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

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Province wants immigrants

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.
Topics :
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

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Canada's Immigration Minister Says Doors Are Open to Chinese to Come to Canada

BEIJING, CHINA--(Marketwire - Sept. 15, 2010) - China is, and will continue to be, one of the most important source countries for immigrants to Canada, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney said today in Beijing, the second-to-last stop on his trip to Asia.

"Canada has benefited enormously from immigration from China," said Minister Kenney. China remains the number one source country for immigrants to Canada.

Minister Kenney notes that more visitors are coming to Canada from China as well. In the first quarter of this year, China ranked first in visas and extensions issued to visitors. Canada saw 14% more visitors from China than in the first quarter of 2009, or 46% more than in the first quarter of 2005.

"That means more Chinese nationals are visiting their family here in Canada than ever before. With the implementation of the Approved Destination Status, which allows Chinese travel agents to advertise and organize tour groups to Canada, that number will only rise," said the Minister.

And the number of Chinese students studying in Canada is also on the rise. Almost 50,000 students from China resided in Canada last year. The number of Chinese students living in Canada has grown by more than 300% in the past decade.

"We are committed to increasing the number of Chinese students attending Canadian colleges and universities," said the Minister, "and in the course of my visit to Beijing, I made an important announcement about how our government will encourage even more students to study in Canada."

But he also warns that while the door is open to Chinese students, visitors and immigrants, the Government of Canada is serious about cracking down on immigration fraud. This includes drawing attention to fraudulent immigration consultants.

"While many consultants do good work, we want people to know that it's not necessary to hire a consultant to come to Canada," said Minister Kenney. "And with the help of the Chinese government, we want to put a stop to the ones who are engaging in fraud."

Minister Kenney will travel to Manila tomorrow. He will then go on to Canberra and Sydney, the final two stops on this trip.

Canada eases restrictions on foreign-trained architects

OTTAWA, Sep. 14, 2010 (Xinhua News Agency) -- The Canadian government is trying to fix a problem that has angered immigrants to this country for many years: the inability of newcomers to practice their trades as their education and skills are not recognized in Canada.
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.

(Source: iStockAnalyst )

Funding announced to help immigrants integrate

Image via WikipediaThe province is partnering with Ottawa and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) on a new initiative to better prepare immigrants from China and the Philippines for life in Canada.
The new program was announced early today by Premier Greg Selinger, who is travelling in China, and federal Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.
Selinger said in an telephone interview Tuesday the new immigration program will better prepare immigrants for not only what to expect when they first arrive, but to channel them into jobs sooner.
"We have an obligation to prepare them for success," Selinger said. "They're coming because Canada has a good reputation in China. It's a safe place to live and they feel they're going to be welcomed."
Many families also come to Canada to see their children get a solid education in our country's universities and colleges, he added.
The pilot program will provide Manitoba nominees in China and the Philippines with pre-arrival settlement orientation and labour-market preparation services. These services will include the development of a career plan based on Manitoba-specific labour-market information and guidance on qualifications recognition procedures. It will then be adapted for provincial nominees destined to other provincial jurisdictions as well as for Manitoba nominees in other parts of the world.
These new services for provincial nominees will be delivered through Phase 2 of the Canadian Immigrant Integration Program (CIIP), funded through a $15-million contribution agreement from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
"Pre-arrival services are an essential part of our strategy to help newcomers succeed. ACCC's partnership with Manitoba to create province-specific CIIP information and services is an important step in our commitment to prepare immigrants before they arrive in Canada," said Kenney. "This pilot demonstrates our aim to meet specific needs of newcomers destined for provinces across the country."
"ACCC members play a vital role in the economic integration of newcomers in Canada," said James Knight, president and CEO of ACCC. "Through ACCC's overseas offices, they are also providing pre-arrival advice to federal skilled workers in their country of origin. Red River College has been delivering this service for three years and is now working with ACCC and the Manitoba government to develop overseas pre-arrival services for provincial nominees."
Before arriving in Canada, nominees will also have access to Manitoba's successful English online language program, which provides language training using Manitoba specific scenarios. Students will be able to interact with adult English-as-an-additional-language teachers based in Manitoba, who will provide one-on-one guidance throughout the student's training.
The initiative will begin in November with approximately 40 Manitoba nominees. CIIP services for provincial nominees will be available at all CIIP locations in the coming year.
Selinger is in China to also drum up more business for the CentrePort development at Winnipeg's airport and to lure more tourists to the province.

Source: Winnipeg Free Press

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