First Surrey Labour Market Priorities Study and Surrey Workforce Strategy

Working on Surrey’s first labour study and workforce strategy.

Thank you to our Steering Committee for committing their time.

This will Drive Surrey’s economy.

Surrey - Where Business Happens!

Project Overview

The Surrey Board of Trade (SBOT), with the BC Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction funding, is undertaking the first Surrey Workforce Strategy Project to determine Surrey’s current and anticipated labour market demand, supply and gaps for the next 10 years. The Project will culminate in a report identifying key trends and needs, and a strategy for working with employers and other partners in Surrey to address priority labour market needs. A summary of the key findings of the research and of the vision, goals and strategies and implementation of the Surrey Workforce Strategy will be made available for the public and stakeholders for reference after the report’s launch on October 17, 2019.

Key Activities

• Design a labour market research plan to include the collection and analysis of existing and new data and a Project communication plan for approval by the Project Steering Committee;

• Conduct secondary research including a review of relevant literature and analysis of existing labour market demand, supply and gaps data;

• Develop a primary research methodology to collect new data based on an analysis of existing literature and data;

• Conduct a survey of a minimum of 100 Surrey employers to obtain information on current and future labour demand, supply and gaps and insights on workforce challenges and solutions in key Surrey sectors;

• Conduct key informant interviews with a minimum of 10 major employers in Surrey to collect quantitative and qualitative data and insights on labour market demand, supply and gaps and possible solutions;

• Conduct key informant interviews with a minimum of 20 employers from 4 to 6 key sectors in Surrey;

• Hold a minimum of 3 focus groups, 2 for employers and 1 of other stakeholders, to validate the findings and develop recommendations for actions to address needs, priorities and gaps;

• Draft a Surrey Workforce Strategy with input from the Project Steering Committee that addresses the key labour market needs, priorities and gaps, including labour market demand and supply imbalances;

• Hold a minimum of 2 broad half-day forums of employers and other stakeholders groups to discuss and respond to the draft Surrey Workforce Strategy;

• Obtain buy-in and commitments from key employers and other stakeholders on participating in the implementation and resourcing (cash or in-kind) of the Surrey Workplace

Strategy;

• Submit a draft copy of the Surrey Workplace Strategy to the Province for the Province’s review, make any changes to the material that may be requested by the Province and obtain the Province’s approval of the final version prior to the dissemination of the final Surrey Workforce Strategy;

• Complete a final Surrey Workforce Strategy and an Executive Summary of the Project to submit to the Project Steering Committee;

• Develop and launch a Surrey Workforce Strategy communication plan including presentation of it to stakeholders at a community event; and

• Transition the Project Steering Committee into an ongoing Surrey Workforce Strategy Council.