Last summer the Canadian Chamber of Commerce invited chambers to participate in a survey to find out what you thought were the top 10 barriers to Canada’s competitiveness. Of the 10 barriers presented in the survey, the chamber network, comprised of chambers from across the country, indicated that Canada’s skills crisis was the top barrier faced by businesses seeking to succeed in Canada.

Over the next year, and beyond, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce will work with the chamber network to move the skills agenda forward.

We have worked with the provincial/territorial and regional chambers to fine tune this and you can expect them to be partnering on this important issue as well. We know that the skills agenda touches many layers of jurisdiction and opportunities, and we will work with our partners to ensure that we’re getting the most out of our partnerships. We will create tools for Barrie Chamber members that will provide the context for the problems and challenges faced by businesses – so that policymakers may understand what this issue means to businesses from coast to coast to coast. We want businesses to be able to tell their stories – both challenges and successes – through the tools that we will provide. We want to share these stories online – so that everyone can see that this is a big issue with real tangible consequences in communities across the country. We want Barrie Chamber members to become part of the story-telling that surrounds this barrier to success and as well as be part of the solution.

How can Barrie Chamber members participate?

We have tools that can help you now – tools that will help you wade through various government programs that can assist as you face recruiting challenges right now.

We have created a portal — ChamberTop10.ca — that members can access to see what other businesses are doing or how they are affected.

We have also had discussions with the government departments that have a big stake in this issue, and we feel that their help will be forthcoming.

What are our expectations of this initiative?

It is our hope that, since the chamber network has indicated this is the top challenge to business, that Barrie Chamber members will join us in our advocacy efforts to create the environment for improvement on this barrier to success.

Without you providing the real-time stories and working for change in your community on this top barrier to success we will be ineffective.

For more information on the top 10 barriers to competitiveness, visit ChamberTop10.ca.

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