OTTAWA — TD Bank has joined a growing chorus warning about economic disruptions if Canada does not move to deal with its aging workforce.
The bank says seven million baby boomers are set to retire in the next two decades, more than one-third Canada's labour force.
The report written by economists Don Drummond and Francis Fong says pension reform is needed to prevent many retirees from falling into poverty.
And it says Canadian employers will be hard-pressed to find skilled workers as the labour force shrinks.
Immigration alone won't solve the problem, the economists say.
The report notes the C.D. Howe Institute recently calculated immigration levels would need to rise 2.5 times to meet the country's historic labour force growth.
But the bank says there are ways to mitigate the apparent labour crunch many are forecasting.
Those include making better use of underrepresented groups, such as women, Aboriginals and immigrants.
As well, the report says firms must increase incentives to keep older workers in the workforce.
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Guelph fast becoming part of the global village
Joanne Shuttleworth
jshuttleworth@guelphmercury.com
GUELPH — Businesses should embrace the wave of immigrants coming to Guelph since they add richness to the community and profitability — both as employees and as consumers — to their bottom lines.
And if they build a sense of community within their organizations, businesses can help immigrants settle into their new surroundings as well.
That was the gist of Roya Rabbani’s presentation Wednesday to business leaders at a lunch and learn event hosted by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce.
Rabbani, executive director of Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington, said Guelph is becoming a destination for new immigrants to Canada. She said according to 2008/2009 data, approximately 477 new immigrants come to Guelph each year to the point where immigrants make up 14 per cent of the population.
“So we have to look at work environments and agencies to see how well (immigrants) are represented in the workplace,” she said. “Many workplaces don’t have that diversity in managerial positions.”
Rabbani said most immigrants come to Canada with post-secondary education, are in good health, and have money.
“What they don’t necessarily have is the language and the accreditation they need to work,” she said in an interview after her presentation.
She agreed it’s important for professionals from other countries to meet Canadian standards, but there are ways local business leaders can help while immigrants work through that process — like mentorship programs, internships and peer partnering in the workplace.
“Sometimes training managers and current staff around these issues is helpful too,” she said. “Studies have shown that when business is involved with social entrepreneurship, they see more profit margins.”
Lloyd Longfield, president of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, said there are three initiatives businesses are taking part in to ease the transition for new Canadians: The Guelph Inclusiveness Alliance, a group of 27 organizations; the Local Immigration Partnership, which strives to make it easier for immigrants to settle here; and the Leadership Intercultural Council, which oversees these projects.
“With the imminent retirement of baby boomers, the workplace will need more workers,” Longfield said. “Immigration is often the source of growth.”
“Guelph is proactive in this regard,” Rabbani agreed. “That’s the beauty of our region.”
jshuttleworth@guelphmercury.com
GUELPH — Businesses should embrace the wave of immigrants coming to Guelph since they add richness to the community and profitability — both as employees and as consumers — to their bottom lines.
And if they build a sense of community within their organizations, businesses can help immigrants settle into their new surroundings as well.
That was the gist of Roya Rabbani’s presentation Wednesday to business leaders at a lunch and learn event hosted by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce.
Rabbani, executive director of Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington, said Guelph is becoming a destination for new immigrants to Canada. She said according to 2008/2009 data, approximately 477 new immigrants come to Guelph each year to the point where immigrants make up 14 per cent of the population.
“So we have to look at work environments and agencies to see how well (immigrants) are represented in the workplace,” she said. “Many workplaces don’t have that diversity in managerial positions.”
Rabbani said most immigrants come to Canada with post-secondary education, are in good health, and have money.
“What they don’t necessarily have is the language and the accreditation they need to work,” she said in an interview after her presentation.
She agreed it’s important for professionals from other countries to meet Canadian standards, but there are ways local business leaders can help while immigrants work through that process — like mentorship programs, internships and peer partnering in the workplace.
“Sometimes training managers and current staff around these issues is helpful too,” she said. “Studies have shown that when business is involved with social entrepreneurship, they see more profit margins.”
Lloyd Longfield, president of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, said there are three initiatives businesses are taking part in to ease the transition for new Canadians: The Guelph Inclusiveness Alliance, a group of 27 organizations; the Local Immigration Partnership, which strives to make it easier for immigrants to settle here; and the Leadership Intercultural Council, which oversees these projects.
“With the imminent retirement of baby boomers, the workplace will need more workers,” Longfield said. “Immigration is often the source of growth.”
“Guelph is proactive in this regard,” Rabbani agreed. “That’s the beauty of our region.”
Throne speech to tackle lack of skilled workers
The speech from the throne on Wednesday will not just promise more jobs, it will address a lack of skilled workers that has left some Canadian jobs going begging, government sources say.
Sources told CBC News that the speech, to be delivered by Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean at 2:30 p.m. ET in Ottawa, will include a greater emphasis on attracting and retaining immigrant skilled workers, by giving more weight to work experience.
Workforce report
A recent report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce found that a low Canadian birth rate combined with an inefficient immigration system has created a perfect storm. The report, released Feb. 22, predicts that in the next decade, 100 per cent of net workforce growth will come from new immigrants to Canada.
Michael Atkinson, president of the Canadian Construction Association, said the government simply can't afford to ignore tradespeople and craftspeople in its new productivity agenda.
"Sometimes the construction industry, like other industries, is painted as being yesterday's economy, as an old world economy. And that's just not true," he said.
"It's the construction industry that builds our laboratories, builds the clean rooms, builds our fibre networks, builds the research centres. So, from our perspective, the construction industry builds Canada."
Post-secondary education valued, not trades
Atkinson said his industry will need to replace 317,000 workers by 2017, including on-site workers, managers and supervisors. That's going to be difficult, he said, because of current barriers within the immigration system.
"Our point system is really geared towards people with post-secondary education and with proficiency in both of our official languages, with very little points or merit given for experience or qualifications in a trade," he said.
"It's easier to get into Canada as a permanent resident with a couple of degrees in Greek pottery or Greek mythology rather than 25 years experience as a welder."
Tina Kremmidas, the chief economist for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the author of its latest report, said Canada risks losing out in the global competition for workers.
She cited the Australian example, where skilled immigrants are brought into the workforce more quickly to fill needed trades, along with students who are encouraged to stay on.
"Those are the things that Canada's immigration policy needs to look at," she said. "We're certainly competing with Australia, we're competing with the U.K. and other European countries, not to mention the U.S., for skilled immigrants and highly educated immigrants. Not only in the skilled professions but what we call unskilled labour."
Focus on family reunification
For some trade representatives, the change will require a shift in government philosophy away from the social aspects of immigration in favour of economic variables.
"They really have to look at changing the nature of immigration from a social policy to an economic policy," said Philip Hochstein, president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of British Columbia.
"For too long we were involved in not bringing in enough skilled people and were focused on family reunification. And that's fine. But the economy in order to recover will need skilled people to do that."
All eyes will be on Ottawa this week as it lays out a broader agenda, beginning with the throne speech on Wednesday, and culminating in the tabling of the federal budget on Thursday.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/03/02/throne-speech-jobs-skills.html#ixzz0h7rD4mpC
Sources told CBC News that the speech, to be delivered by Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean at 2:30 p.m. ET in Ottawa, will include a greater emphasis on attracting and retaining immigrant skilled workers, by giving more weight to work experience.
Workforce report
A recent report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce found that a low Canadian birth rate combined with an inefficient immigration system has created a perfect storm. The report, released Feb. 22, predicts that in the next decade, 100 per cent of net workforce growth will come from new immigrants to Canada.
Michael Atkinson, president of the Canadian Construction Association, said the government simply can't afford to ignore tradespeople and craftspeople in its new productivity agenda.
"Sometimes the construction industry, like other industries, is painted as being yesterday's economy, as an old world economy. And that's just not true," he said.
"It's the construction industry that builds our laboratories, builds the clean rooms, builds our fibre networks, builds the research centres. So, from our perspective, the construction industry builds Canada."
Post-secondary education valued, not trades
Atkinson said his industry will need to replace 317,000 workers by 2017, including on-site workers, managers and supervisors. That's going to be difficult, he said, because of current barriers within the immigration system.
"Our point system is really geared towards people with post-secondary education and with proficiency in both of our official languages, with very little points or merit given for experience or qualifications in a trade," he said.
"It's easier to get into Canada as a permanent resident with a couple of degrees in Greek pottery or Greek mythology rather than 25 years experience as a welder."
Tina Kremmidas, the chief economist for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the author of its latest report, said Canada risks losing out in the global competition for workers.
She cited the Australian example, where skilled immigrants are brought into the workforce more quickly to fill needed trades, along with students who are encouraged to stay on.
"Those are the things that Canada's immigration policy needs to look at," she said. "We're certainly competing with Australia, we're competing with the U.K. and other European countries, not to mention the U.S., for skilled immigrants and highly educated immigrants. Not only in the skilled professions but what we call unskilled labour."
Focus on family reunification
For some trade representatives, the change will require a shift in government philosophy away from the social aspects of immigration in favour of economic variables.
"They really have to look at changing the nature of immigration from a social policy to an economic policy," said Philip Hochstein, president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of British Columbia.
"For too long we were involved in not bringing in enough skilled people and were focused on family reunification. And that's fine. But the economy in order to recover will need skilled people to do that."
All eyes will be on Ottawa this week as it lays out a broader agenda, beginning with the throne speech on Wednesday, and culminating in the tabling of the federal budget on Thursday.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/03/02/throne-speech-jobs-skills.html#ixzz0h7rD4mpC
Canada Visa and Work Permits
A work permit for Canada can only be obtained if you have an offer of employment before applying for your Canadian work visa. Canada seeks to attract temporary skilled workers to fill positions that Canadian employers are currently having difficulty to fill by a Canadian Permanent Resident or Citizen.
A Canadian work permit is issued on a temporary basis only and on the condition that you work for the specific employer sponsoring you. You can apply to change your Canada immigration status once in Canada, however the Canada work visa is not transferable and you will not be able to stay and work in Canada on your Canadian Visa upon termination of your employment.
Your employer must take the following steps before applying for a Canadian Work Visa:
* Your employer must first confirm your position is suitable to apply for a Canadian Work Permit by making an application to Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
* Your employer must then offer you the confirmed position
* You must then make an application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for a Work Permit for Canada.
Please be aware that not all employment offers will be considered and HRDC’s role is to confirm that your position will be of benefit to the Canadian Labour Market and of no threat to Canadian citizens employment opportunities before an application for a Canada Work Permit can be considered.
In summary, employers that need to address skill shortages in Canada may seek to employ a foreign national by sponsoring a Canadian Visa.
If you have an offer of employment from a Canadian employer, you may be eligible to apply for a Canadian work visa. Please feel free to contact us for further information.
As you may be aware, some employers find themselves in a catch 22 situation with the work permit process in which case you may like to consider the Federal Canada Skilled Worker Visa. This visa enables you to gain Permanent Resident status, in which you are entitled to live and work in Canada without the need of an employment offer.
Employers can still sponsor this application if they wish to increase your points total and speed up processing, however it will be issued to you and is not a temporary visa.
Some employers may also be able to sponsor your application under the Province Nominee Program, depending on where they are situated and the nature of the position. This visa is also a Permanent Resident Visa, but does restrict you to work in the Province that sponsored your application until you become a Canadian citizen.
We can ensure that your permit is obtained without delay and have you living and working in Canada in a matter of weeks depending on your quick response to our efficient Work Permit process.
If potential employers ask you to get your own work permit before applying for their jobs, they either do not understand the processes or would rather you looked at some of the above options.
If they do not understand the processes, just explain to them that they need to be involved in this sponsored process and point out the above options.
Better still… ask them to get in touch with us.
We are more than happy to help.
Source:http://canadaimmigrationexpert.wordpress.com/2009/05/
A Canadian work permit is issued on a temporary basis only and on the condition that you work for the specific employer sponsoring you. You can apply to change your Canada immigration status once in Canada, however the Canada work visa is not transferable and you will not be able to stay and work in Canada on your Canadian Visa upon termination of your employment.
Your employer must take the following steps before applying for a Canadian Work Visa:
* Your employer must first confirm your position is suitable to apply for a Canadian Work Permit by making an application to Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
* Your employer must then offer you the confirmed position
* You must then make an application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for a Work Permit for Canada.
Please be aware that not all employment offers will be considered and HRDC’s role is to confirm that your position will be of benefit to the Canadian Labour Market and of no threat to Canadian citizens employment opportunities before an application for a Canada Work Permit can be considered.
In summary, employers that need to address skill shortages in Canada may seek to employ a foreign national by sponsoring a Canadian Visa.
If you have an offer of employment from a Canadian employer, you may be eligible to apply for a Canadian work visa. Please feel free to contact us for further information.
As you may be aware, some employers find themselves in a catch 22 situation with the work permit process in which case you may like to consider the Federal Canada Skilled Worker Visa. This visa enables you to gain Permanent Resident status, in which you are entitled to live and work in Canada without the need of an employment offer.
Employers can still sponsor this application if they wish to increase your points total and speed up processing, however it will be issued to you and is not a temporary visa.
Some employers may also be able to sponsor your application under the Province Nominee Program, depending on where they are situated and the nature of the position. This visa is also a Permanent Resident Visa, but does restrict you to work in the Province that sponsored your application until you become a Canadian citizen.
We can ensure that your permit is obtained without delay and have you living and working in Canada in a matter of weeks depending on your quick response to our efficient Work Permit process.
If potential employers ask you to get your own work permit before applying for their jobs, they either do not understand the processes or would rather you looked at some of the above options.
If they do not understand the processes, just explain to them that they need to be involved in this sponsored process and point out the above options.
Better still… ask them to get in touch with us.
We are more than happy to help.
Source:http://canadaimmigrationexpert.wordpress.com/2009/05/
How to get a Job offer to work in Canada
The market is ripe for hiring and Canadian employers are realizing just how important immigrants are as a source of skilled labour. But it’s up to you to get that first Canadian job offer. That accomplished, your Canadian immigration application process and your settlement in Canada will be much smoother.
Work Permit – The quickest way to begin working in Canada is via a temporary Work Permit. We’re talking weeks, maybe even days, between the time you get the job offer and the time you can be living and working in Canada. As the name implies, these permits are issued for a specific period, but they are often renewable from inside Canada.
You have to apply for work in some of the job sites in Canada or register in a job reporting site then if an employer got interested in you, you may have a job offer right a way. Tell Canadian employers who you are and what you can do for them. Let them know that you’re keen to be a part of their organization. It’s not easy to get a job anywhere without being there in person but it depends on how much in demand your occupation is.
There are different ways of working in Canada such as
Permanent Employment:
In this type of position, the employee usually gets a package that involves base salary, health benefits and perhaps some other perks such as bonuses, company stock option plans, personal incentives, etc
Contract/Freelance Employment:
Usually entails being paid a fixed amount of money for a particular project with no additional benefits.This type of worker can be hired to address a particular problem that exists for a limited time, say several months and that contract worker must leave the company once the contract expires unless a new, longer-term contract is negotiated.
Part-time Employment:
In Canada, many jobs exist that offer occasional, weekend, evening, partial day or daily part-time employment.
Arranged Employment – This is a permanent job offer of indeterminate length made by a Canadian employer to a foreign national who intends to become a Canadian Permanent Resident. With this type of job offer, you will not be able to begin work until you receive your Canadian Permanent Resident Visa. However, your applications will receive priority processing in order to get you to Canada, and to your place of work, as soon as possible – in most cases in less than one year. What’s great about Arranged Employment is that the employer is not required to demonstrate that efforts were first made to hire Canadian workers.
Volunteering in Canada:
If you are studying or have the financial resources to dedicate a few weeks full-time or a few hours per week to volunteer with a not-for profit organization in Canada, that could pay enormously when you look for a job because of the following two reasons:
You will have proof of “Canadian Experience”
You will have demonstrated your concern for others and your willingness to help without expecting anything in return. Many employers in Canada will consider those who volunteer before those who do not.
Besides Work Permits and Arranged Employment, most Canadian provinces and territories have created immigration programs, specific to their needs, to recruit workers from abroad who intend to settle as Permanent Residents in a given province or territory. These Provincial Nomination Programs are also worthy of consideration as they offer expedited processing of foreign workers’ applications.
If you notice a delay or there is a drawback to Work Permits, it is that in some instances, the Canadian employer must first demonstrate that unsuccessful efforts were made to hire Canadian residents for the position being offered to the foreign worker. This can add some time to the Work Permit process. There are, however, many exemptions to this “Canadians first” requirement.
Source:http://hinenicommunications.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/how-to-get-a-job-offer-to-work-in-canada/
Work Permit – The quickest way to begin working in Canada is via a temporary Work Permit. We’re talking weeks, maybe even days, between the time you get the job offer and the time you can be living and working in Canada. As the name implies, these permits are issued for a specific period, but they are often renewable from inside Canada.
You have to apply for work in some of the job sites in Canada or register in a job reporting site then if an employer got interested in you, you may have a job offer right a way. Tell Canadian employers who you are and what you can do for them. Let them know that you’re keen to be a part of their organization. It’s not easy to get a job anywhere without being there in person but it depends on how much in demand your occupation is.
There are different ways of working in Canada such as
Permanent Employment:
In this type of position, the employee usually gets a package that involves base salary, health benefits and perhaps some other perks such as bonuses, company stock option plans, personal incentives, etc
Contract/Freelance Employment:
Usually entails being paid a fixed amount of money for a particular project with no additional benefits.This type of worker can be hired to address a particular problem that exists for a limited time, say several months and that contract worker must leave the company once the contract expires unless a new, longer-term contract is negotiated.
Part-time Employment:
In Canada, many jobs exist that offer occasional, weekend, evening, partial day or daily part-time employment.
Arranged Employment – This is a permanent job offer of indeterminate length made by a Canadian employer to a foreign national who intends to become a Canadian Permanent Resident. With this type of job offer, you will not be able to begin work until you receive your Canadian Permanent Resident Visa. However, your applications will receive priority processing in order to get you to Canada, and to your place of work, as soon as possible – in most cases in less than one year. What’s great about Arranged Employment is that the employer is not required to demonstrate that efforts were first made to hire Canadian workers.
Volunteering in Canada:
If you are studying or have the financial resources to dedicate a few weeks full-time or a few hours per week to volunteer with a not-for profit organization in Canada, that could pay enormously when you look for a job because of the following two reasons:
You will have proof of “Canadian Experience”
You will have demonstrated your concern for others and your willingness to help without expecting anything in return. Many employers in Canada will consider those who volunteer before those who do not.
Besides Work Permits and Arranged Employment, most Canadian provinces and territories have created immigration programs, specific to their needs, to recruit workers from abroad who intend to settle as Permanent Residents in a given province or territory. These Provincial Nomination Programs are also worthy of consideration as they offer expedited processing of foreign workers’ applications.
If you notice a delay or there is a drawback to Work Permits, it is that in some instances, the Canadian employer must first demonstrate that unsuccessful efforts were made to hire Canadian residents for the position being offered to the foreign worker. This can add some time to the Work Permit process. There are, however, many exemptions to this “Canadians first” requirement.
Source:http://hinenicommunications.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/how-to-get-a-job-offer-to-work-in-canada/
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Check our online courses now
Click Here now!!!!