Vol. 9 • Issue 1
jodie@mountaintownproperties.ca
Thursday, January 2, 2014
10 missing skiers on Red Mountain located
Happy New Year ! ! Best of 2014 !
See Page 5
Tourism labour shortage predicted
Jodie O.
368-7166 Realtor & Property Manager
YOLANDA RIDGE Rossland News 2020 Washington St. Rossland
If career training (or retraining) is part of your new DOWNTOWN STUDIO years resolution, you might want to consider connecting JENNY (or reconnecting) with your inner Jamie Oliver and signBAILLIE ing up for culinary school. - ARTWORKS You may not become a celebrity chef, but in the current labour market finding employment as a professional cook may be as close as it comes to a sure thing. Based on the results of a 2013 study by the BC Tourism Labour Market Strategy (TLMS) 18,620 new jobs will 2020 Washington St. open up for chefs, food counLocated above ter attendants & kitchen helpMtn. Town Properties. ers between 2011 and 2020, Call 250-362-5519 with 589 of those positions located in the Kootenay Rockies region. The predicted shortage of cooks is so significant that the TLMS study is being expanded to look at the demand for skilled kitchen workers in industries besides tourism— $199,900 namely the oil and gas sector, 4 bed 1 ½ bath care homes and other instituclose to all trails ! tions. MARIE“We need to know how CLAUDE many culinary jobs are likely 250-512-1153 to become available,” explained Arlene Keis, CEO of go2 (BC’s tourism and hospitality human resource asso1st Trail Real Estate ciation), “so that B.C. can 1993 Columbia Ave. Rossland come up with a strategy for recruiting and training people fill these positions.” YourtoHoroscope For the Week with Michael O’Connor inside Although the number of Horoscope the post-secondary West Kootenay Advertiser tourism trainFor the Week ing programs in B.C. increased with Michael O’Connor from 200 to 300 between 2003 inside the West Kootenay Advertiser
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and 2011, with the largest growth in professional cook programs, there is no way the province can train enough people to meet the demand. “An increase in professional training opportunities is necessary,” said Keis, “but culinary programs are not easily fitted into the average post-secondary institution due to the need for experienced educators and specialized equipment.” Bob Falle, chair of the School of Hospitality and Tourism which runs the Professional Cooking program at Selkirk College in Nelson agrees. “The current demand for trained cooks presently exceeds the number of students we have in our program,” he said. But according to Falle, more cooking schools may not be the solution. “Additional training opportunities have been attempted over the past year with the prep cook program,” he said in reference to the expansion of the program at Selkirk. “However, there weren’t enough applicants to fill the program. Our current enrollment has been low due to a very low unemployment rate in the area.” For the students who do enroll, Falle reports a 100 per cent placement rate for those who remain in the cooking field with 60 per cent finding training-related full time employment less than one month of completion.
• See TOURISM, Page 5
Lockey carries Rossland colours to Sochi See Page 6
ON THE EVE OF THE BIG EVENT
Monika Smutny photo
Olaus Jeldness was dressed in his Yuletide best on Christmas Eve as Rosslanders gathered with their family members for the big event.
To all of our Members and Staff. Thanks for a great year and for banking local! Happy Holidays and best wishes for a healthy and prosperous new year.