By Andrew Mitchell
Although the title of Go2’s new campaign invokes memories of
TV’s The Jeffersons, Move On Up is a key piece of the ski industry’s ongoing
efforts to attract new employees.
This fall Go2, the human resources body for B.C.’s tourism
industry, is working with the Canada West Ski Areas Association under the Move
On Up banner to promote careers in the snow sports industry at job fairs in
Abbotsford, Victoria, Kelowna and Vancouver — dates and locations
still to be determined.
As well, Move On Up has launched an online “Work The Dream”
contest, offering youth a chance to work a day in the tourism dream job of
their choice.
The website, www.moveonup.com, also acts as a portal for people
to learn more about careers in tourism, with job descriptions, career profiles,
salary levels, and training and education programs available. Employers can
also post tourism job opportunities on the site.
Move On Up was created in the recognition that B.C.’s winter
resorts are understaffed.
Labour shortages are of particular concern to Whistler, with
the Chamber of Commerce estimating the town will be thousands of employees
short over the next few years.
There are several reasons for what is increasingly being
recognized as a national worker shortage, ranging from changing demographics
and the retirement of baby boomers to the resurgence of the resource and
construction industry siphoning employees from other sectors. Immigration reforms
and extensions to worker visas have been identified as short-term patches for
the shortages.
“Move On Up, along with our partnership with Canada West Ski
Areas Association, helps us profile an area within the tourism industry where
growth potential will only happen if there are enough staff to work the jobs
that are created,” said Arlene Keis, CEO of Go2.
“Overall the B.C. tourism industry will require over 84,000 new workers for a wide range of tourism careers by 2015 and we need to be creative to attract these workers.”