KELOWNA CHAMBER FOCUSES ON LABOUR MARKET
Kelowna: Helping businesses adapt to the challenging labour market was the focus of a recent regional meeting hosted by the Kelowna Chamber in conjunction with the BC Chamber.
The meeting included reps from Chambers across the Okanagan and was meant to build on the results of a province-wide survey that focused on identifying the gap between the desires of jobseekers and the priorities of employers.
Recognizing the urgent need to adapt to the expectations and requirements of jobseekers, employers have been grappling with the challenges of attracting and retaining skilled staff. Simultaneously, jobseekers face the daunting task of finding suitable employment despite the numerous opportunities available. The Chambers collectively utilized the insights provided by the Addressing the Labour Market Gap report, which draws upon the input of 1,200+ jobseekers and more than 800 employers across the province to address the problem.
The regional meeting served as a catalyst for collaboration, paving the way for the Chambers to jointly address the labour market gap in the Central Okanagan. Within the Thompson-Okanagan region, the report received responses from 250 jobseekers and 130 employers who participated in the provincial survey conducted earlier this year.
Twenty-nine per cent of Thompson-Okanagan respondents reported being unemployed. The region reported a higher percentage of individuals participating in the gig economy compared to other regions in BC, with 82 per cent of respondents acknowledging their involvement in such work, compared to the provincial average of 64 per cent.
The full report can be accessed here: https://bcchamber.org/addressing-the-labour-market-gap/
The project is funded by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction and led by the BC Chamber of Commerce.