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.
In 1927, Canadian industry financed the council, whose directors concluded 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.
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 brain drain, the selling of science to employers and Canadian nationalism were tightly intertwined ideas.
(3) 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.
[4] A small office was opened in Toronto in 1928 with $30,000 "seed money" from 30 firms to finance a three-year experiment.
Raising money was difficult and the Council survived only because of grants from the government of Ontario in 1932-34 and sometimes, Smythe's forgoing his salary.
The Council persuaded the University of Western Ontario to offer a diploma course in management for engineers.
In 1951 numerous employers and graduates in ceramic engineering were surveyed on behalf of the University of Saskatchewan to estimate future demand.
[8] By 1938, in response employers' demand for "one-stop service", the Council expanded to include executives, accountants, marketing, production and personnel staff.
[2] 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.
[2] 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.
[9][10] Graduates of Western and Maritime universities, both in areas with limited industry, greatly outnumbered local vacancies.
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.
[16] In 1962 a branch in Montreal called Technical Service Council/Le Conseil de Placement Professionnel was opened.
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.
From 1967 regular one-day employment interviewing courses for line managers were run in major cities.
By 1971 out-of-work university graduates were so numerous that free "How to Job Hunt" courses were held in several cities.
Both studies were intended to improve understanding of the job market, candidate mobility and help minimize "mismatch".
[2] In the same year, an executive search division, Bryce, Haultain & Associates, was opened and named after two of the council's co-founders.
[20] Orders plummeted when Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's highly controversial National Energy Program took effect.
[18] Frequent dramatic swings in the job market caused the council to build a financial reserve equal to two times' annual operating expenses.