Immigration Canada: Employment

Showing posts with label Employment. Show all posts

Hiring new Canadians is a solution

I made it myself. this location is in Mississa...

According to a recent research, labour shortages prevalent in the food and beverage industry in the mid 2000s will once again emerge as the Canadian economy continues to recover.

Staff writer CanadianImmigrant.ca

The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) recently published a compendium of “best practices” used in recruiting and retaining new Canadians as one potential solution to difficulty finding employees.

According to a recent research, labour shortages prevalent in the food and beverage industry in the mid 2000s will once again emerge as the Canadian economy continues to recover. Projected shortages in the Food and Beverage industry could reach more than 142, 000 year-around jobs by 2025, the study indicates. Lessons learned during the previous labour shortages will be a valuable tool to Canadian businesses as new shortages emerge.

A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. has already begun acting, learning from those lessons, thanks to a meeting organized by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA.) It was in the fall of 2007, during the height of the national labour shortage. At the meeting where stakeholders and the government congregated, workforce solutions were explored. Instead of targeting temporary foreign workers from overseas, restaurants were encouraged to consider the large pool of immigrants already in Canada.

Thus the opportunity emerged to work with immigrant teens already in Canada with their families and A&W restaurants in Manitoba quickly acted upon it. It started working with a local immigrant and refugee agency to address labour shortages.

While the restaurant chain has found a solution for its workforce shortage, the teen immigrants take pride in starting their Canadian careers as well as help their families make ends meet.
The idea really took off when Newcomers Employment Education and Development Services (N.E.E.D.S.) Inc. — a local nonprofit agency that offers services to immigrant and refugee youth — created a training program in hospitality industry that would offer newcomers to Canada an opportunity to acquire essential workplace skills.

It seemed like a natural partnership that would benefit both sides: A&W commits resources and employment opportunities, while N.E.E.D.S. Inc. manages the pre-employment training and placement process. “We realize that for most of our employees, working at A&W is not a career,” admits Dean, Fuller Restaurant Franchisee responsible for four restaurants in Winnipeg. “But our young immigrant employees take full advantage of how much they learn about Canadian customer service and work culture while in our employment.“

“This employment program has had a dramatic positive effect on the families and communities that have participated,” states Robyn Andrews, N.E.E.D.S. Inc. Employment Program Coordinator. “Immigrant-serving agencies are always looking to identify employers where there is an awareness that internationally trained workers (ITWs) make a significant contribution to the labour market. Getting involved in a work training program allows your company to be more competitive in hiring and retaining ITWs.”

Canada’s top family-friendly employers for 2011

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To create the Top Family-Friendly Employer list for 2011, Mediacorp, which oversees the competition, examined the most progressive and forward-thinking workplace benefits valued by families. These included maternity and parental leave top-up payments, generous vacation and personal days off, flexible work options, emergency daycare support, and childcare costs for employees attending events or business trips.
“Many of these benefits are not big ticket expenses but rather represent an ongoing evolution in how we want to work and an enlightened approach for employers looking to attract and retain their work forces,” says Richard Yerema, managing editor of Canada's Top 100 Employers, including the Family-Friendly competition.
“Less than five years ago, we considered maternity and parental leave top-up over 20 weeks to be quite generous,” he says. “It still is, but we now see more than a few with much more generous top-up, ranging up to 95 per cent for the full year of one's leave.”

The companies in this list are not ranked. They appear in alphabetical order.
Agriculture Financial Services Corp., Lacombe, Alta.: Non-depository credit intermediation; 491 employees. Manages a scholarship program (to $1,000) for employees' children.
BC Public Service, Victoria: General government support; 25,581 employees. On-site daycare centres at some locations.
British Columbia Lottery Corp., Kamloops, B.C.: Gambling industries; 779 employees. Offers fertility drug treatments through its health benefits plan.
British Columbia Safety Authority, New Westminster, B.C.: Regulation, licensing and inspection of commercial sectors; 248 employees. Parental leave top-up for new mothers (to 85 per cent for 52 weeks).
Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto, Toronto:Children and youth services; 590 employees. Option of extending maternity leave time for an additional two years.
Edmonton Regional Airport Authority, Edmonton: Airport operations; 276 employees. Parental leave top-up benefits (to 93 per cent of salary for 15 weeks).
George Brown College, Toronto: Post-secondary education; 1,300 employees. Extends its tuition subsidy program to employees' family members.
HP Advanced Solutions, Victoria: Computer services; 377 employees. Maternity leave top-up payments (to 85 per cent of salary for 15 weeks), followed by parental top-up payments (to 75 per cent of salary for 35 weeks).
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Gatineau, Que.: General government support; 26,024 employees. On-site daycare centre for returning parents.
Industry Canada, Ottawa: Administration of economic programs; 5,849 employees. Health benefits continue during maternity and parental leave.
ISM Canada, Regina: Computer services; 496 employees. Offers fertility drug treatments through its health benefits plan
Johnson Corp., St. John’s, Nfld.: Insurance; 1,109 employees. Manages a post-secondary scholarship program (to $1,500)
L'Oréal Canada Inc., Montreal: Toiletry product manufacturing; 1,200 employees. Offers early Friday closings in winter and summer.
McGill University, Montreal: Post-secondary education; 5,746 employees. Multiple on-site day-care options for employees (and students) with young children.
Monsanto Canada Inc., Winnipeg: Chemical manufacturing; 270 employees. Offers alternative work options, from telecommuting to informal summer hours.
National Energy Board, Calgary: Administration of economic programs; 335 employees. Maternity and parental leave top-up payments for new mothers (to 93 per cent of salary for 52 weeks) and for new fathers or adoptive parents (to 93 per cent of salary for 37 weeks).
NB Power Holding Corp., Fredericton: Power generation; 2,546 employees. Flexible health benefits that employees can customize.
Office of the Auditor General of Canada, Ottawa: General government support; 698 employees. Gives three weeks of vacation after one year, and offers unpaid leaves of absence for up to one full year.
Saskatchewan Government Insurance, Regina: Insurance; 1,710 employees. Offers post-secondary scholarships to children of employees (to $2,500).
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C.: Post-secondary education; 4,303 employees. Additional daycare and an elementary school are being developed for the future.
Statistics Canada, Ottawa: General government support; 5,550 employees. On-site daycare centre and emergency short-term daycare services.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto: Hospital; 4,825 employees. Parental leave top-up payments (to 93 per cent of salary for 10 weeks).
Toronto Community Housing Corp., Toronto: Residential property managers; 1,412 employees. Compassionate care leave top-up benefits (to 93 per cent of salary for eight weeks).
Toronto Hydro Corp., Toronto: Electric power distribution; 1,519 employees. Organizes a family Christmas party for more than 1,800 guests.
Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, Vancouver: Credit unions; 1,744 employees. Alternative work arrangements including flexible hours, telecommuting, compressed workweek.

Canada's Best Diversity Employers

Cameco Corporation --- Uranium - Fuel - Electr...

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Now entering its fourth year, Canada's Best Diversity Employers recognizes employers across Canada that have exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs. This competition examines a range of diversity initiatives covering five major employee groups: (a) Women; (b) Members of visible minorities; (c) Persons with disabilities; (d) Aboriginal peoples; and (e) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered/Transsexual (LGBT) peoples. This competition replaces our two annual rankings of the top employers for women and visible minorities, which we published as an appendix to our book between 2002 and 2007, when the present competition was launched. Winners may use the competition's official logo for recruitment purposes until next year's winners are released. Read the press release announcing the 2010 winners
Agrium Inc.
Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc.
BC Hydro
Bell Aliant Regional Communications
Blake, Cassels & Graydon
Boeing Canada Operations Ltd.
Bruce Power Limited Partnership
Business Development Bank of Canada
Cameco Corporation
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Canada Safeway Limited
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto
Corus Entertainment Inc.
Diavik Diamond Mines Inc.
Ernst & Young LLP
George Brown College
Health Canada - SantÃƒÂ© Canada
Home Depot Canada, The
HSBC Bank Canada
KPMG LLP
L'Oréal Canada Inc.
Manitoba Lotteries Corporation
McGill University
Mount Sinai Hospital
MTS Allstream Inc.
Nexen Inc.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.
Ontario Public Service
Port Metro Vancouver
Procter & Gamble Inc.
Royal Bank of Canada
Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation
Saskatchewan Government Insurance / SGI
SaskPower Corporation
Scotiabank Group
Shell Canada Limited
Stantec Consulting Inc.
Statistics Canada
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Telus Corporation
Toronto Police Service
TransCanada Corporation
University of British Columbia
University of Toronto

Why Canada's recession wasn't as brutal

TAVIA GRANT

Globe and Mail Blog

In the cacophony of daily news, a useful new analysis has put the recession in historical context: it was milder than previous ones, though the initial tumble in output and employment was sharper than in any post-war period.
Moreover, Canada is now the only G7 nation to have recouped its losses from the 2008-2009 recession, as both real GDP and employment remain below pre-recession levels in the other six countries, Statistics Canada’s chief economic analyst says.

For Canada, “this is a significant achievement, given that the global economic downturn which began in 2008 was the most severe and synchronized since the 1930s,” said Philip Cross in a paper published Thursday.
While no Canadian body dates official starts and ends to recessions, as in the U.S., Mr. Cross estimates it started in August or September of 2008 and lasted until May or July of 2009. The economy was “clearly” in recession for three quarters, from the fourth quarter of 2008 to the second quarter of 2009, he says.
He explored what factors caused the precipitous slide, and why the downturn wasn’t nearly as severe as in previous recessions of 1981-82 and 1990-92, nor as bad as in other countries. Here are some of his findings:

Jobs contracted at only half the rate at which output fell during this recession. That’s because employers in Canada relied almost equally on reductions in employment and shorter workweeks to cut total hours worked in line with output. That response is different than in prior recessions -- in the prior two downturns, employers relied on cutting jobs much more than hours.

May, 2009, seems to be the low point for monthly GDP, “when widespread plant closures in the auto industry as two major firms went bankrupt depressed output, and the same month was the low in hours worked.”

The initial speed of descent in the last downturn exceeded that in the other two recessions.

But employment bounced back much more quickly. It took four years after the 1990 recession began for the labour market to recover; three years after the 1981 recession, and two years (for both GDP and jobs) to recuperate in the past recession. The downturn in the early 1990s was marked by a rare double-dip recession.

Full-time job cuts were heavier in prior recessions than the recent one. Full-time employment at the end of last year is still 64,000 below its pre-recession peak, which explains why total hours worked remain 0.7 per cent below their peak.

Exports plunged at a record rate. “The most striking feature of the 2008-2009 recession was the speed and severity of the contraction in exports,” the report said. The “unprecedented speed and severity of the fall in exports...reflects the impact on the global economy and trade flows of the unprecedented disruption in financial markets that occurred in the fall of 2008.”

With the fall in exports came a collapse of business investment. Investment in plants and equipment plunged by about 20 per cent in the recession, matching a record plunge. Investment has since picked up, but remains below pre-recession levels.

So why was this recession milder, with a speedier recovery? Household spending, Mr. Cross says. In prior recessions, it plummeted by nearly 6 per cent. This time round, it fell by only 2 per cent over two quarters and has already fully bounced back.
He attributes this to several factors: Canadian households had strong balance sheets going into the downturn. Employment didn’t fall as much as in past contractions. Credit wasn’t as impaired as in other countries. “This reflects both a sounder financial system and the massive response from policy makers both to shore up capital and to lower interest rates.”

Going to Live and Work in Canada as a Skilled Migrant: Update

A map of Canada exhibiting its ten provinces a...

Image via WikipediaIf you’re thinking about starting a new life in Canada, and you’re going to apply for a visa as a skilled migrant, the latest news from the jobs market and immigration department will be of interest and use to you

If you’ve decided that 2011 is the year you finally turn your dreams of relocating abroad into reality, and Canada is your destination of choice, this update on the jobs market, employment landscape and changes to immigration rules in Canada is for you.

As a skilled migrant hoping to move to live, work and start a new life in Canada, it’s imperative that you keep abreast of any changes that could impact on you. As we all know, Canada’s economy has faired far better than America’s or Great Britain’s over the past few years, but the latest job statistics show that some employment sectors are cutting workers.
Depending on your skill set and where you want to work in Canada, it may be time for you to speed up your visa application and get moving before job opportunities dry up. Alternatively, if you’re hoping to work in some regulated professions in Canada, there is good news relating to skill matching and international qualifications recognition.
The unemployment rate in Canada in December held steady at 7.6% - but if you look much more closely at the statistics, you can see some notable developments. For example, the construction sector seems to be constricting, which is not good news if you’re a skilled migrant potentially planning on working in the construction trade.
To date Canada’s property market has been relatively steady compared to our own for example, but a sharp downturn in numbers employed in the construction industry in December 2010 suggests that this sector could be weakening. 27,000 jobs were lost in this sector alone at the end of 2010, and the number of new starts was down.
Other sectors that saw a decline in numbers included healthcare and social assistance, wholesale and retail trade, business building and agriculture – although this may be a seasonal downshift.
The good news in terms of increasing jobs numbers and employed persons is to be found in the following sectors however: - manufacturing, transportation, warehousing and natural resources – and there has been a really marked increase in the numbers of Canadians working in private sector jobs. The public sector has held steady in terms of the number of employed persons, and there was a fall back in terms of the numbers of self-employed in Canada.
Employment has increased most notably in Quebec, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador.
In terms of other positive marked changes to make note of, there has been a steady increase in the numbers of both young people and those over 55 who are in paid employment. Therefore, no matter what age you’re at, you should not face any discrimination based on your date of birth!
Reviewing employment figures along with certain immigration statistics recently resulted in Canada Statistics revealing that there is a strong and disappointing mismatch between skilled migrants’ qualifications and professional training, and the jobs they end up doing once they move to live in Canada.
The delivery of the report has proved very positive however, as it has led the authorities to make some key changes. Canada Immigration is now beginning to implement a fast track system of recognising foreign professional qualifications and credentials to knock down the barriers many professionals face when trying to get work in their sector in Canada.
So, whether you’re a doctor, a dentist, a teacher or a lawyer, in future your professional accreditation should be recognised in Canada, allowing you a smoother path into work in your chosen sector.
According to Canada Immigration: “The first group of occupations, which includes accountants, medical laboratory technicians, occupational therapists and pharmacists, will get access to the programme by the end of the year with the remainder of the professions such as doctors, engineering technicians, nurses and teachers having access by the end of 2012.”
All in all, by the end of this fast track scheme’s implementation at the end of next year, 15 occupations will be evaluated under the system.

Saskatchewan sees job growth.

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More people in Saskatchewan are working now compared to this time last year, according to Statistics Canada.
Statistics indicate there were 525,800 people working in Saskatchewan in October 2010 — a record for the month of October and an overall increase of 5,200 compared to the same month in 2009.
"Saskatchewan's growth agenda is yielding real benefits for our province's citizens," Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister Rob Norris said.
"We've never seen so many people working in October, and our workers are earning more than they ever have."
Norris also pointed out more than 11,300 full-time positions were created in Saskatchewan's private sector over the past year.
"That speaks to the quality of employment opportunities that we see in the province," he said.
"Obviously, a second number that caught our attention [is] more than 11,000 jobs that have been created by the private sector year-over-year. These are sustainable, quality jobs that are reflective of the robust nature of what's going on in Saskatchewan."
Norris also pointed out that for the sixth consecutive month, First Nations and Métis numbers saw a year-over-year increase with employment up 6.7 per cent.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2010/11/05/sask-job-growth.html#ixzz14VsnXDmu

Total complete Federal Skilled Worker (SW1) applications received since June 26, 2010

The Centre Block on Parliament Hill, containin...

Image via WikipediaOn June 26, 2010, the eligibility criteria for Federal Skilled Worker applicants changed.
Between June 26, 2010, and June 30, 2011, a maximum of 20,000 complete Federal Skilled Worker applications will be considered for processing. Within the 20,000 cap, a maximum of 1,000 Federal Skilled Worker applications per eligible occupation will be considered for processing within this same time frame.
These limits do not apply to applications with an offer of arranged employment (job offer).
Applications received toward the overall cap: 2,988 of 20,000 as of October 29, 2010

Applications received per eligible occupation:

Eligible Occupation (by National Occupational Classification [NOC] code)	Number of Complete Applications Received*
0631 Restaurant and Food Service Managers	116
0811 Primary Production Managers (except Agriculture)	29
1122 Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management	900
1233 Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners	40
2121 Biologists and Related Scientists	141
2151 Architects	165
3111 Specialist Physicians	126
3112 General Practitioners and Family Physicians	157
3113 Dentists	197
3131 Pharmacists	260
3142 Physiotherapists	55
3152 Registered Nurses	405
3215 Medical Radiation Technologists	8
3222 Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists	4
3233 Licensed Practical Nurses	18
4151 Psychologists	37
4152 Social Workers	81
6241 Chefs	17
6242 Cooks	44
7215 Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades	19
7216 Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades	53
7241 Electricians (except Industrial and Power System)	32
7242 Industrial Electricians	36
7251 Plumbers	8
7265 Welders and Related Machine Operators	7
7312 Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics	14
7371 Crane Operators	0
7372 Drillers and Blasters - Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction	2
8222 Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service	17

*The number of complete Federal Skilled Worker applications received as of October 29, 2010, is approximate.
NOTE: Because application intake fluctuates, these figures are meant as a guide only. There is no guarantee that an application sent in now will fall within the cap.

Immigration aids innovation: report

Immigrants punch above their weight when it comes to increasing the rate of innovation in Canada, the Conference Board of Canada said in a report released Friday.
The ambition that leads them to move to a new country tends to predispose immigrants to the kind of risk-taking that leads to innovation, Michelle Downie, the report's author, told CBC News.

A study suggests better integrating immigrants will help Canada overcome its poor record on innovation. (CBC) "They tend to be very driven and they want to exceed their own expectations, so they're always pursuing more and trying to work harder."
An earlier report by the Conference Board, an Ottawa-based non-profit research organization, suggested Canada lags behind other advanced economies in innovation, ranking it 14th out of 17 in its capacity to develop new approaches in research and development.
The study, which reviewed existing research from various sources but also included interviews with executives, found that immigrants were associated with increased innovation in Canada.
The board said the interview sample was not large enough to be representative of all Canadian business, but found a number of measures that suggest employers benefit from hiring and integrating immigrants.

'Diversity of perspective is very important to innovation.'—Michelle Downie, report author

Sometimes, the fact that their views diverge from mainstream corporate culture is what makes their advice more valuable.
"That diversity of perspective is very important to innovation," said Downie.
"If you have people with the same experiences looking at the same problem, they may not see it in a different way. Sometimes bringing somebody in with a new perspective, who's had a different life experience, has had different training, they can see a problem a little differently and they might come up with a new solution."
The study also found immigrants pull above their weight in contributing to advanced research.
Although immigrants represent 20 per cent of the population, at least 35 per cent of university research chairs are foreign born.
It also suggested immigration resulted in increased trade with immigrants' countries of origin.
The Conference Board's model suggested a one-percentage-point increase in the number of immigrants could increase imports by 0.21 per cent and raise exports to countries of origin by 0.11 per cent.
Downie's research also suggested foreign direct investment into Canada was greater from countries that are well represented in Canada through immigration.

Obstacles limit contribution

But it also determined that immigrants face obstacles that limit their ability to contribute as innovators, including inadequate recognition of their experience and qualifications, and the failure of employers to use their knowledge of foreign languages in tapping into international markets.
Ottawa introduced measures in 2009 to speed up the recognition of foreign credentials and has expanded the role of overseas offices to better prepare immigrants before they enter the labour force here.
"It is hopefully going to make a difference for the regulated professions [such as accounting or engineering]," said Downie.
Downie found about half the executives interviewed were taking steps to better use their immigrant employees.
"There are a number of employers who are taking steps to ask their employees, particularly their immigrant employees, about the knowledge they have of diverse markets or how they can use their language abilities to help them in a new markets," she said.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2010/10/15/immigration-innovation-report.html#ixzz12U24nJvf

Employers say hiring foreign-trained workers has challenges

By Norma Greenaway, Postmedia News

OTTAWA — About half of Canadian employers say their appetite for hiring foreign-trained workers is reduced because of difficulties assessing their abilities, according to an internal survey commissioned by the federal government.
Employers' qualms about hiring workers trained abroad revolved around the challenges of evaluating their education credentials, their language skills and their work experience, the survey said.
It also said interest in hiring foreign workers was lowest among small business owners, who make up the bulk of Canada's employers, and highest among larger companies.
The survey, conducted by Ekos Research Associates in March for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, involved telephone interviews with 519 small, medium and large companies and 15 business organizations.
Speeding recognition of foreign credentials of newcomers has been a major preoccupation for the Conservatives and the in-depth survey suggests they are carefully tracking the mood of business around the subject.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney acknowledged the uphill nature of getting employers to hire foreign-trained workers Tuesday at an event in Ottawa where he announced the expansion of a program that allows foreigners to work as interns to gain temporary work experience.
The program provided 29 internships within the immigration and human resources departments last year. The number will climb to more than 60 this year, Kenney said, because six more departments and agencies have signed on.
Kenney called the initiative a modest beginning that, he hopes, will send a message to all levels of government and the private sector "to find concrete ways to open doors of opportunity."
The single biggest hurdle immigrants face in getting a good job in their field of expertise is a lack of Canadian work experience, he told reporters.
New Democrat Olivia Chow welcomed expansion of the federal internship program, something the Commons immigration committee had recommended.
But Chow, the party's immigration critic, said it falls far short of what is needed to address the problem of too many highly-educated immigrants ending up jobless or underemployed.
"We need leadership here," she said, dismissing the hiring of 60 interns as "barely a step" forward.
She urged Kenney to adopt the committee's recommendations to provide financial incentives or tax breaks to encourage small and medium-sized businesses to hire workers trained abroad and to ensure more prospective immigrants start the process of getting their credentials as doctors, pharmacists and other specialties recognized before they come to Canada.
Chow said only 10 per cent of immigrants are currently taking advantage of the existing pre-assessment opportunity to start the process before they arrive here.
Liberal MP Justin Trudeau urged the government to devote more money to language programs for immigrants as part of a broader effort to stop the slide in their economic opportunities that has happened over the last decade or so. He said providing financial incentives to encourage small businesses to hire foreign-trained workers would "absolutely" be one of the best ways to assist immigrants, who, Trudeau says, are vital to Canada's future economic health.
"Unless we are serious about addressing the big issues around immigration," he said, "then we're going to be playing catch up when the rest of the world starts fighting over the best and the brightest, as they are going to, because everywhere in the western world birthrates are down."
The internal survey also made clear the government has a major job ahead to convince employers to pay attention to opportunities for hiring foreign-trained workers.
It said more than nine of 10 employers surveyed said they had never heard of the Foreign Credential Referral Office, a vehicle the Harper government created three years ago to help newcomers get their credentials recognized more quickly so they can try to match their skills to jobs.
This week, a fresh spotlight was cast on the struggle immigrants have in finding good jobs with the release of a report that said recent immigrants with a university education had an unemployment rate last year that was four times higher than non-immigrants with the same education level.
The report, prepared by the Community Foundations of Canada, says recent immigrants have been hardest hit by the recession.
The jobless rate for recent immigrants with university education is "disturbing," Kenney said, and illustrates why the government is pushing to speed recognition of foreign credentials and putting more resources into helping newcomers improve their language proficiency.

BMO Announces Sponsorship of ACCES Employment's Speed Mentoring(R) Initiative

Image via Wikipedia BMO Financial Group and ACCES Employment have announced that BMO has become sponsor of the Speed Mentoring(R) program, a program designed to assist immigrants to Canada in entering the workforce in their areas of expertise.
Speed Mentoring(R) involves a group of employees - mentors - from a leading company meeting with new Canadian job seekers. Such meetings offer immigrants an opportunity for getting inspired, making connections, being coached and motivated. An innovative solution to the barrier that newcomers experience given their lack of a professional network, Speed Mentoring(R) has provided over 1600 newcomers in Toronto with the opportunity to meet and connect to professionals in their fields since 2006. With the help of this sponsorship, the program will be able expand to cities nationwide, including Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax.
"BMO's support of ACCES Employment's Speed Mentoring(R) initiatives is helping talented new Canadians make professional connections and find employment in their field of expertise," said Allison Pond, Executive Director, ACCES Employment.
"As Canada's first bank, BMO has a long and proud history serving the financial needs of new Canadians," said Frank Techar, President and Chief Executive Officer, Personal and Commercial Banking Canada. "We first came to know ACCES through the United Way Toronto's Days of Caring. Our team volunteered with in the Speed Mentoring program. Each of us met one-on-one for ten minutes with each jobseeker. The Speed Mentoring program is a win-win, providing each job seeker with great networking and employers with a rich source of incredibly talented people."
About BMO Financial Group
Established in 1817, BMO Financial Group is highly diversified. BMO works with millions of personal, commercial, corporate and institutional customers through its operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking Canada, Personal and Commercial Banking U.S., Private Client Group and BMO Capital Markets. BMO employees are dedicated to making BMO the bank that defines great customer experience.
About ACCES Employment
ACCES Employment is a leader in connecting employers with qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds. More than 15,000 job seekers are served annually at five locations across the Greater Toronto Area. As a not-for-profit charitable corporation, ACCES receives funding from all levels of government, corporate sponsors, various supporters and the United Way Toronto.

ACCES Employment:
Shawn Mintz
(416) 921-1800 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (416) 921-1800      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
smintz@accesemployment.ca
www.accestrain.com

RP, Manitoba renew OFW deployment agreement

The flag of the Canadian province of Manitoba,...

Image via WikipediaProspective overseas Filipino workers in Canada – especially those in health, agricultural production, hotel and restaurant, and construction – stand to benefit from a renewed labor agreement between the Philippines and the Canadian province of Manitoba.

Department of Labor (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz signed the renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Manitoba's Department of Labour and Immigration (LIM).

“This MOU is closely aligned to the overarching goal of President Benigno S. Aquino III to invest and develop our human resources to make us more competitive and employable. It is also in line with the 22-point labor and employment agenda which, among others, calls for expanded protection of our OFWs," Baldoz said in an article on the DOLE website, after the signing.

Baldoz said that with the new RP-Manitoba agreement and the improving world economy, more OFWs may be deployed to Manitoba starting this year.

She said Filipino workers from the health, agricultural production, hotel, and restaurant and construction sectors will continue to be in demand in Manitoba.

“We hope that the MOU will result not only to the increased protection of Filipino workers being deployed to Manitoba, but more importantly, to the facilitation of the recruitment and hiring process, which in turn would enable the Philippines to get a bigger share of the projected demand of Manitoba for approximately 20,000 workers by 2016," Baldoz said.

Baldoz signed the agreement for the Philippines while Premier Greg Selinger signed on behalf of Manitoba.

Selinger flew in to Manila to sign the MOU and to lead a delegation seeking to explore trade, investment, and cultural cooperation with the Philippines.

The renewed agreement is a follow-through of the initial MOU signed by the DOLE and Manitoba in 2008.

It provides a framework for the partnership and collaboration between the Philippines and Manitoba in the recruitment and deployment of skilled OFWs to Manitoba, in their protection, and in the further development of human resources.

Baldoz said that with the MOU, the recruitment and deployment of OFWs for Manitoba that began in 2008 will be sustained, adding it is a testimony to the continued preference of Manitoba employers for OFWs.

Under the MOU, both parties will work together to enable Filipino workers to enter Manitoba under a process that is effective and clearly communicated to employers and workers alike.

The shared priorities for collaboration and cooperation under the new MOU are:

Ensure that the need of Manitoba employers for Filipino workers with appropriate skills are met through training and credential-recognition activities;
Expedite the approval of selected workers for employment opportunities in Manitoba, including efforts to support the work of the Canadian visa office in Manila it the processing of worker workers’ permits and visas;
Promote sound, ethical, and equitable recruitment and employment practices;
Share information to support initiatives, subject to privacy laws of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of Manitoba, Canada; and
On prior agreement, explore the role for the International Organization for Migration to support the foregoing initiatives.

Both parties also agree to regularly determine other priority areas for collaboration and cooperation.

Under the RP-Manitoba agreement, 91 OFWs were deployed to the Canadian province in 2008. Deployment rose to 162 in 2009, 44 percent higher than the 2008 deployment.

Of the total deployed in 2009, 61 percent were nurses, 23 percent were production workers, and 16 percent were service workers.

In pursuing the areas of collaboration and cooperation under the MOU the DOLE and the LIM agree to act in compliance with their respective laws and regulations.

These include the Employment Standards Code, the Worker Recruitment and Protection Act, and the Workplace Safety and Health Act on the part of Manitoba; and the Philippine Labor Code, as amended, and the 2002 POEA Rules and Regulations Governing the Recruitment and Employment of Land-Based Overseas Workers implementing R. A. 8042, as well as amendments to such legislation on the part of the Philippines. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV

20,000 jobs in the works in Canada

Image via WikipediaTHE Department of Labor and Employment yesterday announced that there are 20,000 jobs available in the Canadian province of Manitoba until 2016 following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Canada’s Department of Labour and Immigration.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said aside from increasing employment opportunities, the MOU also aims to strengthen areas of cooperation in the fields of ethical and safe employment.
She said with the new RP-Manitoba agreement, the recruitment and deployment of OFWs to Manitoba that began in 2008 will be sustained.
DOLE records showed 91 OFWs were deployed to Manitoba in 2008, the year when RP signed a first MOU.
The figure rose to 162 in 2009 with 61 percent employed as nurses, 23 percent as production workers, and 16 percent as service workers.
Manitoba has an area of 649,950 square kilometers. It has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province’s economy; other major industries are transportation, manufacturing, mining, forestry, energy, and tourism. – Gerard Naval

Alberta to review its Temporary Foreign Worker Program

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Updated: Fri Sep. 03 2010 15:49:44

ctvcalgary.ca

The province is extending an $850,000 program that helps temporary foreign workers.
Even though the economy has not fully recovered from the recession, the province says investing in foreign workers now will help down the road.
"One doesn't need a crystal ball to come to the conclusion that Canada, and most Western countries, will be facing a severe and acute labour shortage in several decades to come," says Thomas Lukaszuk, Alberta's minister of employment and immigration.
On Friday, the province announced their financial commitment will go towards groups who help foreign workers transition from their home country to Alberta.
"While our focus will always be jobs for Albertans and Canadians first, it is important that we recognize the contributions of temporary foreign workers to our province - making them feel welcome and included in our communities is simply the right thing to do," says Lukaszuk.
"We need that kind of support. We need the government to be involved, to recognize our efforts, our conditions as temporary foreign workers," says Magno Daria.
Daria came to Alberta three years ago as a temporary worker. Today he works for the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society.
Along with the financial commitment, the province says it will review the impact of the arrival of these workers on Alberta's workforce, its communities, and its people to identify future programming options.
"With the changing economy of Alberta, I believe this is the right time for us to take stock, to take a look at what has worked well, and what needs improvement," says Teresa Woo-Paw, the MLA for Calgary Mackay.
"When you have a program that you know will ramp up again, why not use the time of a temporary slow down to step back, reflect on it," says Lukaszuk.
The findings and recommendations from the review will be presented by spring 2011.
More than 60,000 temporary foreign workers live and work in Alberta.

We need immigrants as boomers retire

Toronto City Hall from Sheraton hotel room

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Glen Hodgson

The baby boom generation in Canada is about to start retiring in growing numbers. Who will replace the boomers in the workplace? The answer, increasingly, will need to be more immigrants.
The economic situation is only going to get more demanding for Canadian employers. We expect that over the next three years the national unemployment rate will decline back toward 6 per cent, which is effectively full employment. Finding workers and containing wage pressures are already resurfacing as key issues for Canadian employers in some regions and sectors.
The role of immigration in Canada’s economic development over many centuries is generally appreciated by most other Canadians. Less well understood is the role that immigration will have to play in the coming years if Canada’s economic development and growth are to be sustained.
Around the world, there are significant differences in attitudes and policies toward immigration, with clear economic consequences. At one end of the spectrum is Japan, whose total population is already in decline. The share of its population over the age of 65 is expected to increase from 22 per cent in 2010 to more than 30 per cent by 2030. However, Japan has yet to introduce broad policies that actively encourage immigration. Although some controls on foreign workers have been relaxed, its underlying economic growth potential is being steadily eroded by this aging phenomenon and by a shrinking workforce.
Similarly, there are numerous countries in Europe that are now suffering the negative effect of an aging workforce and weak labour force dynamics. Much of Europe is struggling to find the right balance between economic and social objectives in its approach to immigration.
At the other end of the spectrum are Canada, Australia and the U.S. All three countries are actively encouraging immigration as one means of building their labour forces and economies over time.
The born-in-Canada population will continue to grow. Although the fertility rate rose slightly during the 2000s, to 1.66 in 2007, it is still well below what is needed to maintain the population through natural increase, which is 2.1 children per woman. Canada will need more immigrants if the labour force is to grow and remain vibrant. Other demographic groups that will be called on to contribute to Canada’s labour force stability are mature workers, aboriginal people, women, people with disabilities and youth.
If Canada is to increasingly rely on immigrants, obviously it needs a modernized, integrated and well-managed immigration policy.
What, then, should be the key attributes of that policy?
• Increase the weight given to economic factors. A reinvigorated immigration policy will need to recognize the importance of skills-based immigration to address Canada’s labour market needs and to unlock immigrants’ potential for making a long-term economic contribution.
• Ensure that we have an immigration system that is streamlined, coordinated and well-managed. Canada cannot afford to have an immigration system, or any national policy for that matter, where there is misalignment between the federal and provincial levels.
• Be prepared to expand the use of temporary foreign worker (TFW) programs to fill short-term gaps in labour markets. As a matter of public policy, Canada should develop an array of tools to balance short-term labour market needs with the longer-term objectives of a growing and skilled labour force. TFW programs, delivered by provincial governments through their close contact with local business, are one such policy tool.
• Increase employers’ upfront involvement. If a renewed immigration policy is to address Canada’s labour market needs appropriately, it stands to reason that employers need to be included in the decision-making and delivery process.
• Create new and improved pathways to permanent residency for TFWs and foreign students.
• Improve foreign credential recognition, access to language training, settlement services and opportunities to gain meaningful work experience. To be fully effective in the labour force, immigrants will need the same hard and soft skills and demonstrated competencies that other participants in the Canadian labour market have.
Labour supply is more plentiful now in many industries than it was two years ago, but the recession has provided only temporary reprieve from the tight labour market conditions faced during 2007 and much of 2008.
Failure to adequately plan for the coming deceleration in labour supply growth will likely leave organizations short of skilled employees and could dampen growth prospects for the entire Canadian economy.
Immigrants can come to the rescue, but only if the policy framework and the supporting infrastructure create the right conditions for success.
Glen Hodgson is the author of “Canada’s Future Labour Market: Immigrants to the Rescue?” published in the July-August issue of Policy Options ( www.irpp.org). He is senior vice-president and chief economist at the Conference Board of Canada.

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