Speaking notes
for
the Honourable Diane Finley,
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development,
at the
Restaurant Industry Summit
of the
Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
October 29, 2012
Ottawa, Ontario
Check against delivery
Thank you for that kind introduction.
And thank you, Garth, for inviting me to attend this year’s Restaurant Industry Summit, organized by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association.
I appreciate the opportunity to speak to your members and explore how government and the private sector can work together to tackle the challenge of skills shortages while encouraging growth within the restaurant and food service industry.
As you are aware, our government’s top priorities for the last three years have been job creation and economic growth. We have implemented several initiatives which have strengthened Canada’s labour market. And I’m pleased to report that our efforts are paying off.
Canada’s economic performance has been far better than that of many countries around the world.
In fact, since July 2009, over 800 000 new jobs have been created in Canada.
That makes Canada one of the leaders in employment growth among G7 countries.
However, we are in no position to be complacent, as Canada is facing significant challenges that threaten our ongoing economic growth.
As business people, you know better than anyone that the global economy is still fragile and that any setbacks in other countries could have an impact on us.
Here at home, we are facing the paradox of high unemployment in some regions and labour shortages in others. And, in some cases, labour shortages in areas of high unemployment.
There is also a mismatch between the needs of employers for skilled workers and the supply of people in the labour force who have those skills.
Labour and skills shortages are without a doubt the major socio-economic challenge confronting this country.
Earlier this month, I toured western Canada and met with various industry leaders, including those from the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, and again the message was very clear:
“Minister Finley, we need people.”
Your industry members know this all too well, having forecasted that the restaurant industry will be short 107 000 workers by 2025.
And so, let me take a few minutes to highlight some of the Government’s recent initiatives aimed at addressing these challenges that directly affect you.
Let’s start with changes to the Employment Insurance program aimed at connecting Canadians to available jobs and filling the needs of the job market.
There are individuals who do not know where or how to find available jobs. And there are people who have spent their entire working lives in a particular industry or occupation who are not aware that their skills match those needed in other industries or occupations.
That is why our government is making it easier for unemployed Canadians to search for and find work. We are doubling the number of Job Alerts sent out each day to Canadians receiving EI benefits.
These alerts will come from many different sources, including private-sector providers such as yours.
Job Alerts will provide EI claimants with information about job opportunities within their geographic area and their field of expertise and training. As well, they will now also include information on related occupations to which their skills might be adapted.
In addition to connecting Canadians to available jobs, our government is eliminating disincentives that have, in the past, discouraged EI recipients from seeking employment while on claim.
This measure is projected to help your members keep capable, well-trained staff, rather than face high turnovers due to seasonal employment.
We must always ensure that qualified and available Canadian workers have the first crack at job vacancies. But we recognize that sometimes employers will not be successful recruiting domestically.
As a short-term option to address labour shortages, we have the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to enable projects to proceed and businesses to stay afloat when qualified Canadian workers are not available or are still in training.
Last year, we also announced the creation of the Sectoral Initiatives Program, or SIP.
The SIP will fund national partnership-based projects to support the development of better labour market information, occupational standards and certification schemes to address skills shortages in various sectors of our economy.
The Government of Canada is committed to helping all Canadians obtain the right skills and training to be successful in the workforce.
Through grants, tax credits and support for training programs, our government is promoting apprenticeships and careers in the skilled trades and technology sectors.
For example, apprentices can get up to $4,000 in apprenticeship grants to pursue and complete apprenticeship training. To date, the Government has provided more than 357 000 of these apprenticeship grants to Canadians to encourage them to become skilled tradespeople.
As we see the baby boomers start to retire, as we start to see the impact of skills and labour shortages, there will be an ever-increasing role for training.
Too many of our young people today are graduating into unemployment rather than into jobs.
In fact, the jobless rate for young Canadians—15 percent—is almost twice the national average.
In this respect, we are doing better than other OECD countries, where youth unemployment is much higher, such as Spain, which had a youth unemployment rate at 46.4 percent last year, or even the United States, which had a youth unemployment rate of 17.3 percent.
Still, it is clear that we need to reverse this trend or risk losing the potential of an entire generation.
To that end, our government is investing $50 million to set a new course for our Youth Employment Strategy—one that will match eager young Canadians to employers who have job vacancies.
By fostering our private-sector partnerships, we are honing in on where the jobs are—where the needs are—and encouraging employers to hire young Canadians into roles where they can obtain that critical on-the-job-experience that they so desperately need.
It’s win-win-win. Young people gain experience and are better coached to align their education choices with where the jobs are. Employers benefit by gaining skilled (or trainable) workers. And the economy benefits by having young people at work in their communities.
Training will be essential. No question.
The Government already plays an important role in skills training by providing the provinces and territories with significant funding for exactly that purpose.
But government can’t, and shouldn’t, do everything.
The private sector must also play a key role when it comes to training our workforce.
It is important to note that for many young Canadians, jobs serving the public in the restaurant and food industries will be their first jobs.
According to HRSDC statistics, your members supply one in six youth in this country with a job.
The training they receive at the start of their working life with you will determine the way they approach all future employment.
This is no small feat. And for this, I thank you.
In closing, let me commend the CRFA for its openness and willingness to work with the Government of Canada.
We value the CRFA’s participation in our consultations and appreciate your input on behalf of the business sector.
Essentially, ladies and gentlemen, we share the same goal.
You want to ensure the success of the members of your association.
I want to ensure that businesses, like yours, have the skilled workers that you need to grow and prosper.
That is why we will continue our efforts and foster partnerships to benefit the growth of the Canadian economy.
With the help of organizations such as yours—and the businesses you represent—we can do it.
Thank you.
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