S t a t e o f t h e L i t e racy and Essential Skills Field
Canada is expected to suffer greatly with the aging working population slowly moving out of the market, affecting sectors from the food industry to mining, construction to technology. A survey put out by the Canadian Federation for Independent Business in 2006 found that because of a lack of skilled workers, many CFIB members were choosing to function with fewer employees and ignore new business opportunities. Without the people with the right skills, there simply won’t be the same level of economic flourish that Canada has seen in the past— notwithstanding the current economic downturn Canada is experiencing. Canadian Business Journal, May 2012 Construction is not the only industry that will suffer without skilled workers. The Canadian Food Industry Council indicates a skill shortage
in the areas of meat cutting, floral design, natural foods, deli, bakery, pharmacy and store management.
People just don’t realize how fundamental the food industry is. We need people interested in careers in food safety, real estate, advertising, store design, finance, information technology, marketing, franchise operations, merchandising, and human resources just to mention a few. James Knight, CEO of the ACCC The World Economic Forum recently reported that Canada’s competitiveness ranking has slipped from 9th place in 2009 to 14th place in 2012161. In part, this decline is attributed to a decline in workplace training. The trend in Canada’s ranking in the Global Competitiveness Index from 2007 to the present is shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8: Canada's Global Competitiveness Ranking
161
Global Competitiveness Report, 2012-13, World Economic Forum, September 2012 page 80