Image via WikipediaCompared with other provinces in Atlantic Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador is experiencing greater difficulty attracting immigrants. The provincial government’s Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism is looking to get communities in on the effort, including Gander.
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Statistics Canada , Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism , Newfoundland and Labrador , Canada , Nova Scotia
Jamie Valvasori, the central region’s representative for the office, met with the Town’s economic and social development committee on Aug. 23 to speak about efforts to retain immigrants in the area.
According to notes from the meeting, Mr. Valvasori said the province is attracting many professionals who choose to move to larger centres. His office is now working on ways to make communities more welcoming to immigrants faced with living in a new place.
The Town has committed to working with his office on hosting a three-day workshop focusing on creating a welcoming community through specific initiatives.
According to Statistics Canada, 565 immigrants came to Canada from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. In the same time frame, the remaining three Atlantic Provinces welcomed many more immigrants. Nova Scotia attracted the most with 2,377, while New Brunswick welcomed 1,922 immigrants. Even Prince Edward Island, with almost one-quarter the population of Newfoundland and Labrador, managed to attract more immigrants – 1,793.
“While the numbers may be lower than other Atlantic provinces, we believe we’re seeing great progress.” - Minister Susan Sullivan
Susan Sullivan, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, said she could not speak to the approach those provinces are taking.
“We’ve chosen to focus on skilled individuals who will make an economic, social, and cultural contribution to the province,” said Minister Sullivan. “We’re looking for people who are able to make that contribution and also people who have demonstrated a strong interest in staying in the province, and we think this approach will serve the immigrants and our province well.”
A major component of that approach is the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which seeks to recruits immigrants with specialized skills that are also in demand. The minister said 53 per cent of immigrants that came through the program are living in St. John’s.
Numbers up
Since 2007, Minister Sullivan said immigration numbers have been increasing, moving from an average of 400 per year to over 600 in 2009 – with 700 expected in 2010.
“While the numbers may be lower than other Atlantic provinces, we believe we’re seeing great progress,” she said.
A Statistics Canada publication from February 2010 found Newfoundland and Labrador had the highest match rates in Canada for foreign-educated immigrants working in the field they were trained for at 60 per cent. Nova Scotia placed second in Canada with 40 per cent, while Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick were tied at fourth with 37 per cent. The Canadian average was 33 per cent for data collected in the 2006 Canadian census.
Minister Sullivan said this shows the province is a good option for immigrants looking to work in their chosen profession.
Rather than offer specific selling points as a province, she said the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism is using immigrants already here to sell Newfoundland and Labrador to others who may consider making a move. Its website currently offers video testimonials.
“They’re really inspiring examples of why it is that people have chosen to come and then decide to stay here,” said the minister.
She said a low population density constitutes a major attraction for foreigners coming to Newfoundland and Labrador, as many only have experience living in crowded cities. The videos also show people extolling the virtues of living in a place with a lower crime rate.
The efforts to create welcoming communities is being spearheaded by employees at the regional offices, said Minister Sullivan, as becoming a part of the community goes a long way in ensuring an immigrant will stay in an area.
“The workshops engage key stakeholders in the community who have an interest in the topic,” she said, adding the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism has already held a number of successful ones in other areas.
“What we’re learning form them is the stakeholders who’ve taken the opportunity to go and participate have all reported that these have exceptionally helped them in terms of understanding the immigration process, and helping those who come to settle into their communities.”
info@ganderbeacon.ca
By Andrew Robinson
At a news conference here Tuesday, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Diane Finley said the government is funding a project that will make it easier for internationally trained architects to find work in their field.
The government has reached an agreement with the professional body that governs architects to develop a system to recognize the skills and experience of foreign-trained architects, Finley said.
"Newcomers need to have their credentials and their work experience recognized, and done so in a timely manner," Finley told reporters.
"That is why the government of Canada is working with the provinces and territories, and encouraging partners to work together to improve foreign credential recognition," she added.
Finley is expected to make a similar announcement Wednesday about dentists.
Finley said the acceptance of foreign credentials not only helps immigrants, it also aids employers who need their skills.
"Attracting and retaining the best international talent to address existing and future labor market challenges is critical to Canada's long-term economic success," she said. "When newcomers succeed, we strengthen the economy and improve the standard of living for all Canadians."
She said the Canadian government, under its Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications, is working on rules to streamline credential recognition for eight professions, including architects, engineers, accountants, medical laboratory technicians, pharmacists, physiotherapists and registered nurses.
Another six professions will be addressed soon, government officials said. These include engineering technicians, licensed practical nurses, medical radiation technicians, physicians, and teachers.
Architecture Canada is the first professional organization to work on a project to evaluate and license foreign-trained professions. The agency will examine the training and work experience of immigrant architects, then assign them academic work at Athabaska University if they need training in Canadian methods and help learning one of Canada's official languages.
The courses will begin at the Center of Architecture at Athabasca University in Sept. 2011.
"Architecture Canada and the Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities welcome the grant from the federal government to undertake this worthwhile study," said Jim McKee, Executive Director of Architecture Canada. "The architectural profession is committed to increasing the number of architects in practice to provide services to our clients in Canada and abroad."
McKee said Canada needs about 100 to 200 foreign architects each year to meet the demands of the country, and that number will grow as hundreds of architects retire in the next few years. He said many Canadian architecture graduates leave Canada for jobs in the United States.
McKee said foreign-trained architects may save up to five years of re-training. Formerly, they had to perform 5,600 hours of apprenticeship training and take academic courses before being licensed to work in Canada.