Attract, retain, and invest in talent
Pathways to Potential: 2021 MUNICIPAL ELECTION PLATFORM
We envision a vibrant Calgary that develops, retains, and attracts talent from all walks of life, enabling our city and our people to have the skills needed to thrive in the economy of today and tomorrow.
Challenge
As one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, Calgary has the potential to leverage a growing population to improve its economic outlook. However, as the city’s population increases overall, one key demographic is shrinking: young adults between the ages of 20-24.
Our ability to attract and retain young talent will facilitate:
- Increased opportunities for innovation in business and industry;
- Greater ability to realize economic diversification;
- Higher and more sustainable workforce productivity;
- Greater potential for labor force replacement and growth; and
- Increased interest from businesses as they choose to locate closer to readily available talent.
Opportunity
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored a greater need for digital skills and programming talent. Critically, Calgary offers significant depth in scientific and engineering disciplines, offering a solid foundation on which to develop and attract new industries.
Persistent economic headwinds, combined with the need to tackle climate change issues, has also spurred technological innovation and growth in many sectors, including the energy sector, which is poised to play a leading role in the transition to a low carbon economy. We believe this is key to attracting young people to live and work in our city. Additionally, Calgary’s lower cost and higher quality of living compared with other major cities makes our city an attractive option.
Calgary has an opportunity to leverage these competitive advantages by diversifying training and employment opportunities, investing in community vibrancy and leading the way in employment best practices, including mental health initiatives and equity, diversity and inclusion.
Pathways to Potential
1. Promote and develop growing companies, including through accelerators and incubators.
To enable long-term economic growth, we must support the development of an ecosystem that enables start-ups to launch and grow.
Fund and promote incubators and accelerators to diversify our economy through targeted investment in the technology and other sectors. The City should leverage funding from other levels of government to increase the pool of capital available for research and development.
Ensure companies of all sizes and across different sectors can navigate and access business and entrepreneurship programs.
Focus on creating a culture of connectedness and collaboration, convening incubators and accelerators, innovators, businesses, and associations through forums, working groups, and other avenues.
Help small and early-stage companies access capital so they can innovate and grow by attracting accelerators, private and angel capital.
Prioritize support for companies focused on climate change and emissions reduction.
2. Invest in community vibrancy.
Talented professionals want to live in vibrant, diverse, and connected cities and communities. These highly skilled and creative professionals drive innovation and economic growth.
Showcase Calgary as a great place to live on local, national, and international stages, working with partners such as Calgary Economic Development and arts organizations to highlight the City’s vibrancy and diversity as a competitive advantage, helping attract companies and talent.
Invest in facilities, public spaces and programs that enable an active and connected lifestyle year-round. This includes recreation facilities, bike lanes and pathways.
Increase funding to the arts and entertainment sector, including both programming (e.g. performances, exhibits, etc.) and infrastructure (e.g. arts centers), and by allocating funding for diverse groups and extending Calgary Arts Development’s Project Grant Program. Currently, Calgary has the second-lowest support of the arts among major Canadian cities.
Support initiatives that foster an affordable cost of living and high quality of life, keeping city services and amenities affordable for all.
3. Encourage and develop workplace best practices, including mental health initiatives.
Through the pandemic, one in five Canadians reported depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic stress. Poor mental health is also costly, at an estimated $51 billion per year in Canada.
Promote initiatives similar to those developed by community organizations such as the United Way, which, together with headversity, have developed the Adaptive YYC initiative supporting mental health and well-being.
Increasing funding for mental health organizations that support accessible and affordable service delivery.
4. Advocate for the development of Calgary’s talent pipeline through strong post-secondary institutions.
Calgary’s colleges, universities, and technical schools are among the best in the country. As we transition to a knowledge-based economy focused on innovation, automation, and cross-sectoral collaboration, postsecondaries are producing the next generation to lead our city.
Work with the provincial government to provide post-secondary institutions with stable funding and supports. Align post-secondary offerings with growth of various existing and emerging sectors including energy, technology, agriculture, health sciences, entertainment and media.
Support work-integrated learning and micro-credentialling by connecting businesses with skilled talent through an online portal akin to the federal Job Bank.
Work with the provincial government to attract more exchange students and work programs such as work-integrated learning and co-op programs to Calgary.
We have so much potential, Calgary.
We see a path to fair and equitable property tax contributions from residents and businesses to support services we rely on and our community well-being.
Stay up to date with the Calgary Chamber.
Stay up to date with the Calgary Chamber.
