FAQ
Parks and Public Works FAQ
Since July, 2009 the Parks and Public Works Group has been looking at ways to address human resource and labour market issues faced by the Parks and Public Works sector in British Columbia. The PPWG comprises stakeholders from the local government (i.e., City of Richmond, City of Kamloops, City of Vancouver, City of Port Moody, City of Langley, etc.), the Local Government Management Association of BC, the BC Public Works Association, the BC Municipal Safety Association, the BC Water & Waste Association, CUPEBC, and BC First Nations. Funded by the BC Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, the primary objective of the project is to develop a human resources strategy to ensure present and future sector human resource need are met.
What labour market issues will the project address?
The human resource issues facing BC’s parks and public works sector are well known and include an aging workforce, changing technology, changing employee expectations, a growing demand for standardized training programs, and lack of awareness of career and employment opportunities across the sector. Strategies are being developed to manage the challenges presented by these issues and to ensure the future needs for qualified skilled employees across the province.
What will this project accomplish?
The overall objective of the project is the development of a comprehensive human resource strategy to ensure the sector has the skilled and qualified employee complement to meet future human resource needs.
How will this project help the parks and public works sector?
This sector-wide human resource strategy is aimed at attracting, recruiting, training and retaining employees in the sector with a particular focus on parks and public works positions in the area of roads, sewers, water and parks.
What has the project achieved to date?
To date the PPWG has accomplished the majority of its mandate including securing funding from the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Partnership Programs for a multi-phase project to:
- Research and validate labour market issues
- Develop a sector-wide HR strategy
- Prepare and deliver to the Industry Training Authority a proposal for the development of a parks and public works training program
- Develop marketing and career awareness tools and collateral to promote training and career opportunities in the sector
- Conduct comprehensive Labour Market Information research
- Develop a sector Communications Strategy to communicate project objectives and increase sector buy-in
Is there a role I can play in this project?
There are many opportunities to participate in this project. We are always interested in bringing new resources to this project and engaging stakeholders from the broader community. The PPWG often requires individuals to participate in focus groups and feedback sessions, as well as participate in a limited number of surveys and telephone interviews to ensure the sector’s collective voices are hear and reflected in the project outcomes. We are also interested in opportunities to engage with your constituent group and speaking to this exciting project.
If you are interested in participating, please contact any of the PPWG Members or Carolyn MacLaren at dcmaclaren@shaw.ca or 778-878-6145.
How can I stay informed on the project’s progress?
Please sign up for our newsletter, or drop us a line at info@bcworks.ca. In addition to sending out information bulletins, regular project updates (including project materials developed) will be posted on this website.
What are the next steps?
At the present time, the PPWG has engaged a consultant to conduct industry outreach for the project and get feedback on a possible training program options.