Labour Shortage

[Sparky]

11th September 2007 08:10

I sign the overtime sheets for the crews. They work 20 hrs one day 17 hrs the next for non urgent jobs - go figure! Works out about $8000 fi weekly.

Not just the big trucks, they are only to tow the leisure craft

[admin]

11th September 2007 08:45


Rich_007 -

The additional worrying dimension is of 'competitiveness'.

The Government of Canada/Government du Canada and their economic goons are concerned about the level of competitive advantage other countries have at hand. UK, the European nations and the US are (proven through study to be) more efficient at converting resource to capital. Canada lags behind at a fair rate, in fact is lagging behind more so every year. For those that have worked in 'Canada-Business Inc" and can compare it to other cultures, this will not surprise you. Fawning beaurocracy, political correctness, dithering, high operating cost, unionisation, low skilled inept unprofessional management, out-migration of successful management/technicians to the US, holding back skilled and experienced migrants, lack of qualification recognition, a mass of illiterate grunts, and grand nepotism from top down, all drain the lifeblood of sharp business operations.

With the emerging China-Pakistan-India axis of low production costs, lower enviromental concerns and masses of new graduates (think how many grads in the US and multiply by something like 80 times) with high levels of technical and business skills, then consider that they are no longer interested in relocating to the West but wish to assert themselves at home - no need to integrate/assimilate, no cultural changes, no need to Westernise just to fit in, and proportionate, or cheaper, cost of living.

Now, on that basis, where will the West (Canada, specifically) get its "skilled labour" from ? The only motivator for people is family reunification for those already settled in the West, which doesn't guarantee an immigration of skills. Fact, it probably means more hip operations and family dependencies.

So the breaking news despite government hyperbolye and fancy dancy websites and brochures and media messages is that the West isn't such an attractive deal anymore. And who wants to live in a recession time-bomb anyway if you could remain settled in a growth zone which is becoming war and generally trouble-free, and the corruption is disappearing as eastern business gets smarter and more professional.

Obviously this is a very heavy subject and takes valuable e-time away from matters such as "where can I buy frozen crinkly cut chips from".

Sadly there are few answers.... we're at the mercy of our politicians. Which indicates that we're essentially totally screwed.

It's all about the cheap labour, stupid

R.

[MarkW]

11th September 2007 11:43


Now you come to mention it ..........where can i buy ''frozen crinkley cut chips from'' ????????

[mkmurrays]

11th September 2007 13:09

Now, on that basis, where will the West (Canada, specifically) get its "skilled labour" from ?

R.

Only a sample of two, so not statistically sound, but we came here on the skilled worker programme, both of us with qualifications and experience apparently in demand in Canada, and realistic expectations in terms of salary.
However, my OH's experience was that, although he ticked all the boxes on the job ads, and people were very positive and friendly when he went for interview, it took some time and a huge amount of effort to get a job. A local agency which specialises in placing skilled workers said 'I'm not surprised, there are a lot of rednecks in the valley and they won't take on non-Canadians.'

I'm currently looking at whether I go job hunting or set up as self employed. However, with the emphasis on networking, and 'who you know not what you know', I'll be intrigued to see how I get on.
Not a dig at the Okanagan, but a snapshot of one family's experience....

[fivegomad]

11th September 2007 20:35

I had the same problem with the attitude in town towards 'outsiders'. When I came, I must have applied for just about every techie job out there. In the end, I ended up being offered 3 jobs in two days, one for $11.50, one for $12 (with a potential for $15 after 3 months) and one for $22. Guess which one I took? I'm still with Interior Health, but I've moved on from the 'Hell Desk', and they've looked after me well.

Saw an old school friend the other day in Vancouver, and he said exactly the same thing about Vancouverites - being Canadian, and having Canadian experience (work/school) is more important to them than having the right qualified non-canadian person. He ended up doing an MBA at UBC just to get a job.

Now if only I could find a place that reliably stocked Cadbury's Twirls.