A labour market symposium at the Westmark Whitehorse today was set to start the development of five strategies coming out of the territory's labour market framework.

The symposium began this morning with about 100 representatives from governments, first nations, business and industries spending most of the day in groups. They are discussing what they want to see in the strategies of comprehensive skills and trades training, immigration, national recruitment, employee retention and labour market information.

Before heading off into the break-out groups, Shawn Kitchen, the Department of Education's director of labour market programs and services, presented the labour market framework, noting the 14-page document came out of the labour changes that have taken place in the past few years.

"We want to be effective and responsive," he said.

It's important to note the words inclusive and adaptable are key components to the framework, Kitchen said, with a vision statement that reads:

"An inclusive and adaptable labour market that meets the demands of a strong, diversified economy and provides opportunity for a better quality of life for Yukoners."

As a small community, "we're all in this together," Kitchen said.

He pointed out that while the impact of the world economic crisis isn't expected to be known in the Yukon for a few months, the territory needs a plan that can adjust to changes.

While the Yukon has benefitted from a healthy boom in recent years, Yukoners who have lived here for a long time know the boom and bust cycles of the territory's economy and its important the territory's plan deals with possible changes, he pointed out.

"We need to be cognizant of the changes that are out there," he said, noting that regardless of the current global market issues, there are normally times of economic downturn in any cycle.

The framework outlines five principles including:

• being adaptable: responding to changes in the economy through innovation and flexibility;

• being inclusive: embodying an holistic approach that considers the interests of individuals, workers and employers;

• building on strengths and successes: recognizing positive activities already underway in the Yukon to attract, retain, educate, and train people for the labour market, while also remaining open to new ideas;

• focussing on accountability for results; and

• emphasizing partnerships.

To develop the labour market, there needs to be training and development, recruitment, retention and labour market information.

"These four pillars identify key labour market areas that need to be addressed to ensure that employers are able to find and attract qualified workers," states the framework.

While the labour market framework is now complete, Kitchen said it will likely be a year before the five strategies are finished with work getting underway today in the group discussions happening at the symposium.

"We recognize there's a lot of overlap between the strategies," he said, pointing out the immigration strategy and national recruitment strategy may end up sharing some common points.

Among the strategies:

• Comprehensive Skills and Trades Training would be a renewal of the decade-old Yukon Training Strategy, aimed at ensuring effective training initiatives are provided to meet the current needs of the labour market and foster economic growth;

• Immigration would address issues like recruiting international workers, immigration, demographic growth in the territory along with retention and settlement services for immigrants;

• National Recruitment would see a marketing scheme and specific initiatives aimed at encouraging people from other provinces and territories to relocate to the Yukon for work;

• Employee Retention would develop initiatives to assist employers in keeping their current staff. Research would look at other national programs and adopting initiatives from other regions; and

• Labour Market Information would work into the development of all the other strategies with existing information updated and used to better reflect the economy.

"Data collection for (labour market information) must be ongoing and the results effectively disseminated to interested stakeholders," reads the framework.

The territory has hired a co-ordinator to oversee the development of the strategies with working groups now being formed and the symposium underway to get ideas on what each strategy could include.

"(The) Yukon government is really starting with a blank page," Kitchen said.

Over the next year, following the input, draft strategies for the five areas will be developed. It's expected draft documents would be available for pubic and stakeholder input next fall, with the implementation of the plan's beginning in the winter of 2009.

Education Minister Patrick Rouble was at the symposium this morning. He noted the territory is stressing the importance of looking to the future labour market situation while also addressing the needs of today's labour market.

"We've got some great programs out there," he said, adding the strategies will help fine-tune initiatives already in place and identify the challenges.

Rouble encouraged participation in the groups so the government can get a good idea of what direction it needs to take in the future.

"It's all dependent on you and your participation," he said.