Skilled Labor Shortage Called Canada's Biggest Challenge

O'Brien, Larry, Canadian Speeches

This afternoon I will be addressing the problem that many of us working in the new economy believe to be the next major challenge Canada must face in order to ensure long-term prosperity for our nation and jobs for our youth.

I want to talk about the shortage of skilled labor to fuel the growth of our economy.

I want to talk about a shortage that, according to Harris Miller, head of the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is nothing short of critical and is the economic equivalent of running out of iron ore during the start of the second industrial revolution.

I also want to suggest some action items for the prime minister of our country while he contemplates [former New Bruswick Premier] Frank McKenna's call for vision and leadership of our economy.

Canada, along with much of the world, is facing a huge shortage of skilled labor. We have a very real and a very significant problem.

I am reminded of the story about the army major who was briefing a group of captains on turning tactical problems into opportunities. The theme of the lecture was that in almost every tactical situation, no matter how bad, there was in fact a real opportunity to win -- if one thought through the options and acted boldly.

The lecture went well, and several weeks later during some war games he received the following radio message from one of the men who sat in on the lecture. "Sir, my situation looks bad, I am out of munitions and I am badly outnumbered. In fact, sir, I am surrounded by an insurmountable opportunity."

The "opportunity" our nation faces today is our skills shortage and this in turn relates to unemployment issues for our …

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Publication information: Article title: Skilled Labor Shortage Called Canada's Biggest Challenge. Contributors: O'Brien, Larry - Author. Magazine title: Canadian Speeches. Volume: 11. Issue: 6 Publication date: October 1997. Page number: 6+. © 1998 Canadian Speeches. COPYRIGHT 1997 Gale Group.

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