Cloudy, with a chance of labour shortages

There are two types of labour shortages. One is for skilled workers, people who require education and training to do their jobs, and the other is for semi-skilled workers - jobs that require little training. Alberta has seen both, but as the economy collapsed with falling energy prices, Alberta suddenly found itself with more workers than it had positions.

The collapse did affect all sectors. Even health care, once touted as the one sector to never decline again is not hiring as the government tries to reign in spending. But the people I see who are most affected by this downturn are individuals with little education. The job market is certainly more competitive than it once was, but the right people with the right experience are still finding the right job.

Demographics point to the inevitable. The baby boomers are retiring. Certainly, some will stay in the workforce for many more years, but many will leave their careers of 25-30 years and move into something that is more suitable for someone in their 60's. An accountant who has had one too many tax seasons opens a small hobby shop specializing in toy trains. A pipefitter recovers from cancer surgery and can't pull wrenches anymore, so helps his local church on an almost daily basis. A senior manager (government or corporate) is tired of the bloody cold so starts wintering in warmer climes. This is just starting to happen.

There will always be those who do not want to continue on their education so they will take the semi-skilled jobs. I believe the boom gave some of these individuals unrealistic expectations. The truth is, that the jobs in our economy require some level of training. Our economy is not run on people who can dig holes or serve you at a cash register. We need people who can plan the holes and make sure the money from the cash register all adds up. We need people to lay pipe, stick it together, put it in the air and make sure it is done safely and with minimal harm to our environment. That doesn't mean you need a university degree. But it does mean you need to invest some of your time and money into training.

There is no magic sector that is hiring people right now and there is no quick course you can take so you can get into that magic sector. As the economy slowly recovers all sectors will need people. I believe the key is to find something you want to do, get the training and start getting the experience. This will put you into a good position once the next, more endemic labour shortage comes around.