In uncertain economic times, British Columbia needs its workforce firing on all cylinders. We need to make the best possible use of the experience, talent and willingness already present in our communities.
That means looking beyond attracting new workers. It also means helping people already in the labour market build their skills, step into larger roles and move toward opportunities where they can contribute most.
Mid-career workers are an important part of that response. Some are navigating tariffs, industry disruption, changes to their health or technological change. Others want to grow within their current workplace. For small and medium-sized employers, helping an experienced employee take on greater responsibility through training and career-building supports may be a practical way to prepare for retirements, respond to change and retain valuable knowledge.
The willingness is often there. The opportunity may be there. What is often missing is the connection between them. Mid-career workers need support and flexibility to overcome the barriers unique to them.
A mid-career working person may need support to understand which skills are transferable, identify a realistic next role, find flexible training, access financial assistance, and balance learning with work, caregiving and other responsibilities. These are not simply training decisions. They are major life and career-transition decisions, and many workers need trusted, individualized guidance to navigate them successfully.
The advice they received when they started out may no longer be relevant. The place they worked hard in may be changing, and they may want to change with it but find that training conflicts with their working hours or is financially out of reach. These are some of the challenges we hear about in our communities.
Smaller employers may recognize that an employee is ready to take on more responsibility but lack the time, capacity or workforce-planning expertise to identify the right training pathway. Programs can also be difficult to find, and narrow eligibility requirements may exclude people who are ready to learn but do not fit a specific category.
The Future Skills Centre’s work on mid-career transitions reinforces the importance of flexible training, earlier intervention, individualized support and reducing fragmented services.
We also know that the loss of meaningful employment or a lack of opportunities to use one’s skills and abilities can affect health and well-being. Meaningful employment, job security, working conditions and the ability to participate fully in society are closely connected to the social determinants of health.
I also bring some lived experience to this area, so it is a topic I care deeply about and understand personally.
Community-based employment services offer an already-built bridge that can pull this work together. Bringing skills, workers, employers, training, funding, programs, community knowledge and local economic needs together in a human-centred way is at the heart of what these organizations do.
ASPECT members are part of an invaluable, established network that understands local labour markets and the realities facing workers and employers. They can identify transferable skills, connect people to training and funding, and build pathways that reflect individual circumstances, employer needs and local opportunities.
At a time of economic uncertainty, this network is infrastructure B.C. can use now. Removing barriers to accessing it would add another practical layer to the province’s economic response.
Removing barriers to training and career-transition support is not a side issue. It is part of ensuring willing people can reach the opportunities that make sense and building the adaptable, resilient workforce our economy will depend on.
Jennifer Nichol, Interim CEO
jnichol@aspect.bc.ca
ASPECT BC
