Skills shortage a myth: TD report

There are a growing number of articles in media about the national skills shortage. The articles point out that businesses are concerned and can't wait for the new grants program to get going. That's the program that does not exist but has been advertised extensively and is being pushed down provincial throats by Harper.
The articles are part of the echo chamber used to push ideological positions and programs and make them real.

The skills shortage is a right wing scam. There may be incidental shortages in some areas which is normal, but there is no widespread shortage of skilled workers. A TD reports even speaks to that fact. Honest economists and reporters find no major skills shortages.

If articles echoing Steve's position are seen in your wanderings, you might want to take the time to refute the articles, and point out bias and mistruths.

This is one article that refutes what Steve pushes. You can find others online.

http://fftimes.com/node/263099

THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA—A new report from the TD Bank attempts to debunk what its authors call the myth of widespread skills mismatches in Canada and of a looming labour shortage as the workforce ages.

 The findings run counter to the general discourse on the subject over the past few years, which has tended to highlight shortages in trades and in Western Canada, along with warnings of overall labour shortages as the “baby boom” generation moves into retirement.

The federal government has introduced several measures to combat the problem, including more stringent rules for obtaining unemployment insurance benefits and a new proposal, called the Jobs Grant, that directly would involve employers in decisions and funding of training programs.

 The government has said it will go ahead with the program despite what appears to be near universal opposition from the provinces.

 But the bank’s report, authored by TD’s deputy chief economist Derek Burleton and three other bank economists, says whatever skills shortages exist are isolated and likely no greater than a decade ago.

“Evidence of economy-wide shortages is hard to find,” said Burleton. “Yes, across regions and occupations, skills mismatches [exist] because you are never going to get a perfect match.