CASE STUDY – BC MARINE ENGAGEMENT

Malatest Solution

We conducted three comprehensive research phases for the ABCMI to help it better understand numerous factors impacting the sector and provide suggestions on how to mitigate issues that will arise in the future.

Phase 1: Sector Engagement included a series of interviews and sector engagement sessions with several industrial marine sector stakeholders. This phase focused on engaging the industrial marine sector, developing a Governance Committee, defining the industrial marine sub-sectors, and identifying a series of labour market themes and challenges. We completed interviews with organizations from all sectors, as well as engagement sessions. These activities provided us with labour market challenges, including labour demand, human resource challenges, supply challenges, and education and training challenges.

Phase 2: Labour Market Information expanded on the scope of Phase 1. The research included an assessment of labour supply and demand, retention and attraction issues, training and education needs, as well as other human resource issues. The study incorporated findings from a range of research activities, including employer surveys, focus groups with youth, and interviews with industry employers and stakeholders in postsecondary institutions. The comprehensive report for this phase of the study provided stakeholders with an understanding of critical issues for the industrial marine sector, a market overview by subsector, firm characteristics, financial analysis, and employment outlook and market trends, industry workforce and projected demand, industry workforce supply, key findings, recommendations, and sub-sector reports.

Phase 3: Strategy Development included industry-led roundtable consultations to identify and prioritize goals, objectives, and tactics to address labour market issues identified in Phase 2. Roundtable participants created strategies regarding attraction and recruitment, retention of workers, education and training initiatives, and the coordination of activities between different sector organizations and players.

This study resulted in a comprehensive profile of the workforce; identified economic and demographic drivers contributing to recruitment and retention; and provided industry and government policy makers with contemporary and accurate labour market data and strategies.