Lifestyle and Leisure
The ageing Canadian workforce
Canada’s workforce is getting steadily older, and there is a real possibility that this trend could continue for the foreseeable future
David Fuller takes a look at why people over the age of 55 still have a promising employment future in most of Canada's provinces.
Earlier this year, figures taken from the most recently released census data in Canada revealed that the Canadian workforce is presently older than it has ever been before.
For the first time in the country's history, the 2006 census showed that there were as many workers aged over 40 employed in Canada as there were under 40. What's more, 15.3 per cent of the nation's workforce were aged over 55 or over, compared to just 11.7 per cent in 2001.
Unsurprisingly, this statistic has left some economic experts fearing for the future of the Canadian employment market.
The declining fertility rates that have been seen in Canada over the past 20 or so years means that as much of the baby boom generation starts to retire – or at least starts to contemplate retiring – from the workplace, there are not enough young workers entering the market to replace them. Of course, this is one of the reasons that the Canadian immigration system places so much emphasis on bringing skilled immigrants into the country. However, at its current annual intake level, the general consensus amongst market analysts is that it will still take around 20 years for the country's labour market to replenish itself.
A similar problem to this has also been experienced in Australia over recent years, although the two countries' responses to the situation could not be more different, especially where immigration is concerned. In Australia, the government has gone down the route of looking to attract only young workers from overseas. In fact, anyone who is over the age of 45 is rendered ineligible for an Australian skilled visa! This isn't to say that they merely don't score any points under the age factor through the country's points system, but that they have no chance whatsoever of receiving a visa. What's more, to achieve the maximum points for age through the Australian skilled system, an applicant needs to be aged between 18 and 29!
Compare this with Canada's system – where you score maximum age points between the ages of 21 and 49 and then start to lose two points every year until you reach 54, where you will score none – and you can begin to see the different attitudes the two countries have towards older workers. In fact, if you are over 54 you can still qualify to emigrate to Canada as a skilled worker – you'll just have to make up the lost points through other factors in order to reach the passmark. Should you indeed make it to Canada despite being over the age of 54, then you can be reasonably confident of your chances of finding employment once you're there. In spite of the fact the Canadian workforce is already ageing, the country's government still views the 'older' generation as a more that useful pool from which to employ workers to help with the various skills shortages.
On 17th October 2006, Diane Finley, the current Immigration Minister but the then Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, announced that the Government would pledge up to CDN$70 million for a new Targeted Initiative for Older Workers scheme. This two-year initiative – which is currently in the process of being renewed – was designed to help unemployed older workers find work in communities experiencing ongoing high unemployment, by assisting people aged between 55 to 64 years of age with activities such as prior learning assessment, skills upgrading, and experience in new fields of work. At present there are nine provinces and territories signed up to this initiative, one of which is British Columbia.
"Our province is facing a great challenge: with a booming economy and record low unemployment rates, we must figure out how to meet the unprecedented demand for skilled labour in almost every sector of our province," explains Colin Hansen, the Minister for Economic Development in BC. "It is anticipated that there will be one million job openings in British Columbia leading up to 2018 and, with only 650,000 students in our school system, we have to look elsewhere to fill these positions. One group that is under-utilised is that of unemployed older workers." Hansen continues: "It is important for employers in BC to consider older workers to fill these jobs. People aged 55 and over bring a depth of experience and a wide range of skills with them; they're a valued resource not only to employers, but also to younger workers who they can mentor and pass on their knowledge to."
According to the 2006 census data, which was released in March, BC's workforce is already well stocked with older employees, with 16.7 per cent of workers in the province being aged 55 or over; only Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and the Yukon Territory have a higher proportion of workers in this age bracket. However, the province realises that some older workers, particularly those either re-entering the market or joining it for the first time, may have some gaps in their knowledge when it comes to the modern workplace. It is for this very reason that the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers scheme has been adopted by BC, and indeed eight other provinces/territories – Quebec, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador. "Realistically, we know older workers can face some tough challenges in today's labour market such as changing technologies and new or different skill requirements," Hansen acknowledges. "That is why we have signed contracts with 12 service providers across the province to help eligible older workers in BC, upgrade their skills, benefit from job counselling and gain valuable work experience. "Regardless of age, for workers who are interested in emigrating here from Britain, we have a number of jobs available in different sectors across the province including tourism, retail, construction, health – the list just goes on," he adds. And with similar sentiments to Hansen's being echoed throughout much of the country, the older would-be immigrants among you can be reasonably confident that living in Canada doesn't have to lead to early retirement if you don't want it to.
Subscribe to Emigrate magazine. Read more ...