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Let foreign workers stay, Alberta urges - 0 views

www.edmontonjournal.com/...story.html Work alberta government
shared by Omar Yaqub on 19 Jul 11 - No Cached
  • With another boom just around the corner, it’s time to shift away from reliance on temporary foreign workers and concentrate on immigration, says Thomas Lukaszuk
  • 280,000 new immigrants this year
  • 360,000 temporary workers in the country.”
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  • At the height of the boom in 2006, Alberta had more than 60,000 temporary foreign workers — the highest per capita of any province. Many worked on oilsands projects but a lot of them left when the economic downturn hit in December 2008.
  • Under the new rules, temporary foreign workers can spend a maximum of four years in Canada, and then must leave for four years before re-applying for another four year term. Previously, a permit issued for two years was renewable several times if the employer could prove the worker was needed.
  • At the height of the boom in 2006, the construction industry brought in about 7,000 skilled tradesmen, “but these days, that’s down to almost zero,” Staples said.
  • Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour
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Short Term - 0 views

www.petrohrsc.ca/...short-term-trends.aspx Work
shared by Omar Yaqub on 20 Jul 11 - No Cached
  • Services sector downsized 13,000 to15,000 positions during the downturn - more than any other secto
  • Approximately 70% of the Services sector's workforce is located in the field where workers need to be prepared to work in all weather conditions and may be away from home for long periods of time.
  • Oil and gas key operating areas tend to be in hard-to-recruit locations such as remote areas and regions with low population densities.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Much of the Services sector work is seasonal and activity levels fluctuate with oil and gas prices.
  • The Services sector is a preferred labour supply source for the Exploration and Production and Oil sands sectors that often hire full-time employees from its contracted workforce.
  • The Services sector may be facing a labour shortage, but the industry as a whole will soon have to adapt to a much tighter labour market. During the downturn, cost management was the primary concern for the industry. In the latter half of 2010, attraction, retention and workforce development returned as key priorities for many oil and gas companies. Industry recovery has also increased the challenges around managing compensation and benefits expectations as well as employee turnover/retention. These workforce issues continue to escalate in today's market. For many companies, managing labour issues will be key to sustaining growth.
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The growing US jobs challenge - McKinsey Quarterly - Economic Studies - Country Reports - 0 views

www.mckinseyquarterly.com/...growing_US_jobs_challenge_2816 Work us
shared by Omar Yaqub on 20 Jul 11 - No Cached
  • The growing US jobs challenge It could take more than five years—longer than after any postwar downturn—to replace the millions of jobs lost to the 2008–09 recession. How can the US rev up its job creation engine?
  • Omar Yaqub on 20 Jul 11
     
    The growing US jobs challenge It could take more than five years-longer than after any postwar downturn-to replace the millions of jobs lost to the 2008-09 recession. How can the US rev up its job creation engine?
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Calgary Economic Development campaign aims to attract people and business - 0 views

www.calgaryherald.com/...story.html Work calgary attraction web
shared by Omar Yaqub on 20 Jul 11 - No Cached
  • the purpose is to attract people and prospective employees “and to address our longer-term workforce needs.”
  • The second reason is to further develop and diversify our business base in a more sustainable way to complement our strength in areas like energy,
  • third reason, particularly coming back from our research, is to highlight how this city has evolved from an arts, a culture and a cosmopolitan global business centre perspective
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • campaign will focus on recruiting qualified workers and targeting sectors key to Calgary’s sustainable growth, such as finance, technology, and logistics. Outreach to these sectors and people will occur in four Canadian markets: Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa and Montreal
  • campaign was created by Calgary Economic Development with support from Mayor Naheed Nenshi and more than 30 investors from the private sector
  • outreach to those markets will be through the use of various tactics such as advertising and social media to create awareness about Calgary as a centre of business and career destination. There will also be a “heavy focus” on media relations and public relations
  • total budget for the 10-month national campaign is $1.2 million.
  • More than 50 per cent of the funding has been raised through partnerships with the private sector
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ANNOUNCEMENTS | Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission - 0 views

saskapprenticeship.gov.sk.ca/...98 immigrants Saskatchewan trades government recruiting
shared by Omar Yaqub on 09 Dec 11 - No Cached
  • Omar Yaqub on 09 Dec 11
     
    The Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) and the Canadian International Training and Education Corporation (CITREC) have signed a partnership agreement. CITREC will be offering these assessment services in foreign countries under the IMMSKILLS brand. This assessment service will provide an avenue for foreign trained workers to have a pre-assessment prepared for their training credentials prior to immigrating or working for a employer in Saskatchewan and Canada. The assessment service for foreign nationals will be provided directly by CITREC for both voluntary and compulsory trades on a fee-for-service basis. Through this unique partnership, people immigrating to Saskatchewan will be able to identify the potential value of their trade and qualifications. The assessment results will assist the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission in their review of documentation for people wishing to challenge certification examinations (journeyperson), or enter apprenticeship-training programs, in Saskatchewan. Those who SATCC deems to have successfully met the tradesperson eligibility requirements will be able to apply to take the journeyperson examination once they have located in Saskatchewan; those who achieve interprovincial "Red Seal" journeyperson status could earn a higher wage, and work anywhere in Canada.
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Give and Take: Corporate Volunteering - 0 views

tribehr.com/...ve-take-corporate-volunteering hr
shared by Omar Yaqub on 19 May 11 - No Cached
  • Employees who volunteer have a better attitude towards their normal work. This is a documented fact that’s hard to deny. For example, they’re more likely to actually go to work, even if they have an excuse not to.
  • Employees who volunteer have a stronger commitment to the company. Also a well-researched fact. For example, they’re more likely to agree that they’re “proud to tell [their] friends what organization [they] work for.”
  • Employees who volunteer might be dodging their regular commitments. If they’re not interested in work, they might be volunteering in order to get away from it. Follow up with volunteers, and make sure that they’re still engaged in their regular jobs.
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  • Employees who volunteer outside of the company program might feel like their contributions aren’t appreciated. Develop programs that recognize and reward any volunteering, whether it’s through the company or through another organization.
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Worker squeeze to hit oilpatch - 0 views

www2.canada.com/...story.html work alberta competitiveness trends
shared by Omar Yaqub on 30 Mar 11 - Cached
  • council sees demand for workers skilled in new technologies associated with unconventional oil and gas exploration and production, as well as increased demand for employees such as water and environmental management technicians, steam engineers and fracking operators,
  • Attracting workers with the right skills is "essential to sustain growth in the industry," said Jennifer Koury, vice-president corporate services with driller EnerPlus.
  • "Everyone remembers that in 2007 severe labour shortages put serious limits on our industry and it cost us in the industry dearly," she said. "The (report) has shown us that the industry will soon be entering another severe labour shortage and we need to be prepared."
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  • A shrinking labour market will drive up costs and make the industry less competitive, said Gary Leach, executive director of the Small Explorers and Producers Association of Canada.
  • "If you don't have trained workers in key choke points, and we're already seeing that, it's going to affect the development of all sorts of big projects," Leach said.
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Raising the dropout age won't work - - Macleans OnCampus - 0 views

oncampus.macleans.ca/...sing-the-dropout-age-wont-work education edmonton
shared by Omar Yaqub on 08 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Despite a country-wide boost in high school graduation rates over the past 20 years, the dropout rate in Alberta remains the third highest in the country at 10.4 per cent, ahead of Manitoba at 11.4 per cent and Quebec at 11.7 per cent.
  • Like Ontario and most provinces across the country, Alberta has also expanded their work experience programs to try and keep high school students interested in working in manufacturing or trades from dropping out. Recognizing that education isn’t one-size-fits all is definitely a step in the right direction towards getting students to value their education. However, thinking that requiring students by law will simply make everything fall into place when it comes to raising the high school graduation rate is simply foolish.
  • As spokeswoman for Alberta Education, Carolyn Stuparyk, told the Globe and Mail, a large part of the challenge in keeping Alberta students in school is combating the notion that taking a high paying physical labour job in a still relatively strong economy is more exciting than sitting in a classroom.
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  • With that in mind, even if raising the dropout age to 17 does lower the dropout rate in the 16 to 17 age group, its not much of an accomplishment if you’ve raised those statistics by simply forcing students to stay an extra year. I doubt that students will be convinced that taking that $25 an hour job on the oil sands instead of gaining a high school education may not be the best decision another year down the line because someone legislated they should
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Tapping human resources in hospitality and tourism « Global Leadership Associ... - 0 views

www.global-leadership.ca/...ces-in-hospitality-and-tourism alberta immigrants work
shared by Omar Yaqub on 08 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • In Alberta, outside of health care, the most diverse workforce is found in the food and hospitality sectors
  • approximately 10% of Alberta’s workforce, or over 180,000 people were working in the tourism and hospitality industry, and a projected increase of new jobs was 11,000 by 2011.
  • According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business’s research on Canada’s workforce training,[5] the hospitality industry had the lowest training budget of all other industry sectors with an average of $213 per employee in formal expenses and $792 in informal training costs.
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  • Logically, a sector that has high public profile and a diverse workforce but has low training engagement, should be targeted for improvement.
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Businesses Stand to Gain Most in Rivalry of States - NYTimes.com - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...08states.html canada
shared by Omar Yaqub on 12 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • What politicians are doing is creating the illusion that they are creating jobs by short-term fixes that actually weaken the region’s ability to compete,
  • Omar Yaqub on 12 Apr 11
     
    interesting reflection of edmonton vs calgary 
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Rebuilding Professional Lives: Immigrant Professionals Working in the Ontario Settlemen... - 0 views

www.threesource.ca/...uilding_professional_lives.pdf immigrants work
shared by Omar Yaqub on 14 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Omar Yaqub on 14 Apr 11
     
    This study looks at how some foreign-born and foreign-trained professionals in Ontario have acquired a new post-immigration profession in the form of settlement work, after not being able to practice their respective pre-immigration professions. The study explores the professionals' pre-immigration education and work history, reasons for migrating to Canada, expectations they had about coming to Canada, choices they made about pursuing professional practice, efforts they put towards that or some alternative goal, and their eventual professional reconstitution as settlement workers.  
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The Default Major - Skating Through B-School - NYTimes.com - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...edl-17business-t.html education
shared by Omar Yaqub on 14 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Business education has come to be defined in the minds of students as a place for developing elite social networks and getting access to corporate recruiters,
  • Omar Yaqub on 14 Apr 11
     
    Business education has come to be defined in the minds of students as a place for developing elite social networks and getting access to corporate recruiters
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Canadian immigrants labour shortage - 0 views

www.canadianimmigrant.ca/...779 canadian work immigrants
shared by Omar Yaqub on 26 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • The labour shortage, particularly in industries like construction, means there are jobs that are not getting filled, while many immigrants are not getting jobs. Seems like it’s our immigration system that really needs the help
  • He was only half-kidding. Industries like construction, oil and gas, energy, transportation and manufacturing are reeling from a lack of unskilled labourers and skilled workers and tradespeople (i.e., welders, plumbers, electricians, sheet metal workers).
  • We’ve hired a couple of recent immigrants and they’ve worked out very well,” she adds. “It is production work so there is not a huge amount of communication involved, so it’s okay if their English isn’t yet the greatest.”
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  • Hiring temporary foreign workers has crossed her mind, but the thought of looking into the process overwhelms her. “It seems to have a lot of government red tape. We’ve all got so much on our plates right now, we’re all maxed out.”
  • Adding to that is the fact that hiring temporary foreign workers is inherently a short-term solution for a problem that has far-reaching effects. Even if the construction boom tapers off after 2010, the baby boomers will still be in retiring, and Canadians still won’t be making more babies, so it seems inevitable that the issue of worker shortages will keep arising
  • ratio of residents aged 65 and over to those of traditional working age (18–64) will rise from 20 per cent in 2006 to 46 per cent in 2050.
  • report by the Canadian Bar Association says temporary foreign workers are not meeting the needs of labour-hungry employers, because time is spent getting the person trained on the job, particularly where safety is concerned, and just when they are up to speed, employers have to start all over again with new workers.
  • Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) President Gil McGowan says the AFL supports more permanent immigration to Canada. “Bringing in temporary workers, who are very vulnerable to abuse and exploitation is no solution,”
  • “Immigration policy should be about building a stronger society, not about importing cheap labour to serve the short-term needs of employers.”
  • Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is advocating for an expanded temporary foreign workers program for the construction industry, it also recognizes it can’t be the sole solution.
  • labour crisis has been like a mirror held up to the immigration system, reflecting its many flaws. Thanks to the shortsighted “points” system to immigration sales offices that falsely “recruit” immigrant professionals (see Publisher’s Note on page 3), the Canadian immigration system has lost sight of what Canada needs, how Canada works, and how to make immigration policies sophisticated and flexible enough to reflect these things.
  • In B.C., the provincial government is trying to do its part to fill its labour gap, partly by subsidizing the new Skills Connect for Immigrants programs that help skilled immigrants enter positions equivalent to their qualifications in such hot industries as construction, transportation, energy and tourism.
  • Six service providers have been chosen to administer the program, including ASPECT, Back in Motion, Camosun College, Douglas College, Multicultural Helping House Society and Surrey Delta Immigrant Services Society (SDISS).
  • “If immigrants move to B.C. to work in a field where there is a shortage, then we need to help them get their training and credentials recognized [through these programs],” says Minister of Economic Development Colin Hansen
  • Number 1 is career assessment, which includes credential and language evaluations. Number 2 is skills enhancement services. “For example, if a participant wants to go into CAD construction and wants to top up his training, we can help arrange that,” she says. Number 3 is a workplace practicum, which allows them to get a little Canadian experience.
  • “Although it’s not the end focus of our Arrive B.C. program, the largest gap is labourers,”
  • Proactive Personnel (www.proactivepersonnel.ca).
  • Omar Yaqub on 26 Apr 11
     
    The labour shortage, particularly in industries like construction, means there are jobs that are not getting filled, while many immigrants are not getting jobs. Seems like it's our immigration system that really needs the help
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ProActive Personnel - 0 views

www.proactivepersonnel.ca work staffing recruiting immigrants
shared by Omar Yaqub on 26 Apr 11 - Cached
  • ProActive Personnel is a staffing agency that specializes in temporary, permanent and contract placement throughout Western Canada.
  • Omar Yaqub on 26 Apr 11
     
    ProActive Personnel is a staffing agency that specializes in temporary, permanent and contract placement throughout Western Canada.
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Alberta helps mature workers remain in the workforce - 0 views

www.alberta.ca/...CE5-CC4B-509841E05A5BD3EC.html alberta seniors work
shared by Omar Yaqub on 27 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • “Declining birth rates, the aging baby boom generation and increasing life expectancy are creating the perfect storm leading to future labour shortages,” said Lukaszuk. “This action plan not only strives to increase mature worker labour force participation but also seeks to reduce the loss of experience, corporate memory and leadership that can occur when people retire.”
  • work with employers to retain mature workers by developing age-friendly work environments, offering flexible work arrangements and phased retirement; support employers by collaborating on tools for succession planning; support mature workers who want to continue working by offering employment and career services and post-secondary educational options; create greater public awareness of changing expectations for older workers; and revise retirement programs and pension policies to support mature workers choosing to remain in the labour force.
  • number of mature workers aged 55 years of age and older in the labour force doubled between 2000 and 2010 (from 167,000 to 337,000)
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  • Mature workers currently account for almost 16 per cent of the labour force.
  • 70.1 per cent of Albertans aged 55-64 are active in the labour force compared to 62.5 per cent of Canadians; and 15.8 per cent of Albertans over age 65 choose to remain in the labour force compared to 11.4 per cent of Canadians.
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Alberta's high school graduation rate lowest among provinces - 0 views

www2.canada.com/...story.html education edmonton
shared by Omar Yaqub on 08 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Alberta's high school graduation rates are among the lowest in the country but the province is showing steady improvement in getting students to obtain their diplomas, says a Statistics Canada
  • About 68 per cent of Alberta teenagers completed high school in the 2005-06
  • That's the lowest completion rate among the provinces, and several percentage points below the national rate
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  • In Edmonton, high school graduation rates stood at almost 73 per cent for the 2005-06 school year, according to numbers provided to the district by the province.
  • While much attention has been given to the province's hot labour market, which can lure teenagers out of the classroom, Telfer said the province has also emphasized the importance of meeting students' emotional needs and re-evaluating programs to make them more relevant for students.
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Government of Alberta - 0 views

alberta.ca/...browse_view.cfm government alberta
shared by Omar Yaqub on 07 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Omar Yaqub on 07 Apr 11
     
    Alladina, Naila Contract Services Coordinator Community and Business Services Employment and Immigration 3rd fl South Tower Seventh Street Plaza 10030 - 107 Street Edmonton, AB T5J 4X7 Phone: 780 422-0833 Fax: 780 422-1197 E-mail: naila.alladina@gov.ab.ca
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Losing on long-term skilled migration | The Australian - 0 views

www.theaustralian.com.au/...story-e6frgcko-1226034255670 education immigrants
shared by Omar Yaqub on 07 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • CITING a backlog of more than 140,000 applications for skilled migration, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship released amendments to the system of awarding points for applications last year.
  • Most futurists, who spend decades modelling scenarios, agree that 70 per cent of jobs in 2050 don't even exist yet
  • Permanent migration is no longer particularly permanent in a fluid, globalised labour market where international graduates strategically select destinations where they will study, live and work for the medium term before moving on or home, in a pattern referred to increasingly as return or triangular migration.
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  • supply will outstrip demand by 2025 in the local labour market if the present skilled migrant ratio is achieved long term.
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Worker squeeze to hit oilpatch - 0 views

www2.canada.com/...story.html work alberta competitiveness trends
shared by Omar Yaqub on 30 Mar 11 - Cached
  • Jobs in Alberta's oilpatch could double over the next decade if commodity prices remain strong, leading to a labour crunch rivalling that of the last boom cycle, according to an industry council.
  • Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada warns the shortage of skilled workers already being felt across the Canadian oilpatch will deepen, regardless of commodity prices and activity levels in the oil and gas industry.
  • "We are headed toward a severe labour shortage, regardless of future energy prices and industry activity," said chief executive Cheryl Knight.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • "Our industries will need to be prepared to face a labour shortage more severe than what we experienced in 2007."
  • about 102,300 positions would open in a high-price scenario, up from 57,850 positions in 2009.
  • Alberta ? Low-price scenario: 33,000 net hires- High oil, low natural gas price scenario: 50,800 net hires- High-price scenario: 102,300 net hires- 2009 estimated workforce: 57,850
  • major driver in the forecast is Canada's aging workforce, about 30 per cent of which will retire over the next decade.
  • "Even in the worst scenario, when energy prices and industry activity are low, we will need to hire at least 39,000 workers to replace those who are retiring," Knight said. "If industry expands in a highprice scenario, we will need to find 130,000 workers to fill new positions."
  • The oilpatch already is seeing shortages in skill sets such as geology, engineering and geophysical expertise, as well as on-the-ground field workers.
  • Access to labour and skills determine the unit of production of the petroleum industry."
  • services sector may need to hire as many as 72,000 workers over the next 10 years, he said. Jones noted it takes the average rig worker about 10 years to accumulate enough skills and experience to become a rig manager.
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Labour markets: Jobs don't pay what they used to | The Economist - 0 views

www.economist.com/...labour_markets_1 work trends
shared by Omar Yaqub on 30 Mar 11 - No Cached
  • Omar Yaqub on 30 Mar 11
     
    With nearly 14 million unemployed workers in America, many have gotten so desperate that they're willing to work for free. While some businesses are wary of the legal risks and supervision such an arrangement might require, companies that have used free workers say it can pay off when done right.
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