Immigration key to make up for impact of low birth rates on Vancouver Island
This is part three of CTV News Vancouver Island's three-part series Shifting Focus: Families, Fertility and the Future.
As B.C.’s workforce ages, the province anticipates 160,000 jobs will open in the next decade. It hopes 20,000 of those positions will be filled by people from other countries, and the challenge may not be finding qualified workers, but rather encouraging them to stay.
“When immigrants come here, they are looking for a better life,” says Humaira Ahmed.
The North Saanich tech start-up founder and CEO moved to Canada from Pakistan in 2005. Her family immigrated to Toronto, and she later moved to Vancouver, then Victoria. She says the lack of diversity on Vancouver Island was a difficult adjustment.
“It’s truly your network is your net worth here and that’s one of the biggest challenges when you’re new to a country,” says Ahmed. “I would say until I started my company, until I started to win awards – nobody cared. It’s really hard to break in.”
It’s a heartbreaking revelation as government eyes immigration to help address shortages in our labour market, which are partly a result of declining birth rates.
“We have more jobs than people and we expect that to be a challenge for the years ahead,” says Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation Ravi Kahlon.
Ahmed is happy to hear the province is trying to recruit thousands more immigrants to help fill positions, but she says leaders need to be mindful of making sure a community is set up to help encourage newcomers to stay.
“That’s where I’ve had issues and challenges,” she says. “One of the things I’ve been saying for years is, ‘I want to move back to Toronto.’”
The South Island Prosperity Partnership shares the concern. Economic developer Dallas Gislason says city centers like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal have large, diverse, in-depth support systems in place for newcomers, and we need to build more supports in this area.
“The research shows in organizations like McKinsey and academic research has showed that diverse organizations actually outperform homogenous organizations substantially,” adds Gislason.
Ahmed’s business is called Locelle. It focuses on advancing the careers of women and other under-represented groups in tech. She says opportunity and community are paramount.
“I do think it’s a systems thing too, where we can educate women and under-represented communities as much as we want,” she says. “But if the systems are not changing, the leadership is not changing, we can only move the needle so far.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
World's record-breaking hot temperature streak stretches through April
The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday.
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.