BC Employer Consultation - The Immigrant Talent Pool

In January-February 2012, IEC-BC will be carrying out a consultation with businesses across the province to obtain the views and advice of BC employers on their needs and requirements in attracting, hiring and retaining immigrants in their workforces. The initiative will be implemented in partnership with Human Capital Strategies.

With particular focus on SMEs, the overarching goal is to identify and implement more effective provincial practices, policies, programs and services.

More specifically, the consultation aims to:

• confirm (real and perceived) barriers to the immigrant hiring process being experienced by BC employers, and employers’ level of interest in hiring immigrants;

• identify employer recruitment, hiring and retention best practices and provide examples of successful initiatives with the potential for expansion;

• determine and describe tools and supports, beyond what is currently available, required by employers to fully engage in the successful implementation of immigrant hiring initiatives;

• obtain specific employer suggestions for changes to existing and proposed new public policies and programs.

Focus group sessions will be held throughout BC in the regional communities of Courtenay/Comox Valley, Cranbrook/East Kootenays, Fort St. John, Kelowna, Prince George, Surrey, as well as in Vancouver. Employers in such key sectors as Construction, Manufacturing, Technology, Retail/Wholesale Trade, Tourism, Transportation, as well as Mining, Oil and Gas will be involved.

The consultation is expected to yield recommendations on effective programs and policies in support of the provincial and federal labour market development, along with concrete tools, resources and effective practices for employers, especially SMEs, that would help impact their bottom line. IEC-BC will use the information gathered from the consultation to inform its strategic planning and development activities.

Over the next several years, competition among industrialized countries – all facing labour force shortages and all vying for international talent – will increase dramatically. This places greater pressure on BC employers making it imperative to look beyond today’s recession and engage in strategic action in order to stay ahead of the curve.  Addressing systemic barriers to the hiring and integration of recent immigrants in BC workplaces will help maximize the use of this human resource and, most importantly, will help employers in their business growth and expansion.