BioTalent Canada Introduces National Talent Strategy to Address Bio-Economy Skills Shortage

BioTalent Canada today unveiled its national talent strategy, a critical element of its mission to help the Canadian bio-economy meet its short- and long-term labour needs. The strategy will help support the sector with valuable labour market information and the best job-ready human resources available to address current and forecasted labour shortages.

“This strategy gives us all a roadmap to develop the talent needed to ensure the industry has access to a highly skilled workforce.”

According to BioTalent Canada’s most recent labour market research, the bio-economy will need to hire an additional 65,000 new workers by 2029. Current estimates indicate there will not be enough workers to meet that demand. In some areas, employers are expected to be able to fill only 25% of their available jobs.

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“The bio-economy is vital to helping Canada achieve its sustainability goals, build medical manufacturing capacity, develop innovative approaches to agriculture and more,” says Rob Henderson, President and CEO of BioTalent Canada. “This strategy gives us all a roadmap to develop the talent needed to ensure the industry has access to a highly skilled workforce.”

The strategy builds on work BioTalent Canada has been doing since its founding in 1997. Developed in collaboration with its partnership network, the organization’s labour market studies and National Occupational Standards provide the research foundation for the design, development and enhancement of professional development, skills recognition and talent management programs to support the bio-economy workforce.

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Inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA) principles are key elements of the strategy, but BioTalent Canada’s labour market study showed that IDEA principles were not well established in the industry. Incorporating them will be critical to meeting talent needs by reaching many under-represented groups and ensuring they are hired and treated fairly.

“We have to reach beyond the talent pools we’ve historically relied on,” says Henderson. “And it’s more than just recruitment. Getting more diverse workers in the door is the first step. After that, IDEA principles need to be embraced in all aspects of employer cultures to ensure everyone feels welcome and wants to stay.”

The new strategy will also support the goals of Canada’s Economic Strategy Tables for the country’s health and biosciences sector, which aim to foster a sustainable, globally competitive health ecosystem that promotes improved health outcomes.

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