Canada's emerging skills shortage: aging is not the only reason Community Action, Sept 20, 2004
OTTAWA -- The aging of Canada\'s population is not the only reason for Canada\'s emerging skills shortage, a Canadian Policy and Research Networks report argues. Canadian policy makers and employers need to view future skill shortages in the labour force as a challenge, instead of as a \"looming crisis\" by being much more age-oriented in their decision making and engaging in good, planning.



In their study, Labour Force Ageing and Skills Shortages in Canada and Ontario, Julie Anne McMullin, Martin Cooke and Rob Downie conclude that although skill shortages will likely emerge in specific industries, occupations and locations in Canada and Ontario. The report contrasts the labour force issues into two occupational groups--nursing and information technology.



Nursing, for instance, risks potential labour shortages for reasons not only related to retirement but also related to the nature of the work involving long hours, difficult working conditions and irregular shifts. Those conditions may also lead nurses to opt for early retirement, but the shortage may be further exacerbated by the length of training to become a nurse and competition from other jurisdictions for Ontario nurses.



In contrast the information technology sector, which is a much younger industry with younger workers, faces little threat of employee shortages due to retirement, but its young age structure may \"indicate potential problems for IT films hoping to recruit in an older labour market.\" Other factors affecting a possible skill shortage in the IT sector also include geographic mobility of work and people ready to emigrate.



The authors include these recommendations for policy action are:



* use immigration policies to target skills in short supply,



* encourage higher rates of labour force participation among groups who are underrepresented in the labour force, such as Aboriginal people and single mothers, and



* promote phased-in retirement and flexibility workplace policies to encourage the participation of older workers.



COPYRIGHT 2004 Community Action Publishers



Source: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0LVZ/is_2_20/ai_n6330614