What Can Be Done to Create Meaningful, Lasting Jobs in BC?

By December 9, 2014Issues, Jobs/Training

Off the top, here are 31 ideas.
By Iglika Ivanova. Rabble.ca

From TheTyee.ca. Five years have passed since the end of the Great Recession but both B.C. and Canada as a whole are very far away from a meaningful recovery in the labour market.

Headline unemployment rates are not terrible (6.1 per cent in B.C. and 6.8 per cent in Canada) but fewer people are looking for work and part-time positions are increasingly replacing full-time jobs. In fact, the closer you look at the job market the worse the picture gets.

It’s clear that the B.C. Jobs Plan has failed to deliver. Many British Columbians recognize that the provincial government’s economic strategy — narrowly focused on boosting resource-extraction industries like mining and LNG — puts all our eggs in one basket. The strategy is both economically and environmentally risky.

But what else, some ask, can be done to create meaningful, sustainable, family-supporting jobs in B.C.?

I turned to leading thinkers in our broader network with this question and asked each of them to submit a single idea they have for fostering good jobs in our province.

They offer a wide range of solutions to create good jobs — including new government-led initiatives, policy changes that remove existing barriers or enable British Columbians to tap into new opportunities, and action items for businesses and individuals. The list is long, showcasing the great potential of our province and its people.

While there is no silver bullet, there is a widespread agreement that governments can and should play an important role in steering economic activity towards a more innovative and diverse economy that serves the public interest. Indeed, this is the only way to move forward.

Here’s a list of 31 ideas that would create good jobs in B.C. You can click on each idea to read the details.

 

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