According to CME’s 2004 Management Issues Survey, manufacturers report that they are taking a number of actions to address their current and future labour needs. (See Tables 26, 27, and 28.) Most will depend on upgrading the skills of their existing workforce, placing a higher priority on recruitment, relying on employment benefits to retain qualified personnel, and accessing new pools of skilled labour – including women, First Nations, and recent immigrants to Canada. Manufacturers in western Canada (with the exception of Alberta where fewer companies report that they have workforce strategies in place), as well as in the Atlantic provinces, are more likely to rely on new sources of skilled labour. Relatively few companies report that they would outsource functions outside of Canada as a result of skills shortages.

For manufacturers, business success will depend on finding, retaining, or developing the specific mix of skills sets they require.

By 2020, the number of companies reporting difficulties in finding skilled employees should be reduced to less than 5% of firms responding to CME’s Annual Management Issue Survey.

In order to achieve that goal: