B.C. Employers Recognize Benefits of Canadian Immigration

Industry leaders in the province of British Columbia are stating that the employment of skilled Canadian immigrants is a practice which is beneficial to all parties and which should be encouraged within local businesses. Heads of commerce such as the CEO of BC Hydro and the Vice President of Spectra Energy feel that their companies experience numerous benefits through the employment of new Canadians, and that such new arrivals benefit from the experience they receive within Canadian industry.

Bohdan Bodnar, vice president of human resources for Spectra Energy's Canada operations, feels that Canada is able to attract the best and brightest from abroad. He feels that improving the recognition of their credentials once they arrive in Canada should be a primary focus of the Canadian government in order to ensure that they quickly find work in the fields of their expertise. He states that his company seeks to help Canadian immigrants with this challenge by paying for skilled workers to attend cultural and linguistic workplace-preparation programs.

Bob Elton, CEO of BC Hydro, says that his company seeks to aid the integration process by hiring Canadian immigrants to work with more established employees who are accredited. The result of this is that new immigrants gain the work experience required by some accreditation processes and his company may be able to to secure a loyal employee.

Canada's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has stated that his government recognizes the needs for improved integration, for which substantial funding has been devoted. However, looking to the efforts of Canada's industry leaders may yield some strategies on effective means of achieving this effort.

Canadian Immigrant Agency Receives $1.9 million

An Ottawa organization has received a CAD$1.9 million provincial grant that will assist it in expending its services to Canadian employers. The organization works with local employers in order to assist them in removing barriers to hiring and retaining skilled workers who immigrate to Canada. Part of the near-term plan of the organization is to create a new working group which concentrates on the biotechnology sector; current programs currently focus on health-care, IT, finance, and public sectors.

The agency presently predicts that local labour requirements will exceed the supply of workers by 2014. It predicts that Canadian immigration will be responsible for all labour market growth in the region by the year 2011.

The Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration states that "Programs like United Way Ottawa's Hire Immigrants Ottawa have proven effective in getting newcomers jobs that match their skills, expertise and qualifications."

Canadian Immigrant Settlement Services Receive Funding

As part of its ongoing effort to improve the integration of new Canadians, federal and provincial governments have been funding programs which provide settlement services. Some recent programs which have received funding include the Library Settlement Partnerships Program (LSP) in Brampton, Ontario and the Abbotsford Community Services (ACS) project in British Columbia.

The LSP is a 3-way partnership with the Canadian government, the Brampton Multicultural Centre, and the Brampton Public Library. Its goal is to assist immigrants with everyday situations, such as searching for a new home, transportation and finding employment locally. Canadian immigrants can access its resources through the LSP employees at Brampton Public Library locations.

The ACS is an effort to help immigrant youth and young adults who are encountering language and settlement barriers following arrival in Canada. ACS will use its funding to develop programs for immigrant youth that connect them to education, training and employment locally. Its participants will benefit from support services; develop plans to achieve goals; language training and short-term employment programs.

Nova Scotia Seeks to Attract Canadian Immigrants

While the vast majority of new Canadians take up residence in the country's major cities, the province of Nova Scotia is seeking to attract immigrants by promoting the benefits of a more rural life. Some of the benefits which are being touted include the more communal feel of smaller towns, the lack of big city traffic, and the ability to work closer to home. Better language integration is also identified with the more rural areas, given the increased likelihood of its use in the community on a daily basis.

As Canada's immigration department continues to supply funding for integration programs across the country, smaller communities like those in Nova Scotia are finding it easier to attract immigrants. These communities realize that the ability to supply employment to such new arrivals is critical, and they continue to work to develop programs to improve credential recognition and other programs to aid them.

Canadian Immigration Focused on Women

Citizenship and Immigration Canada has announced increased funding of services provided by women's immigration centres. Funding estimated at $52. million has been provided to a service provider in the Toronto region, and is expected to aid in providing integration help from approximately 1,100 new arrivals in the region. These sections include referrals to community resources, advice and guidance, and employment-related services. This follows findings that greater numbers of women are applying as principal applicants in programs such as the federal skilled worker program.

A number of Canadian studies have demonstrated that migrants who receive more integration support are more likely to progress quicker to jobs consistent with their skills set. This in turn benefits Canada economically.

Government Stratgies to Attract Canadian Immigrants

Along with the regulatory changes in Bil C-50, intended to help reduce current immigration backlogs, Canada's government has enacted new means to help attract new immigrants to the country. Recent efforts to retained skilled workers has included the announcement of programs which will facilitate the immigration process for those who are already within Canada.

Developing new settlement services for immigrants is another important way that the Minister of Immigration is seeking to ease the process. The government has begun to invest CAD$1.4 billion into the provinces and territories over a 5 year period since 2006. Examples of services which are being offered in various communities as a result of such funding includes language training, job search services, and provision of other essential services.

Canadian Government Increases Immigrant Services Funding

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has announced funding for the Immigrant Settlement Services program in Ontario. The program is dedicated to the development and implementation of programs that support new immigrants in Ontario. Services include employment related assistance, , orientation, interpretation, referrals to community services and general information for new Canadians.

Through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement, a total of $920 million in funding is being allocated to increase settlement assistance in Ontario over a five year period. The Minister, who expects that all national business growth by 2012 will rely on skilled immigrants, feels that the money is well spent.

Canada funds immigration programs

Canada's immigration department announced increases in funding to the provinces by more than $121 million over a three year period. The increases in funding are aimed at the provinces outside Quebec and Ontario and are intended to help immigrants settle into Canadian society. The increases in funding will bring the total investment to over $1.4 billion over five years.

The province of Saskatchewan is receiving a 40% increase in funding to help close the gap between it and the provinces which traditionally attract more immigrants. The funding, which is used for programs and services such as language and skills training, will help keep immigrants in the smaller provinces and should promote future immigration.