P.G. Committee Works on Skilled Labour Shortage
By 250 News
Export North Manager, Charles Scott says a Committee has been set up to put together the plan to recruit and retain skilled labour to the region. The heart of the idea calls for recruitment packages aimed at skilled immigrant population. (see PG Strategic Plan Needed to Attract Skilled Immigrant Labour)
"This is not a group that will produce another study" says Scott, "This is a group representing 20 firms and organizations including the City of Prince George, Initiatives Prince George, multi-cultural groups and local businesses that will develop a specific plan to move forward".
Scott admits there are many challenges that will need to be addressed including knowledge of immigration policies and systems along with getting a better undrstanding of differing cultures.
Services Canada is funding the Committee's work with a $96 thousand dollar grant. Scott says the budget is actually higher than that as there are several businesses and organizations making "in kind" contributions of time and staff.
The Provincial Government has just announced it will dedicate $400 million dollars over the next four years to address the need for skilled labour and will work with the Federal Government and regulatory agencies to speed up the immigration process. Scott says it's too early to say if the Province will provide any funding for the current recruitment-retention project, but expects there will be "linkages" with the Province in the future.
It is hoped the Committee will have a plan developed and ready to implement within 6 months.
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What is skilled anyways? Is that trained AND with on the job experience too?? Or just "trained"?
Don't we need a government that can recognize the need to take care of the people we have living in our country already?. Or at least give them an opportunity to care for themselves. Our graduating youth will need jobs, the unemployed who are "schooled" in new trades need an opportunity to work in the fields they have trained in. Most companies do not want to hire inexperienced workers. Why? Because it is TOO COSTLY to train them.
This flim flam outfit of ours that wants to spend a bunch of money bringing in "skilled" immigrants should spend some of that money on "on the job experience" programs for "already Canadians". Get the businesses involved. It is to their end benefit anyways.
Put some effort into better training facilities, support the student after graduation by wholly subsidizing their wages in positions where they can get the experience they need to secure permanent jobs. Not a week goes by that I don't get a call from someone who has just finished or is about to embark on training through some expensive course, but when all is said and done and they have graduated and need a job, they DO NOT HAVE EXPERIENCE and the downtime and lost production costs of giving them that experience is too high for most businesses. And as every politician knows, it is ALWAYS about the buck.