CFDCCO supports Okanagan Valley Labour Market Outlook Survey

January 29, 2014

You may have been invited to participate in a survey about the labour market outlook being conducted by R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. on behalf of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. A representative will be visiting your region and contacting your organization in January or February to complete an interview with you in-person, by paper, by phone, online, or by fax. The project is funded by the:
• Okanagan Valley Economic Development Society;
• Okanagan College;
• University of British Columbia Okanagan;
• Government of Canada, Province of British Columbia: Labour Market Partnership; and
• Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (a function of the Regional District of Central Okanagan).

The Okanagan Valley is experiencing a change in economic climate and demographic shift, which brings unique opportunities and challenges to businesses that operate in the region. Your opinions will help us understand the labour market trends so that the future supply of labour will meet demand in order to grow and maintain a strong regional economy. Information you provide will be used to:
• Forecast demand and supply of labour in the region from 2015 through 2019;
• Identify sources of labour by major occupation;
• Identify gaps with respect to labour supply and training programming;
• Help inform policies and programs to respond to labour market gaps; and
• Inform the development of education and skilled training over the next five years.

Your opinions are important and the Regional District of Central Okanagan and its partners strongly encourage you to participate. Your participation is voluntary, and will not affect your relationship with the Regional District. Individual data pertaining to any organization or person will not be published and will be treated as anonymous. The information you provide will be used for research purposes only and will be administered under the applicable federal and provincial privacy laws.

As a thank you for your time, you will be offered a $10 Tim Hortons gift card when you complete the survey in-person with our interviewers. You may also enter your name in a draw for a chance to win one of two super prizes. Your name will not be linked to your responses.
1) Return flights from Kelowna to Vancouver, one night accommodation and two tickets to
a 2013/14 Canucks season game; or
2) A spa package at Sparkling Hill Resort in Vernon (to be redeemed by June, 2014).

Within one week after receiving this information package, our interviewers will visit your business or contact you by phone to identify the person most knowledgeable about human resource in your company to complete the survey and discuss your preferred method for providing the requested information. This includes an opportunity to complete the survey inperson with one of our interviewers when we visit your region in January or February. The interview will take approximately 45 to 60 minutes to complete. We would ask that you complete the survey by March 1, 2014. You may complete the survey:
• In-Person: Either complete the survey with an interviewer who will drop by your business or schedule an in-person visit by calling R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd.
toll-free at 1-888-274-1700 with your access code

Monday-Friday: 8:30am to 9:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am to 6:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm to 8:00pm

• By Phone: Call R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. toll-free at 1-888-274-1700 with your access code to complete the survey over the phone.
• On Paper: Ask for a paper survey package from our interviewer, complete the survey, and return it to R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. using the enclosed postagepaid envelope.
• By Fax: Ask for a paper survey package from our interviewer, fax the completed survey to R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd at 1-888-384-2774 (toll free).
• Online: Visit okanagan.malatest.net to complete the survey online with your access code.

For questions about the survey, please contact Ben Chou from R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. at 1-800-665-5848 ext. 426 (toll free). To verify the legitimacy of the survey, please contact
Corie Griffiths, Business Development Officer at (250) 469-6280 from the Regional District of Central Okanagan.

Thank you for your participation in this important study that will help build a stronger Okanagan Valley economy.

Sincerely,
Robert Fine,
Executive Director
Economic Development Commission
Regional District of Central Okanagan