Technical Service Council
Encyclopedia
The Technical Service Council was set up to combat the "brain drain
" of Canadian engineers to the United States
, when over 20% of the graduating classes were emigrating. Ireland
, India
, New Zealand
and even Switzerland
have had similar problems.
In 1927, Canadian industry financed the Council, whose directors quickly decided that a non-profit employment service that was free to graduates might minimize emigration. The service survived the Depression, played a part in recruiting scientists and engineers for war work, pioneered outplacement and expanded to include other professional occupations. It financed major studies of the supply of and demand for engineers and offered free-job-hunting courses to professionals.
Although started in Toronto
, the Council eventually had offices in Montreal
, Winnipeg
, Calgary
, Edmonton
and Vancouver
before becoming bankrupt in 1994. It may have reduced the brain drain during its first 20 or 25 years, but it's not possible to judge its later record.
Robert A. Bryce, president of Macassa Mines Ltd. and Prof. H.E.T. Haultain of the University of Toronto
resolved to act. In 1927 they and Rev.Canon H.J. Cody, president of the University of Toronto, invited the chief executives of major firms to a dinner at the National Club in Toronto. After hearing how the loss of talent could hamper industry, each of the 12 executives promised $1,000 to fund a non-profit organization to combat the "brain drain". The firm was called the Technical Service Council .
R.E. Smythe was hired to run the Council. After a study of placement operations in other countries and consultation with employers, the directors decided that engineers would not respond to urges to stay in Canada. Instead the Technical Service Council would find jobs for them by operating a free (to graduates) placement service . Employers would be invited to donate to the service, although later some companies used the service without contributing.
soon arrived, wiping out many jobs. Some graduates were placed in welcome, but undemanding jobs, like street car conductor.
By June 30, 1933, over 1,180 personnel had been placed, 110 of whom were repatriated Canadians. Expenses for the first five years of operations
were $44,988 . In 1933, 111 men and women were placed by the Council's staff of two .
Even then it was clear that engineers needed business knowledge. The Council persuaded the University of Western Ontario
to offer a diploma course in management for engineers . Then such a course was novel, if not unique. In 1951 numerous employers and graduates in ceramic engineering
were surveyed on behalf of the University of Saskatchewan
to estimate future demand. Some time later a similar survey was made for the University of Toronto. As a result of these studies, both universities discontinued their ceramic engineering programs .
By 1938, in response employers' demand for "one-stop service", the Council expanded to include executives, accountants, marketing, production and personnel staff . A year later, the economy had improved, but the Council's placements were mainly in Ontario
and Quebec
, where Canada's industry was concentrated.
. Shipyards, steel mills, armaments and munitions factories, aircraft manufacturers and construction companies urgently needed engineers. Few engineers even considered emigrating to the United States because of patriotic reasons and the plethora of jobs.
The Technical Service Council was the only placement service allowed to operate during the war . Its bank of professionals was such an important national resource that 15 recruiters from Defence Industries Ltd., the major munitions manufacturer, were loaned to the Council .
Pioneering work was done on group interviews and recruitment advertising in 1950-52 . The latter study showed how employers could increase response to their ads. The Federal government engaged the Council to write a handbook on the job market for immigrants while the Ontario Government asked the Council to appraise opportunities for prospective immigrants from Great Britain
.
Canadian industry contributed more than $300,000 to the Council between 1927 and 1953 . During the same period, employers listed 16,533 job vacancies . 6,817 men with special training were placed in key positions in business and industry . The Council registered and interviewed 24,607 men with higher education . The qualifications of each were carefully cross-indexed and maintained for employers . An additional 100,000 individuals were interviewed to assess qualifications and give free vocational advice. The average cost per placement rose from $50 to $100 between 1948 and 1954 .
Between 1951 and 1956, 3,072 engineers, equivalent to 31% of graduating classes in engineering, emigrated to the United States . They could have staffed the largest missile centre in the Western World. In 1951 the equivalent of 11% of the graduating classes in engineering left for the United States. In 1956, as immigrants were less likely to be drafted, the percentage had soared to 46% .
In 1957 the Council almost collapsed, but it was revived by new management who increased placement fees.
Shortages of engineers and scientists in Canada often coincided with equally acute shortages in the United States. American companies then recruited actively in Canada, as they did following the 1959 cancellation of Canada's much-vaunted Avro Arrow jet fighter. In addition, Canadians completing post-graduate training in the U.S. often found getting a job locally easier than searching for one in distant Canada .
In 1962 a branch in Montreal
called Technical Service Council/Le Conseil de Placement Professionnel was opened. It was followed by others in Winnipeg
, Calgary
, Edmonton
and Vancouver
.
(then called relocation counselling) in Canada . Its first contract in 1970 eventually developed into a significant activity. In addition to individual counselling, free office services and other benefits, clients were given How to Job Hunt Effectively, a substantial hand and work book . The book was also available to the public and over 5,000 copies were sold.
From 1967 regular one-day employment interviewing courses for line managers were run in major cities. Students received written critiques of their interviews with actors.
By 1971 out-of-work university graduates were so numerous that free "How to Job Hunt" courses were held in several cities . As another public service, over $200,000. was spent researching and publishing ten-year forecasts of the supply of and demand for engineering graduates in 1975 and again in 1988. Both studies were intended to improve understanding of the job market, candidate mobility and help minimize "mismatch" . They were provided free to Canadian universities and sold at below cost to employers .
In the same year, an executive search division, Bryce, Haultain & Associates, was opened and named after two of the Council's co-founders .
In 1976 573 firms were members . Annual membership fees were mainly $100 to $500., depending upon company size and usage. Placement fees were kept low in order to attract job listings. The greater the choice of vacancies, the more likely candidates were to stay in Canada. Placement fees were 4% to 5% of annual income to members . Commercial employment agencies charged 20% to 30% .
Over 17,000 engineers and scientists emigrated from Canada to the United States between 1960 and 1979. The number of engineers emigrating declined from 1,209 in 1967 to only 289 in 1977, and the number of chemists emigrating dropped from 156 to 58 during the same period . However, engineers and scientists emigrating increased from 727 in 1982 to 1,433 in 1985 .
Active job listings reached 4,328 in June 1981,an astonishing figure for such a clearing house. Orders plummeted when Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
's much-hated National Energy Program
took effect. About half the Council's staff was laid off.
Nevertheless, between 1928 and 1988, over 46,000 men and women had received job offers from about 1,700 of the Council's employer clients .
Frequent dramatic swings in the job market caused the Council to build a financial reserve equal to two times annual operating expenses . The reserve was over three times expenses in December, 1991, but the Council was declared bankrupt in September, 1994 .
Any evaluation of the later years is difficult. The number of job vacancies and job hunters both increased. But often supply and demand were out of sync, encouraging emigration. Universities devoted more resources to placing their graduates, but often gave little attention to experienced graduates. Commercial employment agencies expanded, but few lasted five years because of the erratic job market. Eventually, one and then another national newspaper spread news of distant vacancies. Although graduates had better information than ever, the Council was still busy. Despite this, 2,500 professional men moved to the United States in 1950 alone . It is impossible to judge the Council's impact on the "brain drain" since then.
The Ministry of State, Science and Technology asked the Council to study the feasibility of a National Register of Canadians in research-oriented occupations who are working or studying out of the country . The study found that 65% of employers contacted had a strong or moderate interest in a register. It was estimated that only one or two per cent of candidates would find jobs through the register. Neither the register nor a free handbook on job hunting in Canada would get at the reasons why many Canadians do not return: a perceived lack of opportunities in their specialty and lack of research support in Canada .
The study noted that efforts by the Association of Medical Colleges of Canada and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
to recruit Canadians in the U.S. had failed. In 1986 twenty British firms advertised for British-trained engineers in North America
. The ads produced 6,500 replies and about 1,800 job offers. Only 89 offers were accepted at what was considered an uneconomical cost .
Brain drain
Human capital flight, more commonly referred to as "brain drain", is the large-scale emigration of a large group of individuals with technical skills or knowledge. The reasons usually include two aspects which respectively come from countries and individuals...
" of Canadian engineers to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, when over 20% of the graduating classes were emigrating. Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and even Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
have had similar problems.
In 1927, Canadian industry financed the Council, whose directors quickly decided that a non-profit employment service that was free to graduates might minimize emigration. The service survived the Depression, played a part in recruiting scientists and engineers for war work, pioneered outplacement and expanded to include other professional occupations. It financed major studies of the supply of and demand for engineers and offered free-job-hunting courses to professionals.
Although started in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, the Council eventually had offices in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
before becoming bankrupt in 1994. It may have reduced the brain drain during its first 20 or 25 years, but it's not possible to judge its later record.
The Beginning
In the 1920s over 20% of Canadian engineering graduates emigrated to the United States . At that time, jobs in the U.S. were both much more numerous and more varied than in Canada. As Canadian employers complained about personnel shortages, the public became more aware of the "brain drain". Many newspapers and magazines featured the issue, but governments took no action.Robert A. Bryce, president of Macassa Mines Ltd. and Prof. H.E.T. Haultain of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
resolved to act. In 1927 they and Rev.Canon H.J. Cody, president of the University of Toronto, invited the chief executives of major firms to a dinner at the National Club in Toronto. After hearing how the loss of talent could hamper industry, each of the 12 executives promised $1,000 to fund a non-profit organization to combat the "brain drain". The firm was called the Technical Service Council .
R.E. Smythe was hired to run the Council. After a study of placement operations in other countries and consultation with employers, the directors decided that engineers would not respond to urges to stay in Canada. Instead the Technical Service Council would find jobs for them by operating a free (to graduates) placement service . Employers would be invited to donate to the service, although later some companies used the service without contributing.
Objectives
The objectives were: To retain for Canada young Canadians educated along technical and scientific lines; to bring graduates of universities and technical institutions into practical contact with Canadian industry; to submit to universities the recommendations of industry concerning scientific courses and to aid industry in technical and scientific employment problems .Early Operations
A small office was opened in Toronto in 1928 with $30,000 from 30 firms to finance a three-year experiment . The Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
soon arrived, wiping out many jobs. Some graduates were placed in welcome, but undemanding jobs, like street car conductor.
By June 30, 1933, over 1,180 personnel had been placed, 110 of whom were repatriated Canadians. Expenses for the first five years of operations
were $44,988 . In 1933, 111 men and women were placed by the Council's staff of two .
Even then it was clear that engineers needed business knowledge. The Council persuaded the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
to offer a diploma course in management for engineers . Then such a course was novel, if not unique. In 1951 numerous employers and graduates in ceramic engineering
Ceramic engineering
Ceramic engineering is the science and technology of creating objects from inorganic, non-metallic materials. This is done either by the action of heat, or at lower temperatures using precipitation reactions from high purity chemical solutions...
were surveyed on behalf of the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
to estimate future demand. Some time later a similar survey was made for the University of Toronto. As a result of these studies, both universities discontinued their ceramic engineering programs .
By 1938, in response employers' demand for "one-stop service", the Council expanded to include executives, accountants, marketing, production and personnel staff . A year later, the economy had improved, but the Council's placements were mainly in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, where Canada's industry was concentrated.
Wartime Years
Job vacancies soared with the start of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Shipyards, steel mills, armaments and munitions factories, aircraft manufacturers and construction companies urgently needed engineers. Few engineers even considered emigrating to the United States because of patriotic reasons and the plethora of jobs.
The Technical Service Council was the only placement service allowed to operate during the war . Its bank of professionals was such an important national resource that 15 recruiters from Defence Industries Ltd., the major munitions manufacturer, were loaned to the Council .
Post-war Activities
After the war, veterans were entitled to free university tuition. Therefore record numbers of engineers were graduated in 1949 and 1950 . Graduates of Western and Maritime universities, both in areas with limited industry, greatly outnumbered local vacancies. Many engineers moved to Ontario, Quebec and the United States. About 2,500 professional men emigrated to the United States in 1950 alone . Nevertheless, one study showed that the exodus of technically trained graduates dropped from 27% of the graduating classes in 1927 to under 10% in 1951 .Pioneering work was done on group interviews and recruitment advertising in 1950-52 . The latter study showed how employers could increase response to their ads. The Federal government engaged the Council to write a handbook on the job market for immigrants while the Ontario Government asked the Council to appraise opportunities for prospective immigrants from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
Canadian industry contributed more than $300,000 to the Council between 1927 and 1953 . During the same period, employers listed 16,533 job vacancies . 6,817 men with special training were placed in key positions in business and industry . The Council registered and interviewed 24,607 men with higher education . The qualifications of each were carefully cross-indexed and maintained for employers . An additional 100,000 individuals were interviewed to assess qualifications and give free vocational advice. The average cost per placement rose from $50 to $100 between 1948 and 1954 .
Between 1951 and 1956, 3,072 engineers, equivalent to 31% of graduating classes in engineering, emigrated to the United States . They could have staffed the largest missile centre in the Western World. In 1951 the equivalent of 11% of the graduating classes in engineering left for the United States. In 1956, as immigrants were less likely to be drafted, the percentage had soared to 46% .
In 1957 the Council almost collapsed, but it was revived by new management who increased placement fees.
Shortages of engineers and scientists in Canada often coincided with equally acute shortages in the United States. American companies then recruited actively in Canada, as they did following the 1959 cancellation of Canada's much-vaunted Avro Arrow jet fighter. In addition, Canadians completing post-graduate training in the U.S. often found getting a job locally easier than searching for one in distant Canada .
In 1962 a branch in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
called Technical Service Council/Le Conseil de Placement Professionnel was opened. It was followed by others in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
Outplacement and Other Activities
The Council was one of the pioneers of outplacementOutplacement
Outplacement is a term used to describe efforts made by a downsizing company to help former employees through the transition to new jobs and help them re-orientate to the job market...
(then called relocation counselling) in Canada . Its first contract in 1970 eventually developed into a significant activity. In addition to individual counselling, free office services and other benefits, clients were given How to Job Hunt Effectively, a substantial hand and work book . The book was also available to the public and over 5,000 copies were sold.
From 1967 regular one-day employment interviewing courses for line managers were run in major cities. Students received written critiques of their interviews with actors.
By 1971 out-of-work university graduates were so numerous that free "How to Job Hunt" courses were held in several cities . As another public service, over $200,000. was spent researching and publishing ten-year forecasts of the supply of and demand for engineering graduates in 1975 and again in 1988. Both studies were intended to improve understanding of the job market, candidate mobility and help minimize "mismatch" . They were provided free to Canadian universities and sold at below cost to employers .
In the same year, an executive search division, Bryce, Haultain & Associates, was opened and named after two of the Council's co-founders .
Later Placement Activities
By 1976 the Council had placed over 16,000 men and women . An equal number were estimated to have rejected job offers from the Council's client companies. Studies showed that 25% of job listings were never filled from any source. Employers' reasons included budget cuts, inability to find someone who filled the job specifications, candidates' high asking salaries, reorganizations and a belated realization that existing staff could do the job.In 1976 573 firms were members . Annual membership fees were mainly $100 to $500., depending upon company size and usage. Placement fees were kept low in order to attract job listings. The greater the choice of vacancies, the more likely candidates were to stay in Canada. Placement fees were 4% to 5% of annual income to members . Commercial employment agencies charged 20% to 30% .
Over 17,000 engineers and scientists emigrated from Canada to the United States between 1960 and 1979. The number of engineers emigrating declined from 1,209 in 1967 to only 289 in 1977, and the number of chemists emigrating dropped from 156 to 58 during the same period . However, engineers and scientists emigrating increased from 727 in 1982 to 1,433 in 1985 .
Active job listings reached 4,328 in June 1981,an astonishing figure for such a clearing house. Orders plummeted when Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
's much-hated National Energy Program
National Energy Program
The National Energy Program was an energy policy of the Government of Canada. It was created under the Liberal government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau by Minister of Energy Marc Lalonde in 1980, and administered by the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources.-Description:The NEP was...
took effect. About half the Council's staff was laid off.
Nevertheless, between 1928 and 1988, over 46,000 men and women had received job offers from about 1,700 of the Council's employer clients .
Frequent dramatic swings in the job market caused the Council to build a financial reserve equal to two times annual operating expenses . The reserve was over three times expenses in December, 1991, but the Council was declared bankrupt in September, 1994 .
Was the Brain Drain Minimized?
From 1928 to 1939, job vacancies were mainly advertised locally so job hunters had difficulty learning of distant jobs. The Maritimes and West had so little industry that their substantial engineering graduating classes had to seek positions elsewhere. Employers seldom sought professionals through the Federal employment service while universities had tiny or non-existent placement services. This lack of job information made the Council's numerous industrial contacts especially important to job hunters. The exodus of technically trained Canadians is said to have dropped from 27% of graduating classes in 1927 to under 10% in 1951 and 5% in 1967 .Any evaluation of the later years is difficult. The number of job vacancies and job hunters both increased. But often supply and demand were out of sync, encouraging emigration. Universities devoted more resources to placing their graduates, but often gave little attention to experienced graduates. Commercial employment agencies expanded, but few lasted five years because of the erratic job market. Eventually, one and then another national newspaper spread news of distant vacancies. Although graduates had better information than ever, the Council was still busy. Despite this, 2,500 professional men moved to the United States in 1950 alone . It is impossible to judge the Council's impact on the "brain drain" since then.
The Ministry of State, Science and Technology asked the Council to study the feasibility of a National Register of Canadians in research-oriented occupations who are working or studying out of the country . The study found that 65% of employers contacted had a strong or moderate interest in a register. It was estimated that only one or two per cent of candidates would find jobs through the register. Neither the register nor a free handbook on job hunting in Canada would get at the reasons why many Canadians do not return: a perceived lack of opportunities in their specialty and lack of research support in Canada .
The study noted that efforts by the Association of Medical Colleges of Canada and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
- See also :* G13 * Association of Commonwealth Universities...
to recruit Canadians in the U.S. had failed. In 1986 twenty British firms advertised for British-trained engineers in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The ads produced 6,500 replies and about 1,800 job offers. Only 89 offers were accepted at what was considered an uneconomical cost .