Employment in Canada

Invitation to New Canadians Forum - Jan 9, 2007 - Toronto City Hall

2007-01-02T09:23:00.000-08:00

The City of Toronto cordially invites you to attend

THE NEW CANADIANS FORUM
Hosted and Conducted By Vamos a Canada, in Partnership with the
Access and Diversity Unit in Parks, Forestry and Recreation of the City of Toronto

“A networking event where employers can liaise with the most qualified NEWCOMER PROFESSIONALS”

Tuesday, January 9, 2007 from 5:00 to 10:00 pm

Nathan Phillips Square (City Hall) Rotunda - Main Floor
100 Queen Street West, Toronto M5H 2N1

Registration is Free and starts at 4:30 pm (Sharp)

Special Guest Speakers Include:

The Honourable Mario G. Racco MPP & Parliamentary Assistant to the Ontario Minister of Labour
“Employment Standards Act and the Occupational Health & Safety Act”

The Honourable Dr. Khalil Ramal MPP & Parliamentary Assistant to the Ontario Minister of Immigration
“Bill 124: Fair Access to Regulated Professions”

The Distinguished Keith Pelley, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Argonauts
“Stop the Violence”

For any question or to pre-register call (905)370-0119 or email us at: jobs@vamosacanada.com

IT Business

2006-12-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

Source: IT Business: "There is an IT skills shortage and an anticipated net shortfall in the next six years unless specific measures are taken to address the issue. John Boufford, president of the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS), sees CIPS taking an active and essential role working with industry partners to resolve this crisis in skills demand."

Review of this week's economic indicators

2006-10-30T11:48:00.000-08:00

A review of this week's economic statistics: "A review of this week's economic statistics
14:30:31 EST Oct 29, 2006
Source: Canadian Press
OTTAWA (CP) - A review of economic statistics this week:
-Retail sales up.
-Federal budget surplus increased.
-EI recipients climb.
-Manufacturers expect tougher times.

FAIR ACCESS TO REGULATED PROFESSIONS ACT

2006-10-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, October 3, 2006, the Honourable Mike Colle, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, addressed the provincial legislature, to present a second reading of the FAIR ACCESS TO REGULATED PROFESSIONS ACT, 2006. He directed his speech to The Acting Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Ted Arnott.

This Bill is being proposed for enforcement as an Act of Law in the Province of Ontario. In the words of Minister Mike Colle: “

Bill 124 tries to address the reality of the fact that when a foreign-trained individual comes to Canada and Ontario, there is a complexity of regulatory bodies, 34 in all, that range from architecture to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to the College of Midwives of Ontario, the chartered accountants' institute, teachers' colleges and engineering. All of these regulatory bodies, up until this bill is proposed, have never had oversight by a provincial government

Minister Colle emphasized: “So there would be an appointment of a fairness commissioner who would be the champion of newcomers applying to go through this regulatory process.

Minister Colle continued his dialogue, stating: “…it's really a reflection of their many years of trying to ensure that foreign-trained individuals and all newcomers get a fair shot at working in their chosen field here in Ontario. As you know, Mr. Speaker, over 140,000 newcomers come to this province every year -- about 60% of all the newcomers to Canada come to Ontario”.

Minister Colle concluded his support for passage of the Bill into law by saying:

So this Bill 124 is an attempt to do something about fairness, transparency and accountability so that these wonderful people will get to work, feed their families and contribute to Ontario's economy so that we can really celebrate our diversity, our multiculturalism, economically and socially. We really need to do this more than ever because we are in such a competitive world. Just out of equity and fairness, we have to do this.

Member of Provincial Parliament Mario Racco, demonstrated his support for the Bill when he said:

Bill 124 - The Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act - is about ensuring that all of Ontario's newcomers have a fair shot at success. If passed, this Bill will see the implementation of a comprehensive framework designed to assist foreign trained professionals reach their full potential and contribute to economic success of our province.

What Bill 124 really means is that the confusing process of becoming a recognized professional will be made easier. The transition for a specialist will be more fluid, with road-blocks to employment shattered. New Canadian’s will no longer be forced to drives taxis for many years, without a possibility to work as a doctor, etcetera. New Canadian’s will be able to follow-up on their applications for registration with regulatory bodies, to gain access to work in their profession. In short, the doors are open to professionals in all disciplines. Welcome, you are invited to start your life anew in Canada. We, here at Vamos a Canada, are prepared to assist you in your complete relocation and immersion into the Canadian economy. We will help you adjust to multicultural society that is known the world over as being most culturally diverse place where all people, regardless of ethnic origin can thrive!

Immigration key to Canada's growth

2006-10-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

CALGARY - Alberta and the rest of Canada need to move quickly to boost immigration and take better advantage of skills so many new Canadians bring to their chosen home or risk being left behind in a global race for talent, says the head of Canada's largest bank.
Source: Canada.com

Mountain Resort Magazine - North America's most widely read operations publication - VANOC begins 2010 employment drive

2006-10-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

Mountain Resort Magazine - North America's most widely read operations publication - VANOC begins 2010 employment drive: "When the Games come to Vancouver, Whistler Blackcomb, Cypress and a variety of other venues, 1,200 full time, 3,500 temporary and 25,000 volunteers will be in British Columbia to make it happen. The organizing committee has begun searching Canada for 'corporate athletes,' at the same time will be training people from all industries how to host events, market those events and those athletes, and be prepared to continue a career in resort management.

VANOC’s team is growing quickly and over the next three years all postings for 1,200 full-time, 3,500 temporary and 25,000 volunteer positions will appear on workopolis.com, a site that recruits from both universities and from the general workforce in Canada.

“VANOC is building a huge enterprise, expanding its team from the 275 employees to more than 30,000 paid and volunteer positions in the space of just over three years,' said VANOC CEO John Furlong.

Paid positions at VANOC will range from entry-level to senior management and will be filled across eight divisions: CEO’s Office; Sport, Paralympic Games, Venue Management and Technology & Systems; Games Services Operations & Ceremonies; Venue Development; Revenue, Marketing and Communications; Human Resources and Sustainability; Finance and Legal.

“There will be many exciting opportunities to be part of the Vancouver 2010 team,” continued Furlong. “Be it a transport systems manager, an accountant, a medal ceremonies assistant, a food services manager or a venue construction inspector.

As the official online recruitment supplier, Workopolis will be providing"

Events: The National Job Fair & Training Expo - Conference from Vamos a Canada

2006-09-11T12:15:00.000-07:00

The National Job Fair & Training Expo - Site description - The Public Presentation Area: "Presentation No. 8 --- 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
VAMOS A CANADA
Title: Clashes in Corporate Culture
Brief description: What is culture and why does it matter in the workplace? Culture is the collection and immersion in customs and traditions of a group of people that originate from a common geographical location. These behavioral traits and participation in customs affect a person's involvement with their own community and also with people who are outside of this cultural group. When two cultures meet there is a clash and a struggle. How can this fight be avoided? How can it be resolved once it has begun? What, more importantly is Canadian Corporate Culture and from where does it originate?"

canadian hr reporter Nova Scotia invests $4.4 million in Michelin plant

2006-08-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

canadian hr reporter - article display

Michelin Canada is expanding its facility in Bridgewater, N.S., a $36-million project that will result in the creation of more than 30 jobs.

The province of Nova Scotia is investing about $4.4 million to help expand and modernize the steel cord products operation at the facility, while the tire manufacturer is putting up $32 million. But the expansion is about more than the 36 jobs to be created in 2008, said Premier Rodney MacDonald, it's about encouraging big employers to stay in the province.

"Attracting continued investment from global companies like Michelin is a key factor to building a prosperous economy and providing stable, long-term employment in our local communities," said MacDonald.

"This investment supports our commitment to the success of our advanced manufacturing industry in rural Nova Scotia."

About 3,500 people work at Michelin's three plants in Nova Scotia, making the company the fourth-largest employer in the province. More than 1,000 are at the non-unionized factory in Bridgewater.

Michelin has been operating in Nova Scotia for 35 years. In that time, the province has given the company $134 million in investments and loans.

Sri Lankan cooks arrive at local restaurant

2006-08-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

Whitecourt Star, Whitecourt, AB: "Two new faces sit anxiously with smiles spread across their faces. They both have only lived in Canada, a foreign country to them, for less than a week and have just started brand new jobs at the local Boston Pizza. They seem excited about their new roles in this brand new county and brand new town, after travelling across the Pacific Ocean from the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Champa De Seram and Erandana Herath, along with four others, are joining the many Sri Lankan cooks coming to work in northern Alberta Boston Pizza outlets. The chain is climbing aboard the immigration train to find help in a hospitality industry that is suffering because of the lack of local hands available � an economic crunch due to a booming oil and gas industry.
The six cooks arrived on August 10 to begin their three-year contract working for the chain, and so far they�re impressed with how accommodating and friendly Canadians are. However, the cultural differences were evident instantaneously for the new cooks.
'It�s something different to our country,' De Seram said.
'Completely different to our country,' Herath agreed enthusiastically.
The weather for one is a major difference. Although right now, Herath said the weather is similar to that in Sri Lanka, but once winter approaches it will be a different story.
'Boston Pizza is also different from our country, but very easy to learn,' De Seram said.
'In our country we have Pizza Huts, not Boston Pizza,' Herath added.
So far, despite the language barrier, the cooks have been performing well in the kitchen.
'They�ve been doing really well,' Whitecourt Boston Pizza owner Cindy Marcolin said. 'Due to the labour shortage, it�s been tough to keep people.'
According to the Canada Immigration Lawyers, there is a shortage of a"

Matching worker, job remains challenge

2006-08-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

Matching worker, job remains challenge: "Jeremy Warren, The StarPhoenix
Published: Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Saskatchewan has 11,000 jobs waiting to be filled, according to recruitment ads the provincial government recently placed in Alberta newspapers.
For every job, there are virtually as many stories from employers and potential employees about their experience wading through Saskatchewan's shrinking labour pool. The StarPhoenix spoke with Saskatoon's employers and job-hunters to gauge the impact the labour shortage is having.
- - -
'Anybody who wants a job can get one,' said Ricky Roinila, who's looking for a job in shipping and receiving.
Standing outside the Canada- Saskatchewan Career and Employment Services offi ce in downtown Saskatoon, Roinila, who just got back from a 10- year stay in Rankin Inlet, hasn't had trouble fi nding jobs. It's a matter of being realistic about the search.
'There are so many people applying for jobs that it's better to apply for something you've been trained for or have a lot experience in. You still have to be smart about it,' Roinila said.
Employers beware, the labour crunch can make it easier for a person to leave a job they don't feel comfortable with, Roinila said.
'You don't have to put up with crap since there are tons of jobs out there. If you feel your boss is endangering you or treating you unfairly, just leave. You don't have to fi ght tooth and nail for a job these days.'
- - -
While many construction companies and contractors are getting squeezed in the labour crunch, consumers are feeling the impact, too.
The time it takes to build a home is increasing, which delays possession dates and increases construction costs, said Perry Kenke, owner of River Ridge Homes.
"

Governments move to ease job shortages

2006-08-08T05:58:00.000-07:00

Governments move to ease job shortages: "Susan Lazaruk, The Province
Published: Wednesday, August 02, 2006

The local construction industry is welcoming moves from Ottawa and Victoria to make it easier for foreign workers to fill jobs in B.C.

B.C. Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen announced yesterday it was expanding the provincial nominee program designed to fast-track immigrant workers by adding six new staff members.

Since 2001, the program has helped 1,750 skilled workers and business people immigrate to B.C., 750 of them last year alone. The program targets those in nursing, high technology, post-secondary education, skilled trades and others, all of which are facing worker shortages.

Also this week, Ottawa announced the hiring of special workers in B.C. and Alberta to help facilitate the immigration of temporary foreign workers on one-to-two-year visas.

"This is good news for the industry," said Keith Sashaw of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association. "The provincial and federal governments are listening to the concerns of the construction industry and are taking steps to address those concerns."

He said half of last year's immigrants through the provincial program work in construction, where the building boom has led to a shortage of workers in every category.

Sashaw said the provincial program will help an offshore worker with a valid job offer move to B.C. in as little as three months and get landed immigrant status within a year, compared with the almost four years sit takes going through the federal route.

He estimated over the next five to eight years in B.C. up to 40,000 construction workers will be needed to fill new positions and replace those retiring. The province has estimated that one million workers will be needed over the next several years and schools will graduate only 650,000.

Canada's hottest jobs

2006-07-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

Canada's Hottest Jobs - Forbes.com:
Nothing generates jobs like a thriving economy.

Witness Canada. Strong growth over the past couple of years has seen the country's unemployment rate fall to a 32-year low.

Gross domestic product grew at an annualized 3.8% in the first quarter of this year, following 2.8% growth in 2005. The unemployment rate was down to 6.1% in June, having fallen to 6.7% in 2005 from 7.2% the previous year and a peak of 7.7% in 2002.

Click here to see some of Canada's hottest jobs.
In effect, the economy is running at full capacity. In the first half of this year, employment growth ran at twice the rate of a year earlier. Labor markets have become so tight in parts of the economy that the central bank, the Bank of Canada, has become concerned that it is starting to stoke inflation.

The energy and commodities sectors have been powering this growth, along with high levels of consumer spending, domestic capital investment by businesses, and home building.

A rising Canadian dollar, which hit a 30-year high against its U.S. counterpart in June, at 91 U.S. cents, will slow the growth of the country's goods and services exports; the U.S. buys 85% of Canada's exports and more than half of its manufactured goods. A rule of thumb is that Canadian manufacturing costs become increasingly uncompetitive with those in the U.S. the further the Canadian dollar rises above 84 U.S. cents.

Yet, high global prices for oil, gas and other commodities and the strength of domestic spending will keep the economy buoyant. The economy is forecast to expand by 3.5% for the full year.

All of this makes for a job seeker's market, except in the manufacturing sector, where employment has already fallen by 5% over the past two years. That trend looks set to continue, especially in the provinces of the Atlantic seaboard, Quebec and Ontario, though the greater diversification of the Ontarian economy is mitigating the loss of manufacturing jobs there.

Potential job seekers should head West--though not too far; stop at the prairies--at Alberta, the epicenter of the country's energy and natural resources industries, or to a lesser extent, at wheat- and uranium-producing Saskatchewan.

Alberta's booming economy, based on Canada's oil capitals of Edmonton and Calgary, is growing at twice the rate of the federal economy. All ten Canadian oil and gas companies on the Forbes 2000 list of the world's largest companies are headquartered in Calgary, including EnCana (nyse: ECA - news - people ), Petro-Canada (nyse: PCZ - news - people ), Enbridge (nyse: ENB - news - people ), Suncor Energy (nyse: SU - news - people ) and Canadian Natural Resources (nyse: CNQ - news - people ). The same growth rate is true for the province's retail sales, home building rates and business investment.

The provincial government, though fiscally conservative and now running budget surpluses, is spending evermore of the wealth Alberta's natural resources have brought it, especially on health care and large-scale infrastructure. The province's per capita public spending is the highest in Canada. Along with natural resources, public administration and health care have been leading Alberta's employment gains.

Wages, too, are growing twice as fast there as in the country as a whole. That reflects an Albertan unemployment rate of 3% and a new-jobs growth rate in the first half of the year, 3.3%, that is three times that of the national economy.

Our list of the hottest jobs in Canada, which includes skilled trades, nurses and engineers, reflects those trends. Health care jobs are growing fastest in Ontario and Quebec, for example. The list is based on a national annual survey by employment services firm Manpower (nyse: MAN - news - people ).

In a separate survey, its quarterly "Global Economic Outlook," Manpower also found that the new-hiring intentions of Canadian bosses in both the public and private sectors remain positive and stable. For their part, Canadian employees feel a quarter more secure in their jobs than they did in November last year.

Toronto Star: Canada lags in career training

2006-07-13T07:04:00.000-07:00

Canada lags in career training
Jul. 12, 2006. 01:00 AM
CAROL GOAR

If someone intervenes at the right time, an academically gifted young woman who is reluctant to aim higher than her parents expect can be gently dissuaded from going to hairdressing school.

If someone intervenes in the right way, a young man who's a whiz with computers, but hates writing essays, can be spared the misery of trying to become a lawyer.

If someone acts soon enough, a kid whose grades start dropping can be prevented from making a bad choice; a teenager who is about to drop out can be convinced to give school another try; a youth who is drifting aimlessly can be pointed in a positive direction.

The trouble is, that "someone" may not be there — or may be too busy dealing with drugs, violence or students' personal crises to step in.

"Most young Canadians don't have adequate access to career development services to help them choose the best paths to a successful working life," says a report just released by Canadian Policy Research Networks. "There is limited awareness of the benefits of career development and no national career development strategy."

The Ottawa think-tank took its cue from young people. It invited 150 of them to participate in a national dialogue last fall. One of the frustrations that bubbled up was that they didn't know where to turn for advice about the job market, didn't know how to navigate the passage from school to work, and didn't think kids going into the trades were getting a fair break.

The study confirmed most of that. It also found that the quality of the services that do exist varies immensely.

A generation ago, this might have been acceptable. Baby boomers generally found their way into a career by luck, chance or trial and error. Guidance counsellors were considered a frill in many schools.

Today's kids don't have the luxury of blundering into the right job and staying put. Their working life will consist of a succession of careers. For them, finding and training for employment will be an essential skill.

That is why the report recommends that career development begin no later than Grade 6. Waiting until late high school is neither fair nor realistic, says co-author Donnalee Bell. It isolates students from the outside world and puts too much onus on parents, who lack the tools, to provide them with up-to-date information.

The study also suggests that every teacher be required to take at least one course in career development. That way, he or she will be able to get students started on the right track and steer them around avoidable obstacles.

One of the think-tank's strongest proposals is that the provinces share their knowledge. Until 2003, no attempt had ever been made to bring them together. It was left to a voluntary organization, the Canadian Career Development Foundation, to convene a national symposium on workforce development and lifelong learning.

Finally, it urges policy-makers to look beyond the formal education system. High-school dropouts desperately need training opportunities. University and college graduates often need help finding work in their field. And adults whose skills are obsolete or minimal need to know how to go about improving their qualifications.

Bell doesn't know how much all of this would cost, but concedes the price would be substantial. On the other hand, she points out, it costs a huge amount to squander talent, let kids fall by the wayside and allow the gap between rich and poor to widen.

Other countries see the value of investing in career development.

Norway requires that every school offer students individual guidance in drawing up a career plan, beginning in elementary school. All teachers are involved in the process. Work experience is incorporated into the curriculum.

Scotland has the largest publicly funded organization in the world dedicated to all-age career planning. The aim of Careers Scotland is to produce an economically resilient population, capable of adjusting to changes in technology and global markets.

Australia links local employers to students, aged 15 to 19, to give young people a taste of working life, give educators feedback about how well they are preparing students for employment, and give businesses a chance to build a relationship with teenagers in their community.

Alberta and Quebec are the Canadian leaders. Alberta has just put in place a comprehensive program to ensure that citizens of all ages have access to career development services. Quebec has overhauled its education system, integrating career counselling into its curriculum from the earliest grades.

Ontario is one of the laggards. The average high-school guidance counsellor, who handles everything from discipline problems to teen pregnancy, is responsible for 500 students. At the elementary level, the ratio is 1 to 5,000.

A few school boards have broken away from the pack, but most are waiting for leadership from Queen's Park.

It's a tough job market out there. No young person should enter it blindly.

(The study is available at http://www.cprn.com).

Edmonton Journal: They're here to make dreams real

2006-06-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

EDMONTON - In the tiny New Brunswick fishing village where Mike and Matt Renton grew up, people wave when you pass them on the highway, whether they know you or not.

Fourteen months ago, the identical twin brothers waved goodbye and headed west in a '97 Cutlass Supreme searching for a piece of Alberta's prosperity.

Like thousands of others drawn by the promise of jobs and hefty paycheques, the twins and their friend Dave Kierstead headed for oil-rich northern Alberta.

Today, they pursue their dreams of success from a modest Inglewood bungalow that at its peak in April housed a total of eight young New Brunswickers. All are apprentices in welding or pipe-fitting.

"It's definitely not like home. Far from it," Matt Renton said.

"People are different. Scenery is different. Everything is different. But do I regret it? Not in a million years. I've got pay stubs and things to show that I made the big money that nobody down home in their lifetime would ever make."

This house full of New Brunswickers splitting $900 in monthly rent so they can make their fortune is just a glimpse into the phenomenal changes in Edmonton as Alberta's latest boom rolls on.

The evidence is everywhere.

You can see it in the plywood shells of new homes popping up faster than dandelions in Edmonton's suburbs. You can hear it in the accents of newcomers shopping at the grocery store.

And you can feel it in the frustrated vibes radiating off cranky customers, waiting and waiting in a sweltering greenhouse to pay for bedding plants because there are too few staff to work the cash registers.

Whereas governments sparked Alberta's first boom 100 years ago by advertising free land to lure pioneers, today's Alberta needs little advertising (unless you're one of countless businesses desperately searching for employees). For those with dreams of a comfortable lifestyle and cash to spare, the lure of an economy fuelled by $70-a-barrel oil is reason enough to come.

At $20.95, Alberta boasted the highest average hourly wage of any Canadian province in May. The national average was $19.60 an hour.

As Alberta's economy gains momentum, so does its population. The province posted the country's highest growth rate between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005 -- nearly twice the national rate.

Alberta's population grew by more than 52,000 during that 12 months. That's nearly as many people as live in St. Albert.

The population explosion comes at the expense of other provinces.

"Inevitably, when one region exerts such a powerful draw, the demography of other regions is affected," Statistics Canada reported in an analysis of population changes in the last quarter of 2005. Seven of Canada's 13 provinces and territories experienced a decrease in population. Only twice since 1971 have so many regions recorded a drop in the same quarter.

This boom also has consequences for Alberta.

In the Inglewood bungalow, the transplanted New Brunswickers are doing as much as they can to make Edmonton feel like home.

They planted flowers. They fire up the barbecue once in a while. They cheered for the Oilers (especially once the Canadiens and Flames were eliminated from the playoffs).

They've heard the stories of people who come to Alberta, make a mint, but leave with nothing to show after blowing it on booze, drugs and expensive toys. They vow they will not to fall into that trap.

"This isn't no game to us," Mike Renton said. "A lot of people think we're clowning around a lot of times when we say we save our money."

They didn't leave the place they love to be frivolous.

"I'm going to make money and I'm going to save as much money as I can to buy a house, or just that I can live a nice, comfortable life without worry and I could work 40 hours a week back home if I wanted to," Mike said. "That's my goal out here."

This is the land of opportunity, said former roommate Brent Moreton, who moved to Edmonton from Rothsay, N.B., in January with his girlfriend.

"We came out here all welders. But who's to say in five years that we're not going to be into real estate and we can forget about welding?

"Out here, if you want to do something, you can do it."

sodonnell@thejournal.canwest.com

- - -

You can tell from the sidewalk that the Renton-Kierstead-Woods-Bigger household is a home with divided loyalties.

Flags for the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers hang like curtains in the living room window. The New Brunswick flag, with its stylized lion and ship, is also prominent beside a Union Jack and Canadian flag.

There is no Alberta flag yet. "I don't think anybody's thought about that," says Dave Kierstead when asked about the omission. "But we've got Alberta hockey teams."

All five roommates moved from New Brunswick for the work. Kierstead arrived with Mike and Matt Renton in April 2005. Matt Bigger arrived last December, and Lyndsey Woods followed in January. Here's a bit more about their Alberta experience:

MIKE RENTON

Growing up in the small communities of Dipper Harbour and Nerepis, the 23-year-old prefers small towns to big cities. He is now a second-year apprentice welder with Abraxus, a fabrication shop.

- Why he came to Alberta: For the money. "I love down home. It all boiled down to life wasn't fun when you're struggling."

- How he has spent his paycheques: Saved, paid down student loans, sent some money to his family, bought a used truck for $2,200.

- Biggest frustration: Traffic and lineups. "There's so many people here, you pretty much have to get accustomed to having to wait a little longer."

- Goals: To be debt-free and own a company. "I just want to come out here, make money and be smart with it. I want Freedom 35."

- What he misses most: Family, friends, the ocean and the Saint John River.

- Hourly wage at his last New Brunswick job: $11.82 as a labourer at a refinery.

- Hourly wage at his current Alberta job: $19.69.

MATT RENTON

Younger than his twin brother by a minute, the 23-year-old first-year apprentice welder works at Lockerbie & Hole.

- How he's spent his paycheques: Saved and invested; paid down a student loan; bought a truck for $7,500; sent money home to help family; flew former girlfriend and youngest brother to Alberta for a trip to the Calgary Stampede.

- Biggest frustration: The Alberta apprenticeship system. His year-long pre-employment welding course in New Brunswick was not recognized here, forcing him to start from scratch.

- Goal: To save money "so I can enjoy my life, and if I have a wife and kids, so I can enjoy time with them."

- What he misses most: "Friends and family -- for sure."

- Hourly wage at his last New Brunswick job: $10 in construction.

- Hourly wage in Alberta: $16.36.

DAVE KIERSTEAD

The 22-year-old apprentice welder from Public Landing, N.B., grew up with a view of the Saint John River. He most recently worked at Shell's Scotford refinery.

- Why he came to Alberta: Sick of working long hours at minimum-wage jobs.

- How he has spent his paycheques: Saved them.

- Definition of success in Alberta: "I think I'm already successful. I've got no debt and a bunch of money in my pocket."

- Biggest frustration: Trying to get registered in a first-year welding class. "On May 15, we had to camp out just to register at NAIT."

- Goals: To be debt-free and save enough money to buy a house.

- Hourly wage at his last New Brunswick job: $8.25 doing foundation work.

- Hourly wage in Alberta: $16.37 plus night shift differential.

LYNDSEY WOODS

This 19-year-old from Miramichi, N.B., met Kierstead and the twins when she was working at a Saint John Tim Hortons. Now she is a first-year apprentice pipefitter working at the Shell Scotford upgrader.

- Why she came to Alberta: "I was sick of working at Tim Hortons or Subway."

- How she has spent her paycheques: Bought a car and saved the rest.

- Edmonton's best feature: "A non-stop steady stream of work."

- Biggest frustration: "No trees and no beaches."

- Goals: To make enough money to go home and go to culinary school.

- What she misses most: Her parents and older sister.

- Hourly wage at her last New Brunswick job: $6.25.

- Hourly wage at her current Alberta job: $16.87, plus night shift differential.

MATT BIGGER

This 21-year-old from Saint John went to high school with the Rentons and Kierstead, but he didn't know they had moved to Alberta until he bumped into them at a nightclub. He is a first-year apprentice pipefitter working at Shell's Scotford refinery.

- How he has spent his paycheques: Getting out of debt and fixing up his car.

- Definition of success in Alberta: "Getting my journeyman ticket, getting my house built back home and paid for. Then I'll be set for life."

- Biggest frustration: Being away from home, his parents and older brother.

- Most surprising thing about Edmonton: Crime. "I was at a friend's house and people tried to break into the house and jump us."

- Goals: "To find an Albertan girlfriend, make lots of money."

- What he misses most: His car, a Mustang GT.

- Hourly wage at his last New Brunswick job: $9, driving a gravel truck.

- Hourly wage at his current Alberta job: $16.37, plus night shift differential.

SOUNDING BOARD

Some who come here for work say they will never feel like Albertans. Others feel at home right away. When do you think newcomers should consider themselves Albertans? E-mail your thoughts to city@thejournal.canwest.com. Subject line: The Promised Land

© The Edmonton Journal 2006

TheStar.com - Editorial: Open up professions to skilled immigrants

2006-06-20T05:41:00.000-07:00

When Gurmeet Bambrah came to Canada five years ago, she immediately applied to have her engineering credentials recognized here. But despite 20 years of professional experience and advanced degrees from British universities, she still is not licensed to practise in Ontario.

The problem?

After waiting months to have her qualifications assessed and write an exam, she has not been able to obtain the year of Canadian work experience she needs to become accredited.

"I set about looking for a job (but) I hadn't a clue where to go for this because nobody would advise me," says Bambrah, co-ordinator of the Council for Access to the Profession of Engineering, a Toronto-based group that advocates for internationally trained engineers.

Bambrah is not unique. Every year, Ontario welcomes as many as 140,000 new immigrants. More than half hold university degrees, and about 13,000 have professions or trades.
TheStar.com - Editorial: Open up professions to skilled immigrants

The Guardian: Our economy needs seasonal workers

2006-06-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

Our economy needs seasonal workers

If seasonal workers are an essential part of our economy, then it stands to reason the EI program must reflect that reality.

By
The Guardian

It was iffy for a while, but the Harper government came through recently with an extension to an employment insurance pilot project that delivers additional benefits to seasonal workers. It was the right thing to do. Seasonal industries depend on a seasonal workforce, and adequate EI benefits are essential to maintaining that workforce.

The previous Liberal government had brought in a pilot project that provides five weeks additional EI benefits in high unemployment regions in the country. With that project nearing its expiration date at the end of May, rumours were circulating that the new Harper government wouldn’t renew it. The feds were non-committal and as recently as two weeks ago, provincial politicians were urging the Binns government to lobby Ottawa to renew the project. So was Liberal MP Wayne Easter who emphasized the importance of such programs to places like P.E.I. where seasonal workers would be left for weeks without pay if the program wasn’t extended.

The Guardian: Our economy needs seasonal workers

Ontario to speed employment of foreign-trained professionals

2006-06-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ontario to speed employment of foreign-trained professionals
By Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Fri, Jun 2, 2006 9:00 AM EST

The Ontario government plans to introduce legislation that would help internationally trained professionals work in their fields of expertise sooner.

The proposed Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act would apply to 34 regulated professions in Ontario, including doctors, accountants, lawyers, teachers, engineers, and social workers.

"The proposed legislation is about making sure that those with great global experience have a fair shot at working in their profession," provincial Citizenship and Immigration Minister Mike Colle said in a statement.

No details of the legislation were provided. The McGuinty government says it hopes to table the bill before the end of the current legislative session.

At the same time, the government says it will create up to 70 six-month internship assignments for foreign-trained professionals in provincial ministries and agencies.

"We are leading by example and are the first province in Canada with a program like this," said Minister of Government Services Gerry Phillips.

Straight.com Vancouver | Features | Spinning Immigration

2006-05-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

the B.C. Federation of Labour and human-rights groups were scheduled to hold a May 24 news conference to highlight the plight of a Mexican migrant worker, José Marcos Baac. His lawyer, Zool Suleman, claimed that his client lost his job and was told he must go back to Mexico. Suleman told the Straight that many farmworkers, including Baac, have voiced concerns about working conditions with that employer in the Fraser Valley.

“The issue that we wish to raise is what happens to migrant Mexican workers who come here when they have disputes with their employers,” Suleman said, adding that the employer was responsive to many of the workers’ concerns. “There is no proper, impartial, transparent dispute-resolution process.”

Straight.com Vancouver | Features | Spinning Immigration

canadaeast.com - Women are a lifeline for Canada's labour shortage woes

2006-05-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

RICK BUCKINGHAM
FROM THE HIP

According to Statistics Canada women dominate the retail, hospital, professional, scientific and technical trades. In April 2006, 39,000 women found jobs, a rate of 2.5 per cent times the prevailing rate for men.

A more interesting statistics is that women over age 45, many of whom have raised their children, are being drawn back to the workplace by an acute talent shortage in the corporate sector. This shortage is only going to get worse as baby boomers pass through the system.

canadaeast.com - TP General Business

Embassy - Newspaper Online.

2006-05-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

Embassy - Newspaper Online.: "Immigration Minister Monte Solberg is winning praise from foreign students and education sector officials for his new student work policy, but the timing of the announcement means many international students will miss out on working off campus this summer.
A new immigration policy that will allow foreign students in post-secondary institutions to find off-campus work is part of a wider strategy to increase the pool of educated workers and expand the Canadian economy.

There is hope the student visa program will help fuel a population growth that will energize the economy. Canada is facing a looming labour shortage as baby boomers retire and families have fewer babies.

'We have to make Canada's immigration policy more responsive to markets and to what immigrants themselves are looking for,' says Monte Solberg, the federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, in an interview. 'If we are successful in getting many [students] to take up the program, [it] will end up providing a huge benefit to the Canadian economy. We are hopeful they will ultimately become permanent residents and that is of incalculable benefit to us.' "

globeandmail.com : Alberta too hot for some

2006-04-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

globeandmail.com : Alberta too hot for some: "PATRICK BRETHOUR
From Monday's Globe and Mail
Ray English has been getting odd looks at Truck World in Toronto, where the rest of the trucking industry is wondering just why Raydan Manufacturing Inc. would flee the hottest economy in Canada.
�Why are you leaving Alberta? Are you nuts?� Mr. English said, replicating the incredulous tone of the questions being put to him at the national truck show.
His response: Labour costs in Alberta are soaring beyond reach for his truck parts company, forcing him to acquire an Ontario company to finally execute a long-hoped for expansion. �We've got to do something to get a labour force,� he said.
The rising tide of Alberta's economy has created an undertow for non-energy businesses, which have had to endure the strains of superheated growth without the massive revenues of an oil producer. �As a manufacturing company, it's been miserable,� Mr. English said.
The province's dominant energy sector is struggling with the same problem, although it is one largely of its own creation. Husky Energy Inc. president and chief executive officer John Lau warned last week of the spread of the labour shortage, saying that his Calgary-based company is now looking outside of the country to build a massive bitumen upgrader because there are not enough workers locally."

Business | Reuters.co.ca - Still more room for job growth in Canada

2006-04-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

By Cameron French
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada has room to add more jobs without triggering serious inflation, brokerage BMO Nesbitt Burns said on Wednesday, despite a job boom in Western Canada that has pulled the national employment rate to 32-year lows and prompted one employer to scour prisons for workers.

Strong economic growth -- particularly in the country's commodity-rich West -- has pushed the rate steadily lower from a peak of nearly 12 percent in the early 1990s. The rate hit a 32-year low of 6.3 percent in March.

"I think there probably is room for the jobless rate to go lower still," Nesbitt Burns' deputy chief economist Doug Porter told Reuters.

In a research note, he argued there's still room for the jobless rate to ease without triggering inflationary pressure that could prompt the Bank of Canada to be more aggressive in the final stages of its monetary tightening campaign.

Business | Reuters.co.ca

National Job Fair - Toronto, April 19-20 2006

2006-04-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

Come to the largest recruitment event in Ontario!
APRIL 19-20, 2006, in Toronto
Be there. Advance your career. Get a job.

For more information visit The National Job Fair Website

You are welcome to attend the 8th edition of The National Job Fair & Training Expo—the largest and the most comprehensive job and career fair in Ontario—on April 19 and 20, 2006 (from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.), at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (Exhibition Hall C). Presented in collaboration with The Toronto Sun, Jobboom and 24 Hours, our spring 2006 edition will welcome over 121 exhibitors, a participation record. The general admission is $3.50 per person (on-site registration at our General Admission Desk upon your arrival).

Attend and meet face to face with over 600 human resources professionals, recruiters and career specialists from over 121 exhibitors and access thousands of job and career opportunities from over 40 sectors in a dynamic and prospective environment. Once on-site, don't miss the chance to get a FREE assessment of your resume at our popular Resume Professional Assessment Centre.

How else will you know if there is a better opportunity out there for you if you haven't considered all your options? Companies cannot hire you if they don't know you exist! The high level of satisfaction (93%!) from candidates that visited our previous edition guarantees that you will be satisfied of your visit too!

As the premiere recruitment, career, training and education event in Ontario and a key player in the recruitment marketplace in Canada, The National Job Fair & Training Expo is the best option to consider in the job fair and career fair industry.

And don't forget: Attending means a lot more than direct access to employers; it also means learning about every aspect of the job-search process in a unique, prospective and proactive environment. Synergy, opportunity and networking are key words with us. The National Job Fair & Training Expo is your next stop to make the most out of your career! Please click Why attend? and find out why our event is incontestably YOUR target!

Educated immigrants want work (The Chronicle, Montreal, April 19, 2006)

2006-04-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Educated immigrants want work

BY MARC LALONDE

The Chronicle

A local community group mandated by the government to help immigrants settle in the area will hold a unique job fair tomorrow in Dollard des Ormeaux.

The Centre de Intégration Multi-services de l’Ouest de l’Ile (CIMOI) will hold a job fair with a twist; rather than having individuals come to meet companies, as is often the case at job fairs, the companies will be invited to come meet with engineering or administration candidates — immigrants with education who have found employment doors closed to them because of barriers that weren’t of their own making — such as language, culture and basically, not knowing where to begin — but that have to be hurdled nonetheless.

“It’s important for sure,” said CIMOI employment co-ordinator Nathalie Humbert. “We are the first contact for many immigrants when they come to Canada — and the biggest problem they’ve been having is trying to get their foot in the door and get that first interview. That’s what they’ll be doing (tomorrow),” she said.

That job fair, which was moved from its original location at the Pierrefonds Cultural Centre because demand was too plentiful, will bring educated immigrants and companies together to help the immigrants get their start in their field of interest.

“About half of the 36 candidates we have registered have been through the job-search workshops we hold at CIMOI, where we also did five-minute simulated interviews,” Humbert said, adding some immigrants are harder off then others because of unstable political regimes in their home countries.

“It all depends. The people that have the biggest problems are the political refugees. Often, they don’t have the necessary papers to start working in Canada because they had to leave in a big hurry. It can be a relatively simple thing to get the papers and do equivalency tests if they have all the papers, but if they don’t, that’s when it’s harder to deal with,” she said.

Chilean native Sindy Caro-Rilling, who emigrated to Canada in 2001 with her husband and four children, said she’s very much looking forward to the job fair and the opportunity to impress prospective employers with her knowledge of administration.

“It’s a very big opportunity. The employers that have been brought in know we’re all immigrants and we can show them the quality of our work. This is the opportunity I have been looking for since we moved here,” she said.

Caro-Rilling, who said life was “very hard,” on the couple when they moved to Canada because of the language barriers — “First, it’s French, and then you realize that you also have to know English as well,” — also said looking for a job in Canada was a skill they had not yet acquired.

“I obtained a professional studies diploma to go along with my education from Chile, but we discovered that it’s important to know how to look for a job as well. Plus, as an immigrant, the accent is there, so that makes it harder for people to identify with you and makes it harder to find a job,” she said.

For more information on the job fair for immigrants with backgrounds in engineering or administration, call 685-3000 ext. 223.

globeandmail.com : Catherine Swift

2006-04-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

globeandmail.com : Catherine Swift: "Catherine Swift
Good help is hard to find
CATHERINE SWIFT
Globe and Mail Update
Here's news that comes as no great surprise to anyone trying to run a business: there is a desperate shortage of qualified labour in this country. Now, what are we going to do about it?
A study released this week by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business shows that between the beginning of 2004 and the end of last year the vacancy rate for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) increased to 3.2 per cent from 2.7 per cent. Also, the number of businesses reporting long-term staff vacancies increased by approximately 16 per cent. CFIB estimates there are 233,000 full- or part-time positions in the SME sector left vacant for at least four months.
While some regions of Canada and sectors of the economy are particularly hard hit, there is no area and no line of work that isn't touched by this shortage. This is not just a question of Alberta enjoying a boom economy right now. There's a long history of people moving to take advantage of better prospects in another part of the country, but these days we're seeing even areas with less robust economies having real trouble finding workers."