Whose job is it to bring the jobs here?

[matai]

I was wondering.. the Okanagan seriously lacks manufacturing industries and "minimum living to be out of extreme poverty" wages.

Who's job is it to attract them here?

Do you think the cities, and especially the District of Peachland and the District of West Kelowna should have a budget, have a delegation, make some traveling, attend some shows and conventions and try to convince industries from Vancouver, Canada and even USA to come and establish themselves here?

Or do you think it's the MLA's job?

Or the MP's job?

Or the private developers job?

Or the tourism industry job?

Or the chambers of commerce job?

Or else?

What is currently done in regards to this? What benefits are we offering to attract them here? Anyone knows?

All I hear is more homes, more homes... but what's about jobs? It's nice to have a home, but it's nicer to have a job.

Because finally, if "they" don't know about our area, how can they come and establish themselves here?

Your two cents, quarter or 10 dollars bill?

[OhMyDarlin]

It's your job. You put up your own time and money.

OMD

[Zoso]

No such thing as manufacturing and good wages . That's why they all left. Cost of living is too high here.

[atenbacon]

No such thing as manufacturing and good wages . That's why they all left. Cost of living is too high here.

Speak for yourself, there are quite a few good paying jobs in Manufacturing here, just because you don't have one doesn't make your statement factual... You sound more like just another of many people that feel some need to whine and complain about their own lack of job skills and planning because they couldn't make it in the big city of Kelowna. I say to you Boo-Hoo.

[gardengirl]

No such thing as manufacturing and good wages . That's why they all left. Cost of living is too high here.

Speak for yourself, there are quite a few good paying jobs in Manufacturing here, just because you don't have one doesn't make your statement factual... You sound more like just another of many people that feel some need to whine and complain about their own lack of job skills and planning because they couldn't make it in the big city of Kelowna. I say to you Boo-Hoo.

Could you please provide some examples of these jobs and the training required for them?

[jon peter christoff]

Well as I understand the theory: -government provides the soil, but we plant the seeds.

The most successful medium to large businesses here usually are marketing around the world, -as for jobs, two thirds here work for govt. either Interior Health, school district or municipal govt. itself, the other third are businesses.

I can tell you as one of the small independent business operator here in DWK, surviving in this local market take a lot of skill.

PS. gardengirl I like your tagline!

[Zoso]

Speak for yourself, there are quite a few good paying jobs in Manufacturing here, just because you don't have one doesn't make your statement factual... You sound more like just another of many people that feel some need to whine and complain about their own lack of job skills and planning because they couldn't make it in the big city of Kelowna. I say to you Boo-Hoo.

Close .. Except change everything you say here to the opposite of that . I say so because I have several employees . And I happen to know what it takes. But if it makes you feel better to belittle someone that is trying to make a go of things , then please move along. I think the intention was to be constructive .

[matai]

It's your job. You put up your own time and money.

OMD

And how am * I * supposed to do that? Sending a summer weather report in a friendly email to a corporation in Dallas looking to establish themselves in Canada telling them we need them here? Sure, sure. It's worth a try.

[gardengirl]

Well as I understand the theory: -government provides the soil, but we plant the seeds.

The most successful medium to large businesses here usually are marketing around the world, -as for jobs, two thirds here work for govt. either Interior Health, school district or municipal govt. itself, the other third are businesses.

I can tell you as one of the small independent business operator here in DWK, surviving in this local market take a lot of skill.

PS. gardengirl I like your tagline!

Thanks, but I can't take the credit. I stole it from my favourite movie; Auntie Mame.

[atenbacon]

Could you please provide some examples of these jobs and the training required for them?

Absolutely, just list for me the work experience and education level you have in manufacturing and I can see where you would fit in.

[atenbacon]

Close .. Except change everything you say here to the opposite of that . I say so because I have several employees . And I happen to know what it takes. But if it makes you feel better to belittle someone that is trying to make a go of things , then please move along. I think the intention was to be constructive .

Well then I apologize... It's not often an employer will come on here and whine about the crappy wages he pays his own employees and make an attempt to show that all of the jobs have moved away.

Are you staying in Kelowna or are you one of those employers that turned tail and ran?

Your initial opinion was anything but constructive, you indeed are a special breed of employer.

[Bsuds]

Could you please provide some examples of these jobs and the training required for them?

Absolutely, just list for me the work experience and education level you have in manufacturing and I can see where you would fit in.

When you deflect a legitimate question with another question you lose all credibility.

If you can't answer then just admit it.

[36Drew]

The reason why there's a lack of a good industrial sector in Kelowna is actually rather basic: Transportation. Materials need to be trucked in, and finished good trucked out. Kelowna just isn't on a main highway (sorry, 97C just isn't one), there's no port for goods to land or to be shipped off, and rail access is so extremely limited it may as well be non-existent.

Kamloops at least has rail and is at a junction of highways. Penticton is at least within proximity of highway 3 and not far from the border. However, the bulk of manufacturing in the province occurs in the GVRD area for but one simple reason: Transportation of goods. We have a shipping port down here. There's good highway access. There's multiple entry points to/from the USA. There's also like millions of people in the labour pool to keep industry going.

Kelowna had a chance to make a play with the new Okanagan Correctional Centre. That would have brought in some good jobs and required supporting industry. There just didn't seem to be any push to bring that to Kelowna.

[LoneWolf_53]

Kelowna just isn't on a main highway (sorry, 97C just isn't one), there's no port for goods to land or to be shipped off, and rail access is so extremely limited it may as well be non-existent.

Errrrrrr........................................... rail access is non-existent.

[atenbacon]

When you deflect a legitimate question with another question you lose all credibility.

If you can't answer then just admit it.

I can... But why would I list every job that people work in that are in the Kelowna area that involve Manufacturing and that pay well? I have seen threads like this before, and it usually involves people whining that there are no jobs, and that $70-120,000 per year is low wages...Leaving absolutely no job in the world qualifying as a good paying job... But oh well, here I'll start with a few just off the top of my head...

Technologist, Engineer, Machinist, Project Manager, Electrician, Fabricator, Heavy duty Mechanics,Tool and Die Maker, Supervisor, Estimator, Plant Manager, Millwright, Accountant......

It was not a legitimate question, it was a dumb question that gets a dumb answer considering that there are plenty of Manufacturing jobs out there to be had, and plenty that pay well, it depends on experience and training. If you are questioning if they exist then chances are you do not have the skills to get a job in that area.

This is why their experience is needed as a base to understand where they would fit in.