CPABC in Focus November/ December 2015 | Page 6

NOTES & NEWS Sponsorships & Events T his fall, CPABC sponsored and/or attended a number of industry, government and campus events promoting the profession. Industry and government events included the BC School Counsellors Association Conference (October 22-23); the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance Conference (October 28-29); and a series of seminars for Small Business BC (October 2 and 21—another is coming up on November 25). Campus events included career fairs at UBC, SFU, UVic, Capilano University, Vancouver Island University, BCIT, Camosun College, UNBC, Thompson Rivers University, and UBC Okanagan. To help students and employers connect, CPABC hosted Fall Recruit, its annual program of recruiting events for small to mid-size and national public practice firms and CPABC-approved training offices at the beginning of September (page 11), and hosted a speed networking night on October 27. Other events in September and October included the CPABC Pacific Summit (page 48); a joint CPA convocation ceremony for the final legacy CMA program graduates and legacy CA (UFE) graduates, along with one legacy CGA graduate; and the inaugural CPABC Past Chairs’ Dinner (look for recaps of the convocation and dinner events in our January/February 2016 issue). October also saw the launch of CPABC’s Member Engagement Tour (MET). By the time the MET wraps up on December 1, CPABC reps will have met with members in 21 towns provincewide. Coming up on November 18 is the MLA Luncheon, as well as a CPA Careers in Accounting Speakers Panel and another speed networking night. The BC Business Summit, hosted by the BC Business Council, will take place on November 19, and a CPA convocation ceremony for the final legacy CGA program graduates will be held on November 21 (look for a recap in our January/February 2016 issue). For more information on CPABC’s sponsorships and events, visit the News, Events & Publications section of bccpa.ca. CPABC Makes Recommendations to BC Government O n September 21, Richard Rees, FCPA, FCA, president and CEO of CPABC, and Heather Banham, FCPA, FCGA, CPABC’s second vice-chair, gave a presentation to the province’s Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services on behalf of the profession. Rees presented summaries of two major CPABC public policy initiatives, the BC Check-Up report and the CPABC Business Outlook Survey (see pages 18 and 28), and conveyed our recommendations for government on five policy issues: 1) the recruitment and retention of skilled labour, 2) high housing costs, 3) the reduction of red tape, 4) financial literacy, and 5) business productivity. Here’s a summary of the recommendations: Recruiting and retaining skilled labour According to Wor