Thoughts on the labour outlook for tourism in northern B. C.

DON’T MISS Arlene Keis discusses the labour outlook for northern B. C.’ s tourism industry

Q What is the outlook for northern B. C.’ s tourism indistry?

A The region is expected to grow faster than the provincial average, resulting in nearly 4,000 job openings by 2020. However, we will not have enough supply to meet the demand, which will lead to a labour shortage of more than 400 over the coming years.

Q What areas will see the most demand?

A All sectors will be growing, but the food and beverage sector will see the most growth and will have nearly 50 percent of the forecasted labour shortage. Cooks and chefs will be particularly in demand, as will restaurant managers, kitchen helpers and servers.

Q What is causing this labour shortage?

A There are many factors at play. Youth represent almost 40 percent of our workforce, but they are a declining population group and many sectors, such as LNG, are competing for them. Retirements are increasing. Tourism also has a high number of seasonal operations in rural and remote communities, which can make finding and retaining workers a challenge.

Q What can employers do to find and retain staff?

A Tourism businesses need to work together to attract more job seekers to the industry, as well as look at different labour pools, domestically and abroad, to find staff. Staying current with best practices in human resources will help with staff retention, as will addressing the need for affordable training options in remote and rural areas.