MARY RUTH SNYDER
CAMPBELL RIVER – Over the last few months, the two issues I hear consistently from every sector is: “We just can’t find employees and the ones we do find, can’t find housing.”
The housing shortage is a crisis right across the country and seemingly, at least on Vancouver Island, all three levels of government and the builders are working in tandem to begin to address the shortage.
The missing employees are another story. As predicted the baby boomers have begun to retire and it would seem the pandemic had an amplification effect on the trend.
So, what can employers do?
I would encourage you to explore the student options. We did and with tremendous results! Engaging with our secondary schools and our post-secondary institutions has led to a great new website for us built by a secondary student, the launch of an 8-month social media campaign highlighting local businesses and we were able to update our internal database. We are currently exploring the next group of interns for projects this fall.
Providing real world working opportunities to students will assist your business, will enhance the student’s education and will ensure our collective future.
Nearly a year ago North Island College (NIC) and Vancouver Island University (VIU) collaborated and launched a new web portal to connect employers and students: viwil.ca Vancouver Island Work Integrated Learning … “Engage with and mentor highly motivated students to successfully contribute to the workplace in a rapidly changing world. Local businesses and community organizations are important partners in creating workforce diversity and delivering education that is responsive to current challenges and industry needs. Together we can make a difference on Vancouver Island.”
You’ll find onboarding resources, potential funding sources, and one-on-one support from VIWIL staff. You can create an employer profile, upload employment opportunities and then this gets ‘pushed out’ to every post-secondary campus north of the Malahat.
Just imagine how transcendent your company can become with an injection of unbounding enthusiasm, insight, and a working knowledge of the latest technology, and industry developments! Feel free to reach out to me directly if you would like more information about our experience.
For More Information contact Mary Ruth Snyder, Executive Director, Campbell River & District Chamber of Commerce @ 250.650.7575, or Stephen Watson, Stakeholder Engagement Advisor, BC Hydro @ 250.616.9888