OUR SHRINKING WORKFORCE

By Amanda Fraser

As Nova Scotia strives to build a knowledge-based economy, the key component of
the workforce - people - are leaving and aging.

That's according to NovaKnowledge's 2006-07 Report Card titled, "Defining and
Developing Tomorrow's Workforce".

Released yesterday, it states that last year the province's population shrunk by
1,725 people, and it's a trend that will continue.

"Obviously we have people moving west. We have a shrinking population, we have
an aging population. We still have people that feel they have to retire or are
being forced to retire," says Tim Outhit, executive director of NovaKnowledge.

According to the report, 42% of businesses in Atlantic Canada are already
experiencing a labour shortfall, and an additional 14% are expecting shortages
within the next year.

It's partially due to the attraction of better paying jobs in Alberta, and also
because Nova Scotia's population is aging faster than the rest of the country as
a whole. In addition, fewer older workers are in the workforce here than
elsewhere in Canada.

In Nova Scotia, 36% of individuals aged 60-64 were working full time, while the
national average was 44%.

And although immigration has been hailed a partial problem solver, doubling the
annual number of immigrants nationally to 400,000 won't fill the void.

Outhit says a stigma exists that immigrants can only perform job tasks at
certain levels.

"I believe in immigration to get people here to take jobs at all levels. Let's
bring immigrants here and indoctrinate them into doing all levels," he said.

NovaKnowledge has set a target to attract 5,000 immigrants by 2010, with a 75%
retention rate.

In order to alleviate the shrinking workforce issue, the focus in the coming
years should be on education and life long learning, says Outhit, adding that
future opportunities lie in exporting, IT, health sciences and biotechnology.

Challenging Nova Scotia to become a "Leader in Learning" by 2011, he says
learning isn't something that's just done by educators.

The report recommends employers direct 2% of corporate revenue toward training,
and challenges the provincial government to support that training through tax
incentives.

"If we're a leader in learning and learning to be trained for the jobs of
tomorrow and to have an infrastructure ready for the jobs of tomorrow, then
maybe some people and some employers will want to come here," he said.

Although Nova Scotia currently rates third in the country in terms of
job-related training, changing demographics and a need for increasingly skilled
workers means Nova Scotia has to be a leader, states the report.

Recommendations include an accessible, province-wide broadband system to allow
for affordable Internet access.

To retain and attract workers, employers must be prepared to pay competitive
wages and to keep youth, the province should find ways to alleviate student
debt, the report says.

Educational facilities need broader hours, and workplace attitudes that allow
people to 'learn and earn' should be developed.

"We can't say some day we're going to have a problem, we have a problem now,"
says Outhit. "And we can't say government or educators should do something about
it, it has to be businesses, it has to be parents and has to be individuals".