What can Canadians do to manage the labour shortage that the census suggests is looming?

An aging population means the portion of workers nearing retirement rose significantly between 2001 and 2006, StatsCan says.

Some observers predict this could lead to staffing shortages, as the number of younger workers entering the job market is outstripped by retirees.

What solutions would you propose to address this issue?

Looming labour shortage (CP video)
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/canada?c...

Canadian workforce greying: StatsCan
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/cbc/080304/ca...

Overview of workforce census (CBC video)
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/canada?c...

Labour landscape changes (CP video)
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/canada?c...

Jobs for pre-retirees
http://yahoo.workopolis.com/yahoo.aspx?a...

there are a lot of young people out there not working, put them to work, dont look at unempolyment numbers look at welfare, i know 13 people who live near me, who are under 40, and able to work but are too bloody lazy to work, they think they are worth more than they are, and welfare is keeping them, i'm not talking seasonal workers because they are needed, there are a number of jobs that have to have seasonal workers, i'm talking about those that have not worked in three of four years or more because wefare gives them enough to live on and then they go to the woods and make a bit of extra cash, don't try to keep the guy who is 65 still working let him have a retirement, he has worked for it, get the lazy bums working.

The solution SHOULD not involve more "growth." It is time to start scaling back. It is high time we start to plan for a future where there will be LESS population, LESS cars, LESS houses, and LESS resources.

VV

MAKE BABIES! or produce legions of 'androids' to work in all aspects of industry. Freeing humans up to be 'retired' long before old age and the usual retirement ages. or work on a treatment to keep those who are willing, in their 30s (or what ever age they'll prefer) for the equivalent of several life times. or perhaps a combination of all 3!

I am a baby boomer. I've been working for nearly 40 years now. I am not going to keep on working just because there is a labour shortage. Those of us who have paid our dues in the workforce are entitled to retire when we please and, I for one, will.
This labour shortage has been forseen for many years now and nothing has been done to address it. Deal with it.
Also, if skilled older workers like myself were treated with more respect and consideration by employers and younger co-workers we might stick around a little longer.

I am suprised that there are labour shortages when in fact some people are doing jobs that they don't like, there are people being laid off especially in the hightech sector the job market is not stable and is very stressful so if there are jobs out there advertise them so people cna apply or train for them

The ageing population is not dated today,and the fact that Immigration process is too delayed by every embassy worldwide.If the Govt ease the process and you will see that the economy of Canada will boost up and the labour force will rejuvenate.And also be aware when processing with African countries try to be more tough,cause out of 10 only 1 is good cause worldwide they create problems and destabilize the economy of a Country I have been living in UK for nearly 10 years .What I have witness is really horrible that why I am saying this sorry for this point of view.

Immigration Immigration Immigration.........


Immigrants are well educated and we, as a country, will be years ahead of the US effort if we get an early jump on it.

Also,
Babies Babies Babies...........

Get the canadian government to put in place free college education for everyone.

Canada's various professional assocations (medical, engineers, etc) need to stop blocking the recognition of foreign credentials.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada continues to attract thousands of "economic" immigrants every year to fill many of these staffing shortages, but once they come to Canada the professional associations tell them that their degrees and professional certifications aren't good enough and they have to retrain here in Canada.

Once the professional associations stop this blatant discrimination and xenophobia, many of this country's professional staffing shortages will be at an end.

That's my two cents.

I guess people my age are gonna have to be given bonuses and hirer pay to stay where we are! :D

The solution is simple, handy and not expensive.
"Invest in the thousands of skilled professionals who have immigrated and still are immigrating to Canada."
Train, expose to hands on experience, support and let them get going.
There are lots of unemployed or underemployed professionals who have excellent skills, language, intelligence and potentials ready to participate in the wheel of ecconomy.

how about making education free!!!!!!!!

Very valid question. An aging population and labour shortage is looming at the same time Aboriginals are the fastest growing demographic in Canada.

Capitalize on this human resource. The First Nations (including Metis & Inuit) need increased accessibility to programs which will foster employability. Set as many up for success as possible so they can make further positive contributions within their own communities and a society they are part of.

Increase Education Grants to assist with Tuition & Living Costs so attending College/University is more economically viable. Offer better incentives to all Youth who require education and training. Open more doors to the Semi-retired/soon to Retire who are experienced workers and can offer expertise and job coaching on a part-time basis or full time for another few years. Value their knowledge and "sweeten the pot" so remaining in the labour force is an attractive option.

Stop discrimination against people in their 40s and 50s. Here in the west there has been a noticeable problem when it comes to hiring people. The organizations want only younger people and refuse to hire men or women in their 40s & 50s. There is definitely an issue of equality and age discrimination that is going unnoticed.

No more immigrants without skills/trades should be allowed in Canada.
Working refugees/immigrants would save tax payers $1846 a month. That money could be better utilized in education and training the people who want to work.

I agree that continuous growth is not always the best way forward.

What's wrong with an economy being carefully managed so that it contracts.

I'm sure the environment would appreciate it. At least the country won't have to face the divisive, destructive phenomenom of mass immigration, mass housebuilding programmes and the concretification of the countryside and the reduction in quality of life that we are experiencing in the U.K.

Ok it would upset a few shareholders around the globe. Big deal.

What a load of bullshit. The job market sucks. HR departments of every company are swamped with resumes. Salaries and wages in the private sector are low. Every Canadian business wants to send every Canadian job to China. These stories are just bullshit that the Canadian business lobby makes up to get the federal government to flood the job market with immigrants.

There are several solutions:

First, increase immigration.

Second, increase automation (sorry, you might not have a human being serve you coffee anymore).

Third, increase wages and incentives. Labour and trades related jobs (where the shortages will be the most acute) are long overdue for a pay raise given how much the cost of living has increased over the past few years.

Let Canadian firms recognize the skilled employees who come here in the hope of a good future and go through hell.

This is one country where they bring in immigrants and touch-ere them for job.. so much of racism in the job market. Once you are accepted on the merits from their country and once you land the system want to make money for the education system of Canada. and has no value for any education they bring inn. What Canada is not recognizing is the fact that once people come here and study there is US market who would want to hire them with better pay and quality of life.

This could be the only country in the world where you can find doctors , engineers etc.. doing odd jobs.

Try and recognize the people for what they are and not in their colour or religion and accepte the skill and mertis the bring then there wont be any shortage.

We need better workplace programs in place which there aren't that many. Why aren't people job shadowing their seniors? Why aren't their more programs for job sharing? And yes, I agree with some responses to this question, why should we grow our population even further? At this point, we're seeing this once clean, safe, manageable city become third world quality due to over population. Why would we want to bring it down faster? Makes no sense.

Yes, there is a labour shortage. But, there's also MANY Canadians that would be more than willing to work. What there is is a lack of affordable training. I would gladly work as an electrician or millwright, but the cost of that education is staggering. For the time it takes to become an electrician, you can look at $10,000+ in costs. Millwright is half that. On the wages offered today, who can afford that? Instead of importing foreign nationals to do the job for us, why doesn't the government make training more affordable, or assist in training for those who desire to work? I personally would jump at the chance to be re-trained and land a well paying job. I know that the ONR is begging for millwrights and electricians. But, there's a shortage. I would gladly go work there. But, I lack the training. And, it's not something that can be learned on the job.
The government should stop the affirmative action based training subsidies and start training anyone who wants to learn and work. Colour and sex should have nothing to do with work. It should be who's best suited and who wants to work.

bring in more foriegn workers.

How come there is a labour shortage when people are still desperate to find a job and many positions don't pay much? Besides, this idea about getting the "Canadian experiece" sounds very strange to me. It doesn't make nay sense. Wake up, Canada, you are a country of immigrants, how do you expect people to start working when they have just arrived and obviously don't have any "Canadian experiece"? This is also why most people don't get to do what they specialized and trained for in their country of origin. What a waste of skills and resources! If this shortage is real, maybe the hiring system should be changed. Start looking at people's resumes and give them a chance. There is a probation period, anyway. And anybody can be put to a test!

With all the forestry and manufacturing layoffs happening how about re-training these people and getting them back into the workforce. Immigration should be secondary to this. Take care of the people you have living here first then allow in some more immigrant workers.

this is a matter I have been discussing with my MPP. with little results. There are a high number of individuals both men and women in Ontario in their late thirties and early forties who are not happy in their present occupations(usually lower level minimum wage positions) and would like to leave and be retrained in one of the skilled trades . However, most have been employed for a number of years and have financial obligations (i.e. food clothing shelter) that requires them to have an ongoing income. I recognize there are apprenticeship programs however, to start these programs do not provide sufficient income. The Ontario Government should consider some type of program for these mature individuals that provides sufficient income to meet their requirements. I am sure it would not have to equal their current wage and might have to be subsidized by friends or relatives. I believe you would attract a large number of mature individuals who still have 25 to 30 years of work life remaining.

the age may indicate that they are going to retire. however, many will not be able to afford to retire if they do not have a pension sufficient to live the lifestyle they are living today.
so not all retirees will retire.
as for immigrants, there has been a large amount of professional who emigrate from their countries to canada only to find that canada do not accept their profession. the association in canadian is one of protectionism and there is already a large wastage of unused talents and experience in canada that have been reduced to working in call centers because the professional syndicate prevents them from continuing the same status they were over in their country.
it's ironic because they were admitted as immigrants based on those professional designations. only that canada does not tell them they have to start at the beginning here. so many are working in restaurants, call centers and even as parking attendants or office cleaners.
as for welfare recipients. you cannot convert 3 generations of welfare recipients into hard working responsible taxpayers. why would they, when they can sit home in front of their giant screen tv and guzzle up beers then go for a drunken spree on their atv or suv.
moreover, the govt will not want to lose those votes. keeping them on welfare guarantees them to vote the existing party.
who wants to risk the new govt forcing able-bodied youths to work instead of collecting welfare.

How about trimming the fat out of all the government jobs. 1/2 of the overpaid, underworked lazy pencil pushers can go, they'll fill your supposed gap.
Immigration is not the answer... everyone that sees an immigrant working away at a job, doing a good job and working hard... not knocking them, they don't see the family of 8 back home all crammed into the apartment, not working and taxing our health care, all the while they're happy with all the money because it's so much more than they had at home. Opening up more immigration won't up the workers, it will lower the numbers, and only raise the population while shrinking the tax base! Look at this c&p from another forum discussing immigration:
(name of forum & poster withheld)

I am new here and i am glad i have found a place where i can post all of my frustrations (sorry) and the injustice i feel.
Namely i came to Canada (Toronto) 2006 from Macedonia (Ex Yu) for professional development in my teacher's career and also visiting my Godmother. I had visited Canada in 1997 so i had some idea what it is like and on that occasion i had met my husband, who never married nor did i , so this time we decided to be together and get married.
It is now 1,5 years and i am STILL waiting for their decision as they said they will inform me until July! In the meantime i am not allowed to work, nor study nor have any health inusurance, but i do volunteer all this time and have had a chance to view and see all this injustice. I am only asking to work, not welfare as most of them do!!!!
I used to live in Australia for some 10 years and i am considered as a native english speaker, I grew up there. I also worked in an American International Highschool as a social science teacher and have vast experience.
Yet i don;t understand the immigartion policies and why some marriages are checked and some are not , especially people from the third world countries. I get really angry when while volunteeringly teaching some of them (actually most of them "use" the benfits of FREE english classes and programs, i have no met a European that attends these and i simply do not know why, i guess they all work! Whereas these immigrants are mostly on welfare, some work for cash, have 3,4 children, after 5,6,7 years are STILL learning english and act is if they own the country.
I knew and read that Canada is "multicultural" , but i never knew i would come upon such a scenery, especaially in North York where i live i cannot see a white person, This is totally disgusting as what i see makes me fall into a depression, I did not stay here to be in India or Somalia yet i fell like i am there. I am now forced to use the bus as i have no work yet and i cannot beleive my eyes of what has become of Canada.
I thought that it is "british" a former dominion of Great Britain, yet i feel it is not so! White people have become distinct here!
Everyday i witness the lack of culture these people have and their attitude, plazas and streets dirty from their filth, crime, a lack of security, drugs and prostitution.
This is all a result of allowing so many of those uneducated people to enter and multiply.
I am sorry i feel this way, i never was a racist really, i also taught world cultures and was proud to know about the World and ancient civilizations, but this is beyond my imagination and expectation.
I did not beleive that this government has a specific attitude towards me, only because i am white, have education and experience and am geniunly married!

a- Education!
Education! and more
Education!

b- Incentives for larger families

c- Expedited process for "qualified" inmigrants!

d- Expedited process for new inmigrant's qualifications to be homologated!

Enjoy, the New Canada!

We need to start training the younger workforce properly using some of the older methods such as a proper apprenticeship and not these 6 month magic cures that they came up with at community colleges. Also should we need to continue taking in immigrants lets ensure that they can speak our language rather than having to spend money to learn them the languages of our country and subsidizing them whilst doing so. To many people see Canada as the land of golden opportunity which does not necessarily include full time work in the work force.

I usually just read these forums, but this time I was forced to respond to a comment someone made that I feel is VERY IGNORANT AND DISCRIMINATORY!!!!

My husband is from Africa and our sponsorship application was denied..I really hope that the school is thought is not to ban Africans from this Country..

He has more integrity in his little finger than most people have in their whole body..He is an extremely hard worker and I resent the blanket comment made that they are all lazy!!!

I am a Registered Nurse and it is sad that now I am going to leave my own Country and work in another because the Govt feels that he is not worthy to be here..I would MUCH rather be with this AFRICAN man than spend another second in a Country that has no idea what HARD WORK is..

Canada's response has gone on for many years: we admit about 250,000 immigrants a year. That has worked fairly well.

However, the bar has been set quite high (half our immigrants have university degrees, for example, compared to just a fifth of Canadians). Immigrants age too, usually themselves retiring in 20-30 years.

Soon, our workforce won't meet the needs of our aging population. We need both to make immigration easier and to increase the number of immigrants. Can you think of a better way to grow our workforce?