SLMA Project Overview & History

The Shuswap Labour Market Assessment & Planning Project (SLMAPP) originated through the Community Employer Partnership Program.

2011

Community Employer Partnership Program (CEPP)

Initiated in 2011 by the Province of BC, the CEPP was created to help BC Communities to:

• promote job creation and employment opportunities,

• employ a community collaborative planning process,

• identify and respond to local labour market issues and needs, and

• support innovative community/employer Labour Market partnerships.

To that end, a collection of four LMDA funding Streams were made available to support initiatives, including:

• Job Creation Partnership (JCP)

• Labour Market Partnership (LMP)

• Research and Innovation (R&I)

• Project Based Labour Market Training (PBLMT)

More information on the CEP program can be found HERE

2012

Shuswap CEPP Advisory Committee

Recognizing we can best achieve these goals together through a Shuswap regional collaborative effort, a Shuswap CEPP Advisory Committee was created in 2012, sharing local labour market issues and needs and how we might mutually address them. The Committee has supported opportunities for regional consultation, development of strategies and regional initiatives, avoided duplication and ensured efficient use of available resources.

2015

Sicamous & CSRD Area E Labour Market Assessment & Planning Project

The first regional Labour Market Project launched was the Sicamous and CSRD Area E Labour Market Assessment and Planning Project. Funded by the Provincial Labour Market Partnership Funding Stream from February 23 – December 11, 2015, it was highly successful in achieving their goals. A community Labour Market Action Team (LMAT) was created during the process, working collaboratively with the District of Sicamous and community members to support employment opportunities and address labour market needs.

The primary goal of the partners was to ensure that ‘data’ got transferred into ‘action’, and that community driven efforts continued to make the area a better place to work, to conduct business, to build community collaboration and to foster resilience in the labour market. Copies of the final report for the Sicamous and CSRD Area E Labour Market Assessment and Planning Project can be found on the Community Futures Shuswap website HERE

Shuswap Labour Market Assessment & Planning Project (SLMAPP)

Building on the success of the Sicamous and CSRD LM initiative, a new collaborative partnership was formed to submit a proposal for the SLMAPP initiative. Beginning in 2015, the First Nations and regional partners held meetings to explore a collaborative partnership and develop the proposal. Six communities were chosen, and were subsequently officially approved by the lead partners at meetings held in 2016 with 4 Shuswap First Nation Bands (including endorsement by Sexqeltkemc te Secwepemc), CSRD for Area C, and SAEDS for Salmon Arm.

2017

The joint proposal was then submitted and approved through the Provincial CEPP Labour Market Partnership Funding. It began on January 3, 2017 and the project will be completed on November 30, 2017. The list of partners who signed on to support the SLMAPP include:

• First Nations – Adams Lake Indian Band

• Little Shuswap Indian Band

• Neskonlith Indian Band

• Splatsin First Nations and

• Sexqeltkemc te Secwepemc (Lakes Division)

• Métis Community – Salmon Arm Métis Association

• City of Salmon Arm

• Salmon Arm Economic Development Society

• Columbia Shuswap Regional District – CSRD Area C

• Educational Facilities – Okanagan College

• Businesses - Sexqeltkemc Enterprises Inc.

• Splatsin Development Corporation

• Focus Ability – Workable Solutions

• Community Organizations - Community Futures Shuswap

• Salmon Arm Economic Development Society

• Salmon Arm Chamber of Commerce

• South Shuswap Chamber of Commerce and

• WorkBC Employment Service Centre

Project Objectives

Using Participatory Action Research, the Project Team will work with community stakeholders and First Nations to accomplish the objectives, which include:

• Identify the current labour market and human resource barriers / opportunities through Participatory Action Research;

• Complete an analysis of the results with community partners;

• Facilitate a community-led and collaborative approach to develop a community-based implementation strategy informed by that research.

Sub-Objectives include:

• Create a detailed labour market profile and demographic supply analysis;

• Identify and address labour market issues related to transferable and essential skills;

• Enhance community awareness and access to BC Works Labour Market Services;

• Develop strategies with the community stakeholders and First Nations to address the issues;

• Increase regional collaboration and support

• Provide action plan results and recommendations for inclusion in individual partners Community Development Plans.

• Strategies will be developed that will build capacity, strengthen partnerships, and define an action plan to respond to identified challenges and opportunities.

This information will be made available to community stakeholders and the public. The lead proponent, submitting the proposal for the SLMAPP partners, is Community Futures Shuswap. The contract to coordinate and implement the proposal was awarded to Ironsight Business Strategies, In

Our Project Team:

For further information, please contact one of our team members.

Research Lead: Dr. Jason Woodman-Simmonds – jason@ironsightstrategies.com

Project Coordinator: Barbara Simmonds – barbara@ironsightstrategies.com

Project Coordinator: Bonnie Thomas – bonnie@ironsightstrategies.com

Shuswap CEP Advisory Committee Chair: Rob Marshall – rmarshall@futureshuswap.com