Securing the Skills Base

Business success depends on people. Canadian manufacturers will only be as competitive as the capabilities of their workforce allow. In 2020, Canada’s manufacturing workforce will have to be highly knowledgeable, highly skilled, highly experienced, and highly flexible. These same qualities are important right now.

Among the manufacturers participating in CME’s 2004 Management Issues Survey:

• 78% of companies cite the availability of qualified personnel as an important factor affecting their innovation activities;
• 42% cite the availability of skilled and experienced personnel as a strategic issue that will fundamentally change business practices over the next five years; and,
• 38% say that access to a skilled labour force is a significant factor in affecting business location decisions.

But, 46% of companies report difficulties in finding people with the specific skills sets and experience they currently require. (See Tables 11, 12, and 13.)