4.0 Research on the Net
Learn about the economy
"What do you get when you cross a godfather with an
economist? An offer you can’t understand."
This quotation from Ros Kunin, noted BC economist, pretty
much sums up what many people feel about economics. Learning about the economy
isn't something that many of us would choose to do in our spare time!
However, the economy is becoming more complicated, driven
by changing technology, the global economy and demographic shifts (population
trends). It’s becoming more important for people to understand the "big
picture" trends that affect the economy. These economic trends in turn
affect how and where we work. Learning how the economy operates, or developing
"economic literacy," is becoming an essential skill for finding and keeping
work in today's labour market.
This is where research comes in. Module 4 will point you
to resources on the Internet that you can use to learn:
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How the economy works in both Canada and BC.
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What the major economic trends are.
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Which industries or sectors are growing and shrinking.
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What kinds of skills you need to succeed.
Learn about the labour market
Before you can successfully find work in any community,
it’s important that you gather as much information as you can about the
labour market. "Labour market information" (or LMI) can include just about
any information that affects your ability to find and keep work.
Labour market information helps you to identify:
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The career area in which you want to work.
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Which sector or industry you might want to work in.
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Where to find work in a particular community.
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What education and training you need to be successful.
In the Research Module, we'll talk about four kinds of labour
market information (LMI) that are important for your work search. You can
research these on the Net.
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Occupational LMI
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Education and Training LMI
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Sector or industrial LMI (e.g. tourism, forestry, health
care, etc.)
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Community LMI
Learn about employers and professional
associations
You'll find the Internet is also a great source of information
about employers and employment fields.
This module will help you find the websites of potential BC employers and professional associations which provide information about
the field you're interested in.
So here’s our offer and we hope you don’t refuse: Go to
the next module and start learning about our labour market and the BC economy.
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