Latest Leads Newsletter
Volume 4, Issue 2
Solutions for Workers in
Transition in the
Central & South
Vancouver Island Area
Upcoming Events
and Workshops
Trades Forum
Mon, Jan 25
Resume Workshop
Tue, Jan 26
Job Search Tools
Wed, Jan 27
Computer Skills
Thu, Jan 28
Career Transitions
Tue, Feb 2 / Thu, Feb 4
Interview Skills
Wed, Feb 3
Transferable Skills
Thu, Feb 4
Go to gvsjobs.com/
workshops
Take the first step
in faith.You don’t
have to see the
whole staircase,
just take the first
step.
- Martin Luther King Jr
January 22, 2016
COWICHAN VALLEY LABOUR MARKET NEWS
B.C. aims to hire
1,600 more nurses
The B.C. government
is planning to catch
up on its longstanding
nursing
shortage by hiring
1,643
full-time
Registered Nurses by
the end of March. Health Minister Terry
Lake and B.C. Nurses' Union president
Gayle Duteil announced Tuesday they
have reached a staff increase agreement
that has been the main obstacle to
signing a new contract. The previous
deal expired nearly two years ago, and
the dispute over staffing was headed for
arbitration.
Duteil said the last BCNU contract in
2012 contained a commitment to fill
these positions, but more than 1,600
have not been.
"To the nurses working 16-hour shifts
today, to the nurses working short in the
emergency department and operating
rooms across B.C., to community nurses
with overwhelming caseloads, this
agreement means relief is on the way,"
Duteil said.
Lake said the first priority is to offer fulltime positions to some of the 7,000
casual nurses working in B.C. Nurses
from other provinces would be the next
choice, and international recruiting would
take place after that.
"I think there will be a pool of nurses who
may be moving back with their families to
British Columbia, given the economic
downturn in Alberta," Lake said.
By region, the plan targets recruiting of
400 nurses for Fraser Health, 300 for
Interior Health, 290 for Island Health, 100
for Northern Health, 235 for Vancouver
Coastal Health, 238 for the Provincial
Health Authority and 80 for Providence
Health Care, which runs St. Paul's
Hospital in Vancouver.
Fraser Health CEO Michael Marchbank
said each nursing position costs the
health authority about $100,000 a year,
and the new positions can be
accommodated from existing budgets.
"We know that the long waits for hip
replacement, knee replacement, you
name it, has been due to shortages,
including nursing shortages," Darcy said.
"We've been paying incredible overtime.
Huge burnout, high injury rates, wait lists,
hallway medicine, all of those things are
a consequence not having met this
promise."
Duteil said 16-hour shifts have become
"the new normal" for many RNs, and the
agreement is a relief.
She urged casual nurses in B.C. to
contact the union by email immediately
at [email protected] to express
interest in the new positions.
Source: Cowichan Valley Citizen, http://
go.gvsjobs.com/1ZEIOMv
CVRD paves the
way for Sunfest’s
Lake debut. At
Wednesday’s
meeting of the
Cowichan Valley
Regional District,
directors voted in
support of two bylaws that will allow
Sunfest Concerts to host its annual
country music festival, and other events,
on recently purchased land near Youbou.
Electoral area directors voted
overwhelmingly to approve the bylaws,
with only Alison Nicholson, Area E
(Cowichan Station/Sahtlam/Glenora)
director, opposing the motions.
The approved bylaws amend the
Youbou/Meade
Creek
Official
Page 2
Community Plan and zoning, and
enable Sunfest to begin
development of the land, which will
include a stage, an outdoor
amphitheatre, event parking and
festival camping. Sunfest County
Music Festival has operated for 14
years and attracts thousands of
music lovers each year.
Area I director Klaus Kuhn said he
feels good about the decision
reached by the board because of
the potential Sunfest has to
revitalize the community.
“The economy hasn’t been very
kind to us here,” he said, citing the
closure of Youbou’s school and
several businesses. “You need
young people in a community. And
our hope is that if the Sunfest and
related festivities take place here, it
will show the visitors that this is a
beautiful area and we hope that
some of the younger people will
move here again.”
The proposal to move Sunfest to
the Lake has provoked strong
feelings among some area
residents, with opponents voicing
concerns the concerts will bring
unwanted disturbances to the
community, particularly in terms of
noise and traffic issues.
Kuhn acknowledged that during
the festival’s first year there may
be some disruptions with respect
to traffic or additional visitors to the
beaches. Sunfest Country Music
Festival 2016, with headliner
C a r r i e
Underwood
and a host of
other stars,
runs
from
July 28 to 31.
Source:
Cowichan
Valley
Citizen, for more: http://
go.gvsjobs.com/1J79i7a
Latest Leads Newsletter
Chemainus’ Riot Brewing aiming
for spring opening. Anxious, excited, even stressed. Ralf Rosenke
and Aly Tomlin are going through a
range of emotions while their
dream establishment takes shape.
Riot Brewing Co. headquarters is
springing up on a corner lot of the
Village Square Shopping Centre in
Chemainus and heading toward an
anticipated spring opening.
Rosenke and Tomlin have spent
six long years trying to make the
business a reality. They can’t wait
to become operational but in some
ways it feels like they’re well into it
already with promotional appearances and doing all the legwork
necessary to prepare for opening.
The brewing industry veterans
have been especially hard at work
in the last few months. Even without any product available yet, they
were at the Chemainus Tastings
event in the centre Oct. 1 to spread
the word about their venture.
Work on the building will continue
probably until the end of January
and then it will be up to Rosenke
and Tomlin to take it from there for
the finishing touches.
Tomlin reminds people it will be a
production brewery, with a lounge.
They definitely think locating in
Chemainus is going to be a shrewd
move. “Potential customers, everybody is really excited,” said Tomlin.
Source: Chemainus Valley Courier,
for more: http://
go.gvsjobs.com/1nodBRG
Commercial centre heads for
public input. North Cowichan
councillors are allowing plans for
a neighbourhood commercial
centre at Berkey’s Corner to go
ahead to the next phase.
It took them a lot of debate to
even take that first step, and
they didn’t do that without reworking the ideas recommended
by their staff but they decided
that now it’s time to hear what
the public has to say.
So, with first and second readings of a zoning amendment
bylaw under their belts, the developers, Hall Pacific, will now
be able to present their ideas at
a public hearing.
The 62,000 square foot development site lies southwest of the
Berkey’s Corner roundabout
(the intersection of Sherman,
Somenos and Cowichan Lake
roads) and is situated around
and behind a commercial operation that is already home to a
laundromat, gas station and restaurant.
It might include a grocery store,
gas station, drive-through restaurant, liquor store, and more.
North Cowichan CAO Dave
Devana backed the proposal
saying, “this is what we thought
of when we developed the Official Community Plan.”
He pointed out that the area is
already densely populated and
is growing steadily while also
serving a great many residents
as a recreation centre, with soc-
Page 3
cer fields across the street and the
Duncan curling rink nearby.
Devana told councillors that he
hoped to see it kickstart economic
development in the municipality,
and, by providing about $200,000
in municipal taxes, would, in one
development, be the equivalent to
one year’s growth for North
Cowichan.
“It would be the equivalent to 136
residential homes,” he said. “It will
provide a major catalyst to drive
residential growth in that area.”
Source: Cowichan Valley Citizen,
for more, http://bit.ly/1QpEzUx
Greater Victoria’s employment
growth over the last year led all
B.C. locations, according to data
released by Statistics Canada.
With 10,100 more people employed in the city in December,
Victoria’s employment grew 5.8
per cent over the last 12 months.
The federal agency’s labour force
survey indicated that was well
ahead of Vancouver’s 4.2 per cent
growth and the 4.5 per cent
growth experienced in the Abbotsford-Mission region over the same
period.
“It’s been good, solid employment
growth over the 12 months in Victoria,” said Statistics Canada
spokesman Vincent Ferrao. He
noted at 5.8 per cent Victoria was
also near the top of the list Canada-wide.
British Columbia had the fastest
employment growth of all the
provinces over the last year with
employment in the province up 2.3
per cent (52,000 more jobs), the
result of an upward trend that be-
Latest Leads Newsletter
gan in April.
Statistics Canada noted the national growth rate was below one
per cent at 0.09 per cent. But despite an increased number of employed people, Victoria’s unemployment rate was up significantly
over the last year. As of December, the unemployment rate was
6.1 per cent, up from 5.0 in December 2014.
“There were more people coming
into the labour force over the last
12 months, which pushed the unemployment rate up to 6.1,” said
Ferrao. He believes that is due to
workers returning to B.C. from Alberta as that province’s economy
slowed considerably. “Also maybe
since there has been employment
growth in Victoria, it has attracted
more people to come in and look
[for work],” added Ferrao.
In Greater Victoria, the total labour
force grew to 194,800 by the end
of 2015, up from 182,000 in December 2014. The region has seen
increased employment in retail and
wholesale trade, which saw a jump
of 4,200 to 28,000 positions over
the 12 months, and gains of 1,500
jobs in construction and manufacturing. The only significant job loss
over the year was in Statistics
Canada’s “other services category,” which dropped 1,300 positions.
Like Greater Victoria, B.C.’s unemployment rate rose in December
despite more people being employed. B.C.’s rate now stands at
6.4 per cent, up from 5.8 a year
earlier. The Canadian unemployment rate followed the same trend
with an increase to 7.1 per cent
from 6.7 per cent a year ago, despite a slight increase in the number of employed people — 18 million in December 2015, compared
with 17.9 million in December
2014. Global economic uncertainty
— and the ongoing impact of the
collapse in oil prices — has weak-
ened in Canada’s recovery, despite two cuts for interest rates in
2015.
Source: Times Colonist, http://
go.gvsjobs.com/1RGvW7y
Fastest employment growth
in British Columbia in 2015:
A Look Back at December.
Employment gains totaled
158,000 or 0.9% in 2015,
slightly above the growth rate
of 0.7% over the same period
in 2013 and 2014.
Full-time employment rose by
151,000 or 1.0% in 2015,
while part-time work was little
changed. During the same
period, the number of hours
worked increased by 1.0%.
In the 12 months to December, the unemployment rate
increased 0.4 percentage
points to 7.1%. This increase
was attributable to more people searching for work
(+110,000). Over the same
period, the participation rate
increased 0.2 percentage
points to 65.9%, while the employment rate was little
changed at 61.2%.
Provincially, the fastest employment growth in 2015 was
in British Columbia, up 2.3%
(+52,000). Employment in the
province has been on an upward trend since April. Despite
this increase, the unemployment rate rose 1.2 percentage
points to 6.7% as more people
searched for work.
Source: Statistics Canada.
Page 4
hearing they need new, effective
approaches to foster innovation
and support tech startups.
Meanwhile, a chronic skills and
talent shortage is expected to
worsen, with Canada forecast to be
short more than 180,000 information, communications and technology workers by 2019, according to
one recent report.
B.C. to add computer coding to Source: The Globe & Mail, read
school curriculum as demand more at: http://
for tech skills grows. The B.C. go.gvsjobs.com/1JWvn8E
government unveiled plans to introduce computer coding in its
school curriculum, addressing a
chronic skills shortage in one of
the few areas of the Canadian
economy that is doing well – technology.
“Every kindergarten to grade 12
student will have…the opportunity Clipper, with new majority
to learn the basics of coding,” Pre- owner, plans Victoria-Vancouver
mier Christy Clark said at the ferry service. The Victoria Clipper,
opening of a two-day provincial with a new majority owner behind
government-backed summit on it, plans to expand its operations to
technology in Vancouver.
include a new harbour-to-harbour
Ms. Clark announced the change, service between Victoria and Vanfirst revealed Sunday by The couver.
Globe and Mail, as part of a Clipper founder and chief executive
broader strategy to deliver more Merideth Tall announced Monday
support to the province’s tech sec- she has sold a majority stake in her
tor. It’s a shift for a government 30-year-old company to Germany’s
whose economic agenda has FRS, a global ferry and shipping
largely focused on natural re- group, and intends to immediately
sources, though B.C.’s flourishing expand Clipper’s passengertech sector employs 86,000 peo- service options from Victoria. The
ple – more than forestry, mining Clipper already runs a high-speed
and oil and gas combined. The passenger-only service between
government unveiled the first Victoria and Seattle.
piece of the strategy last month, “This is a major expansion — this
creating a $100-million venture allows us to execute on our vision
fund to finance startups.
for North America and allows for
Canadian political leaders have FRS to execute on its vision for
increasingly championed the digi- North America,” said Tall, adding
tal economy after largely overlook- the partnership also plans to offer
ing the sector in recent years. service between Nanaimo and
With oil and other commodities Vancouver and eventually between
trading at multiyear lows, the Cuba and Florida.
economy teetering and a new “The impact to Victoria will be enorclass of startups gaining traction mous,” she said, noting it means
and disrupting traditional indus- more than doubling the Victoria
tries, Canadian politicians are staff of 22 as well as adding a
Latest Leads Newsletter
transportation link between Victoria and the mainland. “This is jobs,
this is tourism and this is a really
huge investment from Europe.”
Tall, who will stay on as chief executive officer of Clipper, said she
is waiting to disclose what kind of
vessel will be used on the route,
how many passengers it will carry
and how long the trip between the
two harbours will take.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps called
the plan fantastic news for the
city, adding it dovetails with the
city’s economic action plan to
grow the experiential tourism market.
“This is a pretty strong signal
about people’s confidence in Victoria to have not one but two international companies invest in our
city in the marine industry in the
space of a couple of months —
that’s good news,” she said.
Tall said Clipper’s new service will
be operating this spring, which
means it will beat to the marketplace Riverside Marine’s proposed harbour-to-harbour catamaran service.
Source: Times Colonist, for more:
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1PejFJ4
A pilot program provides skills
training to Kamloops prison
inmates. A pilot program in Kamloops has graduated six provincial
prison inmates, qualifying them to
work as construction labourers
when they are released.
Students learn skills such as operating and maintaining small tools,
scaffolding, reading blueprints,
surveying, operating a miniexcavator and traffic control. They
also receive level one first aid and
construction safety training certification during a six-week course.
The program is offered by Thompson Rivers University for inmates
at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre. Inmates built a concrete foundation pad with drain-
Latest Leads Newsletter
Page 5
age and roof that will house a portable sawmill.
The level one apprenticeship credential and 4,000
work hours in a trade make them eligible for level
two, when students can enrol in a Red Seal trade
program such as carpentry or plumbing.
Source: Cowichan Valley Citizen, http://
go.gvsjobs.com/1OuAjR0
Port study predicts nearly 5,000 new full-time
jobs. Nearly 5,000 new jobs in northern British Columbia, directly related to Port of Prince Rupert activity, will be created should the Prince Rupert Port
Authority (PRPA) realize its full-buildout of planned
infrastructure and terminals through 2025 and beyond.
The PRPA made the announcement on Monday as
it released the Economic Impact of Capital Expansion Plans forecast, outlining everything from job
growth numbers in the region to wage statistics to
municipal taxes to the City of Prince Rupert and the
District of Port Edward.
The study, which
was sourced from
the port itself, its
partners and project
proponents,
states that 4,780
full-time equivalent
jobs will be created, directly related to port activity.
An additional 2,090 indirect jobs (generated by industries that supply and support the port business)
are also expected to be created, as well as 1,580
induced jobs (impact of employee-spending in the
community).
This equates annually to $310 million in additional
wages, $59 million in additional taxes for the municipalities of Prince Rupert and Port Edward, $178 million in combined taxes to all levels of government
and $400 million annually in additional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Canada.
Source, The Northern Review: http://
go.gvsjobs.com/1NhI2xZ
RECENT LOCAL JOB POSTINGS:
Junior/Intermediate Forest Engineers, Iverson Forest Management
Senior Forest Engineer, Iverson Forest Management
Coastal Naturalists, BC Ferries
Farm Apprentice, Tatlo Road Farm, Crofton
Home Care Support Worker, Angel Helping Hands, Duncan
Mental Health/Addictions Rehab, Island Health, Duncan
Contract Bookkeeper, Pratz Bookkeeping, Duncan
Department Sales Manager, Marks, Duncan
Production Assemblers, Pacific Builders Supplies, Cobble Hill
Assistant Store Manager, Starbucks, Duncan
City Manager, Town of Ladysmith, Ladysmith
Artisan Food Production Worker, Mitchells Soup, Duncan
Cashier, A&W, Mill Bay
Hairstylist, My Secret Salon, Duncan
Entry-level Computer Technician, Duncan
Bistro Server, Merridale Ciderworks, Cobble Hill
Retail Associate, Mt Brenton Golf Course, Chemainus
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1QjPm0o
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1Po2Zib
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1St4Z9h
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1ZJ0ETO
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1RDHM3S
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1KuW5QJ
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1QjAqQ8
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1KuWlPE
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1nqH8KO
http://go.gvsjobs.com/23jO2C2
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1JpLPP1
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1PnF4PX
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1OLGKNI
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1RZzLXD
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1ne9dV1
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1QjBhAh
http://go.gvsjobs.com/1lCRfKG
For the most recent local job postings and more, visit our website:
www.gvsjobs.com/jobs
REMEMBER: THE MAJORITY OF WORK OPPORTUNITIES ARE NOT ADVERTISED!
These select job postings and other posted positions are only a small part of the picture.
Only 10-15% of jobs are posted! Hidden Job Market Strategies such as networking and cold calling
have proven to be the most effective ways to connect to employment opportunities.
If you need assistance tapping into the Hidden Job Market where 80-85% of jobs are found, come to
the WorkBC Centre nearest to you in Duncan, Ladysmith or Lake Cowichan.
Page 6
Latest Leads Newsletter
HCA & CSW Employer Recruitment Session at
Sprott-Shaw College, Nanaimo
Wednesday January 27 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Local employers will be at Sprott Shaw Nanaimo recruiting
Healthcare Assistants and Community Support Workers.
Bring your resume, dress appropriately and be prepared to be
interviewed on site.
Connect with employers who can answer your questions about
their organization’s culture and career opportunities. Learn what
skills and experience they are seeking and how to apply for employment.
To register for this information session, email
[email protected]
Are you interested in working for one of Nanaimo’s largest and
most stable employers?
Nordia Employer Forum
at GT Hiring Solutions, Nanaimo
Wednesday, January 27 9:30am to 11:00am
Nanaimo’s Nordia plans to hire a number of new employees in
February. Their HR Recruiter will be at the Downtown Nanaimo
WorkBC centre to speak about:

upcoming positions
what they are looking for
 their hiring processes
tips for a successful application


Space is limited, call GT Hiring Solutions at
250-714-0085 to reserve your seat
Page 7
Latest Leads Newsletter
Page 8
GLOBAL
VOCATIONAL
SERVICES
Duncan
Employment Centre
301-80 Station St.
Duncan, BC
V9L 1M4
Phone: 250-748-9880
Fax: 250-746-8986
Ladysmith
Employment Centre
#11-740 First Ave.
Ladysmith, BC
V9G 1A8
Phone: 250-924-2884
Fax: 250-924-2885
Lake Cowichan
Employment Centre
121 Point Ideal Rd,
Lake Cowichan, BC
V0R 2G0
Phone: 250 749 6822
Fax: 250 749 6839
Latest Leads Newsletter
JOB SEARCH TIPS OF THE WEEK
8 Questions to ask
yourself before taking a
job offer. Job offers come
with so many emotions;
you don’t want to let your
desire to be done with the
whole process prevent you from asking
yourself some important questions about
the job. You’ll want to ask your potential
new employer some questions about the
role, but also sit down with yourself and
consider what this means for you. Before
you say yes to a job offer, go to a quiet
place and ask yourself these eight
questions. Source, The Muse, http://
go.gvsjobs.com/1UJu0dV
How to Apply for a
Position That Doesn’t Exist. If you’ve
been searching for
your dream job and
haven’t found it, it’s
possible that it doesn’t exist, at least not
yet. In fact, if you really want a job you
love, it’s time to stop limiting your
search to posted positions. By doing
some strategic research, networking,
and pitching your skills, you could
carve out your own position.
Source: The Muse, http://
go.gvsjobs.com/1KhMm0f
Avoid these 8 fatal mistakes with references. Your job search
is like a modern marketing campaign. Since you are the product,
your advertising should include: a resume, cover letter, business
card and of course, online presence. Employers take your
advertising into account, and they know that this is you boasting
about yourself. They also want to hear what other people have
to say about you. Choosing and preparing your references can be trickier than you
think. It’s easy to make mistakes that could ruin your chances for the job. Avoid
these common errors and give your marketing muscle a boost.
Source, Monster.ca, http://go.gvsjobs.com/1N3ajrN
Website of the Week | MediaJobSearchCanada.com
www.gvsjobs.com
MediaJobSearchCanada offers the largest database of Canadian media related
website and e-mail addresses than any other website on the net, which includes
most search engines. They post Employment Ads from various companies across
Canada, who have media related positions available. Their ever-expanding database of resumes carries one of the best talent pools of media professionals and
unlike those other websites; MJSC allows all Advertisers up to 60 days free access
to view these resumes for every Employment or Banner Ad posted on its website.
Media Job Search Canada.com was designed and developed to help all Canadians, who work in media related professions, search for new jobs and is also available for those looking to begin their careers in various media related fields. MJSC
is especially beneficial for students who have graduated from media courses at
Canadian Colleges, Universities and Career Colleges.
Advertised positions include: advertising, marketing, graphic design, tourism manager, sales and marketing, and many more.