Since 1979, go2 has served BC's tourism and hospitality industry with programs and services that support its growth and success. Formerly known as the Hospitality Industry Education Advisory Committee (HIEAC), the organization was re-branded as go2 in 2003, on the recommendation of an 18-month task force involving more than 100 industry representatives and stakeholders around the province, to reflect a new direction and expanded mandate as the go-to place for all the industry's people management needs.
To learn about go2's various programs at a glance, please view the About go2 brochure
Following are some of the ways go2 is helping industry to address the labour shortage challenge:
go2, with the support of industry, launched an advertising and PR campaign called MOVE ON UP™ with a career in tourism. The campaign is intended to be multi-year and is targeted to youth, their influencers and under-represented labour groups. The campaign includes the following tactics:
- Print and radio advertising
- Public relations activities to promote careers in tourism
- Career awareness presentations in high schools and to under-represented groups
- Exhibiting at career fairs
- Partnerships with associations such as the BC Chefs' Association and Canada West Ski Areas Association to profile careers in specific sectors of tourism
- Moveonup.ca website and e-newsletter
go2 is coordinating regional labour market research around BC. The Sea-to-Sky region (Whistler) was the first to start, followed by the Kootenay Rockies. Other regions are planned to follow upon receipt of funding. go2 is assisting these regions with development of strategic human resource plans based on the research to help them address labour shortages.
In 2005 go2, working with other Western provinces, released the Western Canadian Tourism Industry Compensation Study. The study shows a current review of wage, salary and benefits in Western Canada. Since 2008, go2 has been working with the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) and other provincial human resources organizations to conduct a bi-annual tourism compensation study to stay informed of trends in wage, salary and benefits in the most common occupations in the tourism and hospitality in Canada.
go2 educates employers on HR issues such as recruitment, retention, training and legal issues through the go2hr.ca portal website, e-newsletter, articles in trade publications and speaking regularly at industry events and conferences. go2 also sponsors awards to highlight BC tourism employers with exemplary HR and leadership practices.
In late 2006, go2 was selected by the Industry Training Authority to take on a new training mandate for tourism and hospitality in BC. The mandate is to provide an effective industry-driven training function by defining training needs, setting industry training and occupational standards, measuring training results and directly interfacing with training providers. go2 is currently responsible for managing the Cook, Baker, Meatcutter and Tidal Angling Guide trades with the mandate to evaluate the need for new trades in the sector.
Working in partnership with WorkSafeBC, go2 strives to establish the tourism and hospitality industry as a leader in best occupational health and safety practices. We provide health and safety resources as well as administers the Certificate of Recognition (COR) program that offers employers rebates on WorkSafeBC premiums.
go2 has published a guide to assist employers with accessing the Temporary Foreign Worker program. The guide is updated on an ongoing basis to include recent amendments to the temporary foreign worker programs.
Labour shortage strategy
There is no "silver bullet" to address the labour shortage issue. go2 is proposing that BC’s tourism industry needs to have a multi-faceted strategy to be successful.
The following goals and objectives have been identified:
- Become better employers
- Retain existing workers
- Increase investment in training
- Raise awareness of careers in tourism
- Increase productivity in business operations
- Increase recruitment efforts to include targeting under represented groups
- Recruit workers from other parts of the province and across Canada
- Recruit workers from other countries
Access go2’s annual reports and quarterly updates.
