Vanoc Olympics

Group 8

Communities Underrepresented

-Immigrants, Disabled & Youth

Persons with disabilities OPPORTUNITIES:

• Untapped labor supply • Retention success • Candidate evaluation through co-op training programs

OPPORTUNITIES • Spinoff benefits of reasonable accommodations • Catalytic effect of Paralympic Games • Disability management with current workers

OPPORTUNITIES • Technological advances • Replicating success with active recruitment policies • Leadership/coordination on provincial basis

CHALLENGES • Dispelling myths • Sharing the responsibility for accommodation • Overcoming double-edged resistance to non-traditional sources of labour

Skilled Immigrants OPPORTUNITIES: • Magnitude of this labour pool • Fast-track approvals through policy amendments and new programs • Coordinating bodies

Challenges • Better information on labour market needs for prospective immigrants • Prior learning and foreign credential recognition • Identifying transferable skills and bridging programs

Youth Opportunities: • Birth rate falling but still high number of youth entering the labour force • Aboriginal youth population is growing faster • Integration into wide range of skill development programs

Challenges • School dropout rate • Promoting career paths that require post-secondary training, but not only university degrees • Getting information out about where the opportunities are