New Study Sheds Light on Impact of Social Enterprise

May 20, 2016

BC – Social enterprises throughout the province have made significant positive social, cultural and environmental contributions. However, until now there has been limited information about the sector and its labour-market challenges.

The UBC Sauder School of Business Centre for Social Innovation & Impact Investing and its project partners have completed the BC Social Venture Sector Labour Market Study, and the final report is now available on Sauder’s website.

In 2014, the B.C. government provided the UBC Sauder Research Centre and its project partners with approximately $184,000 to conduct this study to gain a better understanding of the social-venture sector and its human-resource landscape.

The report provides a profile of social-venture organizations in B.C. and their current and future labour needs. It also outlines several challenges that social enterprises in B.C. face and recommends actions that would support further development of the sector.

Funded through the Canada-British Columba Labour Market Development Agreement, the Sector Labour Market Partnerships Program helps employers understand and respond to changing labour market demands, and ensures that training and education programs in B.C. are aligned with industry’s labour market needs and priorities.

B.C. is expecting almost one million job openings due to retirements and economic growth by 2024. The government launched the Skills for Jobs Blueprint in 2014 to help British Columbians get the skills they need to be first in line for these job openings.

Each year, the government invests more than $7.5 billion in education and training. Over the next 10 years, to better align its annual investment to meet emerging labour market needs, B.C. plans to redirect $3 billion of its training investment to focus on skills and programs for in-demand jobs.

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