Responding to the Labour Crisis

Tourism, at its core, is a people business and one that relies on a skilled workforce to capitalize on its economic potential for Canada.

Re-opening tourism businesses and guiding their recovery requires an all-of-sector approach.

A workforce recovery strategy will require flexibility, coordination, and resources to ensure it is responsive to urgent demands and is economically and socially viable over the long term. Fundamentally, the aim must strive for a cohesive strategy to address systemic and structural issues, improve on the sector’s resilience, and strengthen its capacity as a key economic driver.

Led by Tourism HR Canada, a new Pan-Canadian Tourism Workforce Recovery & Growth Task Force has begun discussing the development a framework for recovery that addresses short-term and long-term systemic and structural issues. Topics include:

• Seeking new approaches that create a reliable supply of qualified workers
• Optimizing workforce productivity through targeted and sustained workforce development initiatives
• Tackling barriers to employment in the sector through policy reform
• Recommending ways to improve human resource management practices and supports to enable employers better navigate new and emergent workforce issues
• Advising on strategies to address reputational damage, to enable the industry to attract and retain workers more effectively