Date:  August, 2006 - March 2007

Overview:  Toronto’s largest employer is the financial services industry, comprising banking, investment and the insurance industry. The Toronto Financial Services Alliance received funding from the federal government to explore "what needs to happen to ensure Toronto’s financial services industry meets its human resource challenges in the coming decade". Tim Woods was retained by the project to design and manage a deliberative dialogue event. Held in November 2006, the event brought together senior representatives from all three industries, from the municipal, provincial and federal governments and from area colleges and universities. 

Participants in the dialogue were provided with a Choice Book prior to the event that presented fresh data detailing the labour market challenges facing the industry. Participants were asked to review and discuss this information and consider which of three policy directions was best suited to meet the industry’s human resource challenges.

Participants agreed current HR strategies were not well suited to meet the future challenges facing the industry.  The final report addresses a wide range of initiatives including a call for greater collaboration among industry partners, governments, educators and immigrant serving agencies.   This was very much in keeping with the voice of participants attending the deliberative dialogue event.