The Resource Recovery Labour Market Partnership Project was initiated by Community Social Planning Council (CSPC) of Greater Victoria and supported by the Employment Program of British Colombia and funded by the Governments of Canada and British Colombia respectively. Light House is part of the advisory committee for the project, providing strategic guidance on opportunities within the construction, renovation and demolition sector.

The primary project objective was to explore labour market opportunities within the waste management and recycling sector in the capital region on Vancouver Island, with a focus on increasing waste diversion rates while simultaneously improving career pathways for people with barriers to employment.

In December 2015, the CSPC published the Phase 1 Report “TURNING LOCAL WASTE INTO LOCAL JOBS: Exploring Labour Market Potential in the Capital Region’s Waste and Recycling Sector.” Priority areas were identified by examining the current context of the Capital Region Waste and Recycling Sector as well as reviewing best practices from other jurisdictions for creating low barrier employment within the waste and recycling sector. Major recommendations include developing legislation and policies that consider environmental and social goals as part of sustainability strategies, developing localized stewardship programs and prioritizing efforts in ‘hard to recycle’ waste streams that typically offer high job creation potential.

The Executive Summary of the Phase 1 report is available here and the full report can be found here.