Labour shortage targeted through $1.7M program at Holland College
President says college itself has struggled to recruit instructors to teach students in programs
A new $1.7-million federal-provincial partnership aimed at combating labour shortages on P.E.I. was announced Wednesday morning.
The Prince Edward Island Workforce Innovation Partnership (PEIWIP) aims to help workers upgrade their skills through what are called micro-credential programs at Holland College. Students can get to work as early as three months into their programs, while continuing their education.
Holland College president Sandy MacDonald described P.E.I.'s labour shortage as a "very real phenomenon" affecting several key industries.
"We get calls several times a week from industries that are short [of] certain people with certain skill sets," MacDonald said in an interview with CBC News.
"The demographics in P.E.I. are such that 15 years ago, for every 10 people who retired, there were 20 people to replace them. Now, for every 10 people who retire, there are seven people to replace them. So the demographic crisis is just that."
Holland College itself affected by labour shortage
Even Holland College is dealing with labour shortages, MacDonald said, and has been struggling to recruit program instructors.
"We have the very same problem as everyone else, and we're trying to find people with specific skill sets. Sometimes [we] have to pay above market value."
The PEIWIP initiative could also help underrepresented groups, like newcomers with foreign credentials, single parents and people with disabilities, he said.
"Part of this [program] is to make sure that they have open, easy access to this reskilling and upskilling initiative so they can find meaningful work."
The federal share — $855,414 — is coming the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
P.E.I. Economic Growth Minister Matthew MacKay said an additional $855,307 came through Skills P.E.I.
Charlottetown MP Sean Casey said P.E.I.'s labour shortage is a pressing issue.
"The problem that we have right across the country is we have people without jobs and we have jobs without people. The second part of that sentence is one that we're not used to hearing in P.E.I," he said.
"We have 1,000 unfilled positions in construction. We have all kinds of people who used to work in the tourism sector who took COVID as an opportunity to go and do something else."
The program is expected to run for the next three years.
Corrections
- In an earlier version of this story Minister MacKay incorrectly stated that the funding came from Innovation P.E.I. In fact, the funding came from Skills P.E.I.Mar 10, 2022 9:11 AM AT
With files from Laura Meader
