VANCOUVER, November 15, 2006 ? The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Canada, today announced improvements to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to make it easier for employers in Alberta and British Columbia to hire foreign workers when there are no Canadian citizens or permanent residents available to fill the position.
"Canada's new government has been listening to employers in Alberta and British Columbia, and they are truly having a hard time finding enough workers," said Minister Solberg. "The improvements we are announcing today are making it easier, faster, and less costly for employers to hire temporary foreign workers."
"These new initiatives will assist employers by reducing overall costs and make it two to four weeks faster for employers to hire temporary foreign workers," said Minister Finley. "They will effectively help employers having difficulty finding Canadian workers to fill their human resource needs, while continuing to protect the access of Canadian workers to the labour market."
The improvements include:
- Regional lists of occupations under pressure. These lists will cut the recruitment wait time for employers. Employers in certain regions who face critical labour shortages may now be eligible to follow shorter, simpler and less costly advertising requirements to recruit the workers they need.
- Providing better information for employers. A step-by-step guide has been developed specifically for employers who need to hire temporary foreign workers. The guide will be useful in all regions of the country.
- Creating federal provincial working groups. Working groups in Alberta and British Columbia will speed the identification of existing and emerging skill shortages and determine the best ways the foreign worker program can help address these shortages.
In addition to these initiatives, Temporary Foreign Worker Units announced in Vancouver and Calgary last August are now fully operational and providing advice to employers seeking to employ temporary foreign workers.
"We welcome these initial measures to help streamline the process of hiring temporary foreign workers and we will continue to work with the federal government on further initiatives to help British Columbia deal with its labour shortage," said Dave Hayer, British Columbia's Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism and Immigration.
Alberta's Minister of Human Resources and Employment, Mike Cardinal, said he was pleased that this federal initiative is beginning in Alberta. "It complements the province's 10-year labour supply strategy. Alberta employers have been asking for clearer information and quicker processes for recruiting temporary foreign workers - these actions by the federal government are a good step in the right direction. While Albertans and Canadians will always be given priority, Alberta recognizes the importance of temporary foreign workers to help fill critical short term labour needs."
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Radio Opportunity : Highlight your broadcast with more information on this initiative. You can access a taped interview clip with Minister Solberg at www.cic.gc.ca/audio/2006-11-21E.mp3. The clip is available in English and in French.
For media inquiries only please contact:
Colleen Cameron
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
Pema Lhalungpa
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Solberg
613-954-1064
Melanie Carkner
Media Relations Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
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