British Columbia’s 14 resort communities are participating in a five-month long study that will help identify labour market trends, gaps and practices.

The study was triggered by the Whistler Chamber of Commerce, which approached go2 Tourism HR Society, an independent non-profit, to implement the study.

“B.C.’s resort communities are virtual laboratories of innovative seasonal recruitment, training and retention practices,” said go2 CEO Arlene Keis in a press release. “With labour shortages beginning to re-emerge across B.C., this project will give us many important and timely insights into the unique labour market dynamics and needs in not only resort communities, but also in other rural and remote communities in B.C. that rely on tourism.”

Dubbed the B.C. Resort Community Labour Market Strategic Analysis, the study will include interviews, focus groups and surveys.

Chamber president Fiona Famulak says they are excited to have been the trigger for this study that will explain labour market dynamics and enhance recruitment and retention.

With the entire province’s resorts participating, it will be an opportunity to learn about the individual issues of each community.

“It will be a two-way exchange of information,” she said.

Whistler, for instance, gets an influx of employees around October and November that only stay until April. This affects businesses’ productivity and competitiveness, Famulak said.

“We’re hoping solutions will come out of this to help employers,” she added.

The B.C. government is putting $70,000 towards this study, which is funded through a Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement. The LMDA has dedicated its budget to providing employment assistance services, job-creation partnerships, labour market partnerships, self-employment, skills development and targeted wage subsidies programs during 2012-13.