro Vancouver with jobs in three northern communities – Prince George, Prince Rupert and Fort St. John.
According to the BC Labour Market Outlook 2022, over one million jobs are expected to open up in BC by the end of this decade with many of the jobs being in Central and Northern BC.
“The reality is that even with full participation of the existing population, BC will still need about 265,000 international workers to meet the projected labour demand,” says Kelly Pollack, CEO of IEC-BC. “No one solution will meet the workforce supply needs in these regions.”
Pollack explains that tapping into the skills of new Canadians that are already here in BC is an effective human resource strategy that can complement other initiatives to increase workforce participation from other underrepresented groups.
The NorthernBC Jobs (http://northernbcjobs.com/) website is being promoted through digital, print and broadcast advertising; video and collateral materials, digital ads on professional immigrant network websites and on social media (#BCNorthJobs).
The website also features useful resources for employers to build employer capacity to attract, hire and retain skilled immigrants including links to online tutorials and resources in the three communities.
The NorthernBC jobs campaign is funded by the Province of BC, Ministry of Jobs, Tourism, and Skills Training with key project partners including local Chambers of Commerce and economic development organizations, Human Resources Management Association, Hecate Strait Employment Development Society, Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society and S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
IEC-BC is a provincial non-government governmental organization that stimulates the integration of skilled immigrant talent into BC’s workplaces by fostering solutions, building connections and being a champion to help employers attract and retain skilled immigrant talent. Visit www.iecbc.ca for more information or follow IEC-BC on Twitter.com/iec_bc.
