Labour shortage targeted through $1.7M program at Holland College

A new $1.7-million federal-provincial partnershipaimed at combating labour shortages on P.E.I. was announced Wednesday morning.

The Prince Edward Island Workforce Innovation Partnership (PEIWIP) aims to help workers upgrade their skillsthrough what are called micro-credential programs at Holland College. Students can get to work as early as three months into their programs, whilecontinuingtheir education.

Holland College president Sandy MacDonalddescribed P.E.I.'s labour shortage as a "very real phenomenon" affecting several key industries.

"We get calls several times a week from industries that are short [of] certain people with certain skill sets," MacDonald said in an interview with CBC News.

"The demographics in P.E.I. are such that 15years ago, for every 10 people who retired, there were 20 people to replace them. Now, for every 10 people who retire, there are seven people to replace them. So the demographic crisis is just that."

Holland College itself affected by labour shortage

Even Holland Collegeis dealing with labour shortages, MacDonald said,and has been struggling to recruit program instructors.

"We have the very same problem as everyone else, and we're trying to find people with specific skill sets. Sometimes [we] have to pay above market value."

The PEIWIP initiative could also help underrepresented groups, likenewcomers with foreign credentials, single parents and people with disabilities, hesaid.

"Part of this [program] is to make sure that they have open, easy access to this reskilling and upskilling initiative so they can find meaningful work."

The federal share $855,414 is coming the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

P.E.I. Economic Growth Minister Matthew MacKay said an additional $855,307came through Skills P.E.I.

Charlottetown MP Sean Caseysaid P.E.I.'slabour shortageis a pressing issue.

"The problem that we have right across the country is we have people without jobs and we have jobs without people. The second part of that sentence is one that we're not used to hearing in P.E.I," he said.

"We have 1,000unfilled positions in construction. We have all kinds of people who used to work in the tourism sector who took COVID as an opportunity to go and do something else."

The program is expected torun for the next three years.