BC Province and industry partner to meet labour and safety needs in manufacturing industry.
Submitted. The Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC is excited to be the lead organization for a Sector Labour Market
Partnership project that brings together key partners to study the labour market needs associated with
occupational health and safety (OHS) workers in B.C.’s manufacturing sector.
Manufacturing has been identified as a key sector within the BC Jobs Plan, with advanced manufacturing
highlighted as a new sector where British Columbia will see immense growth opportunity at the BC Jobs Plan
Five Year Preview this past August. A wide range of high-value products and components are produced in B.C.
for international and domestic markets, and the sector creates desirable, high-paying jobs in communities
throughout the province. As BC’s manufacturing industry is growing, the nature of manufacturing work is
changing and workforce is becoming more diverse. Ensuring there is enough qualified health & safety
professionals to support this growth will be important for industry.
The Sector Labour Market Partnerships Program is funded through the Canada-British Columbia Labour
Market Development Agreement. The program helps employers understand and respond to changing labour
market demands, and ensures that training and education programs in BC are aligned with industry’s labourmarket
needs and priorities.
Each year, the government invests more than $7.5 billion in education and training. Over the next 10 years,
the province plans to redirect $3 billion of its training investment to focus on skills and programs for indemand
jobs.
“We’re working with the manufacturing industry to achieve cultural change that ensures safe workplaces for
all workers. To achieve this we will need more skilled health and safety professionals, especially with the
expected future growth in our industry and the influx of less experienced workers as current workers retire.
This opportunity with the Sector Labour Market Partnership Program will help us bring key stakeholders
together to determine what the industry’s health and safety labour needs are over the next five years.” said
Lisa McGuire, CEO, Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC