Harper Government helps address skills shortages in support of the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor

NORTH VANCOUVER, July 8, 2015 /CNW/ - The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women, Andrew Saxton, Member of Parliament for North Vancouver, and Wai Young, Member of Parliament for Vancouver South, today announced an investment in the Asia Pacific Gateway Skills Table for two projects that will help Canadians make informed career decisions and connect with available jobs.

The Skills Table will develop labour market information (LMI) about Canada's Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor for jobseekers and employers in the construction, shipping/marine, air, rail, trucking and other relevant sectors. They will produce a 10-year supply and demand forecast for key occupations, as well as in-depth analyses of specific issues, including turnover and attrition in management positions.

Up-to-date LMI will help inform workforce development, recruitment and retention strategies, given the growing importance of Asia-Pacific trade to the Canadian economy and western provinces. This LMI will be made available at HRwire.ca and feed into the LMI reports available at JobBank.gc.ca.

Under the other project, the Skills Table will develop and implement a voluntary, national mobile crane operator certification test, which will result in an industry-led approach to testing, assessing and documenting mobile crane operators' competencies. A national certification standard will provide workers with greater labour mobility and employers with greater access to skilled workers.

These projects are being funded by the Sectoral Initiatives Program, which aims to address current and future skills shortages.

Today's announcement is one example of what the Harper Government is doing to help Canadians. To help hard-working families, the Government has increased the Universal Child Care Benefit and the Family Tax Cut, and has made improvements to the Child Care Expenses Deduction and the Children's Fitness Tax Credit.

Quick Facts

• Almost 75 percent of Canada's exports to Asian countries are shipped through British Columbia's ports. Port businesses support more than 80,000 jobs in the Lower Mainland.
• Expansion in the Asia Pacific and Northern Gateways over the next 10 years will cause increased demand for key Gateway occupations, including mobile crane operators.
• The Universal Child Care Benefit is increasing from $100 to $160 per month (totalling up to $1,920 per year) for children under the age of 6, and parents will now receive a new benefit of $60 per month (up to $720 per year) for each child aged 6 through 17.

Quotes

"Our Government's top priorities are creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity. This investment will support the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor by providing employers, workers and job seekers with better job-market information, so they can make more informed business, career and training decisions. It will also develop national standards to help train and certify mobile crane operators, who are in demand in the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor."
– The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, P.C., O.Ont., M.P., Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women

"One in five jobs in Canada are directly tied to trade with other nations, including more than 80,000 in the Lower Mainland. North Vancouver's North Shore Trade Area is a critical link in the Asia-Pacific supply chain, and contributes jobs and economic prosperity for the local community. Our Government understands the importance of trade to Canada's continued prosperity, and today's announcement ensures that we can continue to grow and compete in the global economy."
– Andrew Saxton, Member of Parliament for North Vancouver

"The Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor is vital to Canada's future economic prosperity. This investment will help position western Canada for success as it strives to capitalize on the expansion of the Gateway and Corridor. Today's announcement demonstrates our Government's commitment to ensuring that Canada's labour force is well positioned to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow."
– Wai Young, Member of Parliament for Vancouver South

"We are grateful for the continued support of the federal government. This support not only underlines the importance of the Asia-Pacific Gateway to our country's continued prosperity, but recognizes the importance of our partnership's mandate. With representatives from labour, business and education, Asia Pacific Gateway Skills Table provides a unique and essential platform to ensure we have a workforce with the right skills and training to grow the Gateway."
– Manley McLachlan, Chair, Asia Pacific Gateway Skills Table

Associated Links

Sectoral Initiatives Program
Helping Families Prosper 
Canada's Economic Action Plan

Backgrounder

Sectoral Initiatives Program

The Sectoral Initiatives Program aims to address current and future skills shortages by supporting the development, distribution and use of labour market information, national occupational standards, as well as skills certification and accreditation programs.

Asia Pacific Gateway Skills Table

The Asia Pacific Gateway Skills Table is a non-profit, regional partnership between labour, business and education/training institutions. It helps ensure that the Asia-Pacific Gateway has enough people with the right skills and training to meet its needs.

British Columbia's strategic geographical location and longstanding cultural ties with Asia make the west coast of Canada the prime Asia-Pacific trade corridor for North America. This transportation network is an integrated supply chain of airports, seaports, rail and road connections, and border crossings.

For more information on the Asia Pacific Gateway Skills Table, visit http://www.apgst.ca/.

SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

Related Links

http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca