查看完整版本: Investment urged to solve labour shortage

Investment urged to solve labour shortage

Canada is not doing enough to capitalize on immigrants who can help offset critical skilled-labour shortages, say agencies that help newly arrived workers.|]5w*mn&jZ2q
In recent years, governments and companies have talked frequently about the increasing importance of tapping into the immigrant labour pool to find replacements for Baby Boomers who are retiring at unprecedented rates. But many agencies say immigrants need more help entering the country, finding employment and becoming financially independent.k ^ lP:V)y C.y5j
"We also need a much more targeted and focused investment in some of the programs that help link immigrants that are here to the labour market," says Elizabeth McIsaac, executive director of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC).
2cW%Zn%V`nJ#PYys/] Despite improvements at the federal, provincial and local levels, agency leaders say immigrants need more help overcoming long delays getting admission applications approved and foreign credentials recognized, and networking with employers who can utilize their skills.
/v,}A6T%jaG McIsaac wants Ottawa, agencies and companies to collaborate on how to divide $500 million earmarked in this year's federal budget for financial assistance to immigrants outside the employment insurance (EI) program. Most funding now comes within EI - which means you already have to have been employed.
-f+tvN1_9l!kb A TRIEC mentoring program launched two years ago has found full-time jobs for 70 per cent of participants in their chosen fields. McIsaac says a survey of some participants found they were making about $12 per hour before they enrolled and $55,000 per year afterward.;m({4NCB[m
Tung Chan, president and CEO of Vancouver-based S.U.C.C.E.S.S., which provides employment and settlement services for Chinese immigrants and facilitates trade between Western Canada and China, says employers are not fully aware of the skills that immigrants have to offer.
zbZdnQ S.U.C.C.E.S.S. has provided courses to 70,000 immigrants and assisted 23,000 in finding jobs. The group held a recent immigrant job fair at which 30 companies operated booths.!SA:_1X{|F%b
The group also launched a website ([url=http://www.5stepsolution.ca/][color=#0000ff]www.5stepsolution.ca[/color][/url]) that offers a five-step method on how employers can recruit and hire newcomers.
&gp'O d]:C "We don't see it simply as an employment issue," says Chan. "We don't see it simply as a settlement issue. We see it as an immigrant-service issue."
QLwo rQ5q He says large companies are aware of the impending labour crunch and realize the need to hire more immigrants, but other firms do not. The long-standing issue of recognizing immigrants' foreign credentials also continues to be a hurdle.
}0Ag] rSx:y The federal government recently launched a foreign credential referral office that is designed to speed up approvals of overseas education and training. Many provinces, which have regulatory authority in most cases, have similar organizations.-q*YM%NV%a\
Chan praises Ontario for being a leader in foreign-credential assessments. The Ontario government has set up two offices designed to review the foreign credentials of medical professionals and other professionals and has passed legislation that guarantees fair reviews of foreign credentials by local regulatory bodies.%L A3z]I!e0]t8[
Ottawa and the provinces are also combining on temporary permits for foreign workers and provincial nominee programs that enable provinces to fast-track the admission of immigrants with specific skills.
am&T3Q!yY Labour groups oppose the admission of temporary foreign workers on grounds that they are not guaranteed of becoming citizens and could earn minimal wages and face abuse from employers. Chan empathizes with unions, but says temporary foreign workers have an important role to play in offsetting labour shortages.
5^ w)_#{0U^#y "We do have seasonal work that we need people to do," he says. "Local-born Canadians are not able to fill all those positions, so let's find solutions. Let's find out what the pitfalls are. Let's make sure that we have steps to cover those pitfalls." jA-}
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E,eOe'^ [[i] 本帖最后由 88 于 2007-7-24 10:12 AM 编辑 [/i]]