British Columbia needs more skilled immigrants now
VICTORIA – The Immigration Task Force (ITF) released their final report
today confirming that B.C. will need more skilled immigrants to fill
labour and skills shortages throughout the province, announced Minister
of State for Multiculturalism and ITF Chair John Yap at an event held
today at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver.
The Immigration Task Force was appointed by Premier Christy Clark on Dec.
8, 2011, to review key government programs to increase the number of
skilled immigrants and investors in British Columbia. The report was
compiled after the ITF conducted eight regional consultations involving a
broad range of stakeholders and industry experts. The task force also
reviewed and included comments and suggestions submitted by the public
through the ITF website.
Through the consultation process, the task force members heard loud and
clear from employers that if more skilled immigrants are not immediately
attracted to our province, businesses may have to close or relocate,
resulting in fewer jobs and opportunities for British Columbians. The
report was presented to Premier Christy Clark for government review on
March 31, 2012.
The report contains 10 key recommendations for the Province of B.C. and
the Government of Canada, including:
* Immediately increase immigration levels to B.C.
* Grow and expand the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) as the most
effective way of supporting regional economic development.
* Ensure economic immigration program application processes and
requirements are as straightforward and efficient as possible and reflect
business realities for employers.
* Capitalize on B.C. as a destination of choice for entrepreneurs and
investors.
* Provide timely, effective information and support to newcomers and
employers.
The Province has already taken immediate action to fill job vacancies
from Fort Nelson to Mackenzie by introducing the Northeast Pilot Project
which will expand the scope of the BC PNP in this fast-growing region to
include more eligible occupations. This pilot project responded to ITF
consultations in Fort St. John where employers confirmed the critical
need to recruit and retain more temporary workers to fill existing job
openings.
The Province will engage with the federal government to expedite higher
PNP levels for British Columbia and ensure ongoing reforms to national
immigration programs that respond to British Columbia’s regional economic
development needs.
Attracting more skilled immigrants is one of a series of commitments in
the BC Jobs Plan to help fill the more than one million job openings
expected over the next decade.
To view the final report, please visit:
http://www.jti.gov.bc.ca/immigration_task_force/
