Kitimat Northern Sentinel, February 06, 2013

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Volume 58 No. 06

Northwest not immune to skills gap

Cameron Orr A council of six universities are warning that by 2016 the province won’t be able to supply enough workers to fill in huge growth in demand. The Research Universities’ Council of BC (RUCBC) say that based on the province government’s own numbers and other statistics, by 2020 18,800 jobs will go unfilled in B.C., because of the lack of necessary education and training. The president of the University of Northern B.C., a member of the university council, said in the north we’re already entering into skills shortages. “For many of us, for example in Kitimat and other very active fronts, this has already arrived,” said President George Iwama. He said a problem facing college and university campuses everywhere is that the grade 12 graduation rate is declining. Additionally, many people are choosing to move to urban areas rather than staying rural. “When you combine the two [factors] for Northern B.C., our enrolments are declining,” he said. By 2020, out of the 18,800 jobs needed, 8,400 will be those requiring a university degree, 8,100 a college credential and 2,300 need trades training. The year 2016 will be what Iwama calls the “tipping point” where jobs start to outnumber available workers. Iwama said the skills deficit will be exacerbated in the north because of numbers in the BC Labour Market Outlook which anticipates that two of the top three regions with the fastest rate of employment growth will be in the north. The university council, in response to the skills shortage, put together an Opportunity Agenda for BC, which boils down to three goals. First, is to have a space for every qualified student, and add 11,000 student spaces in universities, colleges and trades training over the next four years. Second, have a guarantee for students in need, by investing in more grants and scholarships, and making improvements to student loans. Finally, they want a commitment to “innovation and jobs by establishing an Innovate BC initiative.” That would bring together government, business and post-secondary institutions together to drive economic growth, they say. Iwama said the Opportunities Agenda is in a way related to a recently completed Regional Training Plan, which was assembled by the Northwest Workforce Table. Continued on page 2

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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

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A snowboarder reaches for the sky at the Kitimat Rail Jam on January 25. Full results from the competition are printed on page 14. Angie Healey photo

More details on lodge concept Purchase agreements are in place but confidentiality restrictions forbid vice president Sean Crockett from giving the specifics on the land they’re seeking for their lodge. The Sentinel reached Crockett following the PTI Group’s open house at the Rod and Gun Club where they presented their plan for a workforce ‘lodge’ to house the numerous workers anticipated to arrive in Kitimat over the next several years. “We’re collaborating with the town administration on zoning amendments,” said Crockett. “We’ve committed to these kinds of consultations like we did...and as our application for zoning is finalized and put through the system there will be more consultation on the specifics.” He said that PTI Group is not currently working with any particular proponent - so this isn’t a camp designed for places specifically like Shell’s proposal or Kitimat LNG - but that they’ll work

with multiple clients seeking housing. “We’re building for the market so that makes it very speculative in nature in the sense that we’re building just for anticipated overall demand and shortages of rooms,” he said. He added, “We’re contracting to multiple clients. Either the site operators and developers themselves for the major projects or the individual contractors that are left to find their own accommodation.” Ensuring a benefit to the town of Kitimat is an important part of the discussion, he said, as conversations with the town have focused on that in light of concerns other area work camps haven’t added much to Kitimat’s economy and downtown revitalization. “We could have tried to find a very remote site or be a part of the community,” he said. “Our approach was to be a part of the community.” He said at their open house they anticipate being within five minutes from

the City Centre. “Now you have an active client base with easy access to the downtown core that could drive shopping for everything from clothing to other goods. They might seek out restaurants, food and other impact in the downtown area,” he said. “And also there’s folks who don’t go home when they’re not working, they stay in town and take advantage of tourism opportunities in the region.” Accessing the community’s existing recreational facilities is another part of the conversation. While their lodges do often include amenities such as gyms, PTI Group will be figuring out how to best incorporate into the community, being that they’ll be near Kitimat’s swimming pool and Tamitik sports complex. As for the eventual wrap up, he said their modular units are designed for a 25 year lifespan and it’s still to be determined whether they will be removed or if there’s potential for other uses.

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Marlins do well at Regionals ... page 14

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