Halseth, Greg

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Greg HalsethGeography ProgramCanada Research Chair in Rural and Small Town StudiesCommunity Development Institute University of Northern British ColumbiaMyths and Trajectories: Readiness in workforce transition IPG Leadership CouncilPrince GeorgeFebruary 2014OutlinePart I – Demographic TransitionPart II – Worker/Family TransitionPart III – Industrial TrajectoriesPart IV – Understanding OpportunityTake Home MessagesMore InformationPart I• Demographic Transitions• BC’s RegionsDemographic Transitions10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100-45-910-1415-1920-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-6465-7475+% of total popQuesnel - 1981FemaleMaleDemographic Transitions• General population aging Aging baby boom population• Resource frontier aging Considerable upcoming labour turnover• Historic youth out-migration Shortage of local replacement workers• Increasing female labour force participation Impacts household choices on where to live• Increasing Aboriginal labour force size Demographically “young”BC’s RegionsBC’s Regions• Post WWII to 1980 Extensive industrial resource development Widespread growtho Investment in quality of life• 1980s resource commodity recession Focused on resource regions in the global economy BC’s non-metropolitan areas diverged into discrete development regions• Pressures since: International trade agreements Trade globalization Low cost production regions• “We are not going back to the 1970s”Non-Metropolitan BC Today• On the cusp of the most significant transformation of communities and economies since the 1950s• Significant private sector investment ~$70 billion in potential resource projects over next 10 years• Challenge: to leverage investment to create the next ‘long boom’Part IIPart II• Worker/Family Transition• Immigration• Next Generation WorkforceWorker/Family Transition I• Changing “families” and expectations• Higher skill sets, higher job/satisfaction expectations• Dual income households Dual professional households• Educational expectations for children• Services (especially health care) expectations• Amenities and quality of life (21st Century models)Worker/Family Transition II• Supported rise of: FIFO/DIDO employmento Worker travels, households stays in high amenity/service locationo Mackenzie pulp/saw mills saw +10% DIDO a decade ago• Turn FIFO to local advantage Create PG as a home communityo McBrideo Cairns, AustraliaWorker/Family Transition IIIAttention to quality of:• Jobs/on the job growth/satisfaction• Employment diversityAttention to accessibility and quality of:• School / post-secondary education services Significant K-12 course issues/graduation rates• Community services• Health care services• Cultural and recreational amenities• Transportation infrastructureImmigrationImmigration I• Historically new immigrants to a region were seeking: Jobs (low skill, labouring - for male ‘head’) Education opportunities for next generation (high school) Community of interest• Today, new immigrants to a region were seeking: Jobs (high skill, professional - for all adults in family) Education opportunities for next generation (post secondary) Community of interestImmigration I• Historically new immigrants to a region were seeking: Jobs (low skill, labouring - for male ‘head’) Education opportunities for next generation (high school) Community of interest• Today, new immigrants to a region were seeking: Jobs (high skill, professional - for all adults in family) Education opportunities for next generation (post secondary) Community of interestImmigration II• Attention to immigrant reception services Grow existing “communities” in PG Focus efforts so as to quickly build new “communities”• Targeted recruiting by attraction variablesNext Generation WorkforceNext Generation Workforce I• More educated, more skilled• Grew up in “information/Internet” age• Smaller numerically than baby boom generation they will replace They know there will be jobs …• Want: Sense  of community and good place to raise family Flexibility Clean environment Access to the natural environment Appropriate education and health services Range of cultural amenitieso “creative economy” workers Local connectivityo Make a difference/be involved Global connectivityNext Generation Workforce II• Working in a diversified local economy• Embedded in a global economy• Will be a learning workforce and likely a mobile workforce Experiences as much as pay cheques• We are in a global competition for workersNext Generation Workforce III• Building toward a learning workforce• Focus on: Healthy mothers and babies Pre-school years Engaging K-12 students during after-school hours Engage and integrate community programs and amenities, housing, transportation, communications, and technology Youth employment strategyo Work experience; bridging to first jobso Example: “Northern Opportunities” program in Peace River regionPart IIIPart III• Industrial Trajectories• SME OpportunitiesIndustrial Trajectories I• Understand recent HR histories and take lessons learned• Oil and Gas sector: Growing Very competitive Intense attention to training, safety, job culture Very professional industry HR associations o Planning for HR needso Understanding HR pool o Skills matching / skills projectionsSME Opportunities I• Harness to potential of the best educated workforce in history Innovation and creativity is the norm for SME survival• Connect with experience via mentoring programs with “too young to retire” baby boomers Job succession planning/business succession planning• Benefits packages Learn from industry leaders (equity, profit share) SME Opportunities II• Stop fearing worker mobility Always happened, always will (may even accelerate)• Collaborate with local/regional competitors for labour to grow the pool Grow the training base to continuously renew If you cannot provide competitive wages/benefits with “oil patch” need to out compete with job qualityPart IVPart IV• Understanding Opportunity in Proposed Major ProjectsMajor Project Development: Three Phases• Construction  Next 8 years• Operations 5-30 years• Next generation workforce 30+ yearsConstruction Phase I• Time of highest investment• Relationship building: industry and community• Large number of jobs, majority are short-term• Jobs are highly specialized, many go to global work crews, rotate through tasks• Few jobs for unskilled workers• Camps: large contractors, small contractorsConstruction Phase II• Opportunities to: Lever sunk investments into community infrastructure Introduce “visiting” workers to community & region Re-tool local labour force with new skillso Transferable skillso Update training resources Attract new skilled labour forceOperations Phase I• Industry job opportunities Smaller number of jobs, most are permanent and long-term Jobs are technical, specialized, managerial Indirect jobs: supply and service• Community job opportunities Business, professional, retail, public, non-profit• Have the time to educate local people• Communities diversify and stabilize Healthy community. Healthy services.Operations Phase II• Opportunities to: Attract the new permanent and long-term workers Attract more technical, specialized, managerial, supply and service sectors and workers Use job growth to attract young households Develop workforce transition toolso Trainingo Mentoring Take Home MessageTake Home Message I• Community Sustainability Industry can bring jobs; communities must retain workers Need attention to quality-of-life and community attractiveness (people and business)• Social Sustainability At a generational transitiono Next generation workforce Next wave immigrationo Multi-cultural support Take Home Message II• Quality of jobs that we create To attract increasingly mobile workers• Quality of place we create To attract worker families and avoid FIFO• Skills matching Connection with job preparation tools (education/training) Projections (across sectors & business sizes)• Will take community wide collaboration These are investments not expenses Need for long term planning Difference between tactical and strategic thinkingTake Home Message III• Changing community identity External and internal perceptions• “BC’s Northern Capital” 20 year old branding, but many still see PG as industrial rather than service hub Growth areas in technical & specialized servicesMore Information?20 ChaptersAuthors from 8 OECD countries2010UBC Press2012The Community Development InstituteUniversity of Northern British ColumbiaFor further information please visit our website at:www.unbc.ca/community-development-instituteGreg Halseth Marleen MorrisCo-Director Co-Directorgreg.halseth@unbc.ca marleen.morris@unbc.ca

Myths and Trajectories: Readiness in Workforce Transition

Greg Halseth
Geography Program
Canada Research Chair in Rural and Small Town Studies
Community Development Institute 
University of Northern British Columbia
Myths and Trajectories: Readiness in 
workforce transition 
IPG Leadership Council
Prince George
February 2014
Outline
Part I – Demographic Transition
Part II – Worker/Family Transition
Part III – Industrial Trajectories
Part IV – Understanding Opportunity
Take Home Messages
More Information
Part I
• Demographic Transitions
• BC’s Regions
Demographic Transitions




10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-74
75+
% of total pop
Quesnel - 1981
FemaleMale


Demographic Transitions
• General population aging
 Aging baby boom population
• Resource frontier aging
 Considerable upcoming labour turnover
• Historic youth out-migration
 Shortage of local replacement workers
• Increasing female labour force participation
 Impacts household choices on where to live
• Increasing Aboriginal labour force size
 Demographically “young”
BC’s Regions
BC’s Regions
• Post WWII to 1980
 Extensive industrial resource development
 Widespread growth
o Investment in quality of life
• 1980s resource commodity recession
 Focused on resource regions in the global economy
 BC’s non-metropolitan areas diverged into discrete development 
regions
• Pressures since:
 International trade agreements
 Trade globalization
 Low cost production regions
• “We are not going back to the 1970s”



Non-Metropolitan BC Today
• On the cusp of the most significant 
transformation of communities and 
economies since the 1950s
• Significant private sector investment
 ~$70 billion in potential resource projects over 
next 10 years
• Challenge: to leverage investment to 
create the next ‘long boom’
Part II
Part II
• Worker/Family Transition
• Immigration
• Next Generation Workforce
Worker/Family Transition I
• Changing “families” and expectations
• Higher skill sets, higher job/satisfaction 
expectations
• Dual income households
 Dual professional households
• Educational expectations for children
• Services (especially health care) expectations
• Amenities and quality of life (21st Century 
models)
Worker/Family Transition II
• Supported rise of:
 FIFO/DIDO employment
o Worker travels, households stays in high 
amenity/service location
o Mackenzie pulp/saw mills saw +10% DIDO a decade 
ago
• Turn FIFO to local advantage
 Create PG as a home community
o McBride
o Cairns, Australia
Worker/Family Transition III
Attention to quality of:
• Jobs/on the job growth/satisfaction
• Employment diversity
Attention to accessibility and quality of:
• School / post-secondary education services
 Significant K-12 course issues/graduation rates
• Community services
• Health care services
• Cultural and recreational amenities
• Transportation infrastructure
Immigration
Immigration I
• Historically new immigrants to a region were 
seeking:
 Jobs (low skill, labouring - for male ‘head’)
 Education opportunities for next generation (high 
school)
 Community of interest
• Today, new immigrants to a region were seeking:
 Jobs (high skill, professional - for all adults in family)
 Education opportunities for next generation (post 
secondary)
 Community of interest
Immigration I
• Historically new immigrants to a region were 
seeking:
 Jobs (low skill, labouring - for male ‘head’)
 Education opportunities for next generation (high 
school)
 Community of interest
• Today, new immigrants to a region were seeking:
 Jobs (high skill, professional - for all adults in family)
 Education opportunities for next generation (post 
secondary)
 Community of interest
Immigration II
• Attention to immigrant reception services
 Grow existing “communities” in PG
 Focus efforts so as to quickly build new 
“communities”
• Targeted recruiting by attraction variables
Next Generation Workforce
Next Generation Workforce I
• More educated, more skilled
• Grew up in “information/Internet” age
• Smaller numerically than baby boom generation they will 
replace
 They know there will be jobs …
• Want:
 Sense  of community and good place to raise family
 Flexibility
 Clean environment
 Access to the natural environment
 Appropriate education and health services
 Range of cultural amenities
o “creative economy” workers
 Local connectivity
o Make a difference/be involved
 Global connectivity
Next Generation Workforce II
• Working in a diversified local economy
• Embedded in a global economy
• Will be a learning workforce and likely a 
mobile workforce
 Experiences as much as pay cheques
• We are in a global competition for workers
Next Generation Workforce III
• Building toward a learning workforce
• Focus on:
 Healthy mothers and babies
 Pre-school years
 Engaging K-12 students during after-school hours
 Engage and integrate community programs and 
amenities, housing, transportation, 
communications, and technology
 Youth employment strategy
o Work experience; bridging to first jobs
o Example: “Northern Opportunities” program in Peace 
River region
Part III
Part III
• Industrial Trajectories
• SME Opportunities
Industrial Trajectories I
• Understand recent HR histories and take 
lessons learned
• Oil and Gas sector:
 Growing
 Very competitive
 Intense attention to training, safety, job culture
 Very professional industry HR associations 
o Planning for HR needs
o Understanding HR pool 
o Skills matching / skills projections
SME Opportunities I
• Harness to potential of the best educated 
workforce in history
 Innovation and creativity is the norm for SME 
survival
• Connect with experience via mentoring 
programs with “too young to retire” baby 
boomers
 Job succession planning/business succession 
planning
• Benefits packages
 Learn from industry leaders (equity, profit share) 
SME Opportunities II
• Stop fearing worker mobility
 Always happened, always will (may even 
accelerate)
• Collaborate with local/regional competitors 
for labour to grow the pool
 Grow the training base to continuously renew
 If you cannot provide competitive 
wages/benefits with “oil patch” need to out 
compete with job quality
Part IV
Part IV
• Understanding Opportunity in Proposed 
Major Projects
Major Project Development: Three Phases
• Construction 
 Next 8 years
• Operations
 5-30 years
• Next generation workforce
 30+ years
Construction Phase I
• Time of highest investment
• Relationship building: industry and community
• Large number of jobs, majority are short-term
• Jobs are highly specialized, many go to global 
work crews, rotate through tasks
• Few jobs for unskilled workers
• Camps: large contractors, small contractors
Construction Phase II
• Opportunities to:
 Lever sunk investments into community 
infrastructure
 Introduce “visiting” workers to community & 
region
 Re-tool local labour force with new skills
o Transferable skills
o Update training resources
 Attract new skilled labour force
Operations Phase I
• Industry job opportunities
 Smaller number of jobs, most are permanent and long-
term
 Jobs are technical, specialized, managerial
 Indirect jobs: supply and service
• Community job opportunities
 Business, professional, retail, public, non-profit
• Have the time to educate local people
• Communities diversify and stabilize
 Healthy community. Healthy services.
Operations Phase II
• Opportunities to:
 Attract the new permanent and long-term 
workers
 Attract more technical, specialized, managerial, 
supply and service sectors and workers
 Use job growth to attract young households
 Develop workforce transition tools
o Training
o Mentoring 
Take Home Message
Take Home Message I
• Community Sustainability
 Industry can bring jobs; communities must retain 
workers
 Need attention to quality-of-life and community 
attractiveness (people and business)
• Social Sustainability
 At a generational transition
o Next generation workforce
 Next wave immigration
o Multi-cultural support 
Take Home Message II
• Quality of jobs that we create
 To attract increasingly mobile workers
• Quality of place we create
 To attract worker families and avoid FIFO
• Skills matching
 Connection with job preparation tools (education/training)
 Projections (across sectors & business sizes)
• Will take community wide collaboration
 These are investments not expenses
 Need for long term planning
 Difference between tactical and strategic thinking
Take Home Message III
• Changing community identity
 External and internal perceptions
• “BC’s Northern Capital”
 20 year old branding, but many still see PG as 
industrial rather than service hub
 Growth areas in technical & specialized 
services
More Information?
20 Chapters
Authors from 8 
OECD countries
2010
UBC Press
2012

The Community Development Institute
University of Northern British Columbia
For further information please visit our website at:
www.unbc.ca/community-development-institute
Greg Halseth Marleen Morris
Co-Director Co-Director
greg.halseth@unbc.ca marleen.morris@unbc.ca


https://research.library.mun.ca/14231/1/1.%20IPG%20Halseth%20IIcompressed.pdf

Myths and Trajectories: Readiness in Workforce Transition

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