Technology Industry Targeting Canadian Immigration

Technology industry representatives in the province of British Columbia are recruiting overseas for tech jobs. In order to help fill the approximately 10,000 positions which are projected vacant in the province this year, international technology students in the USA who are required to leave the USA are being invited to fairs conducted by the non-profit B.C. Technology Industry Association (BCTIA).

Approximately 400 technology companies participated in the annual TechTalentBC Labour Demand Study, funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education. Although most employers recognized that many of their employment needs would derive from immigration, most were not familiar with the various programs in place to facilitate that.

The BCTIA is trying to promote the region as a permanent and long-term destination for skilled workers. The group suggests that the industry's labour shortage is growing at a faster rate than originally predicted.