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Institute releases Report on Canada 2011, Canada's innovation imperative - Institute fo... - 0 views

www.competeprosper.ca/..._canadas_innovation_imperative competitiveness productivity
shared by Omar Yaqub on 01 Jun 11 - No Cached
  • Productivity in Canada’s cities lags city regions globally
  • The Institute reports that Canada’s GDP per capita – a measure of the value created by workers and firms in Canada from the human, physical, and natural resources in the country – trailed the US by $9,500 or 17 percent in 2010
  • Canada’s lower productivity as the key challenge in closing this prosperity gap. “Canadians are among the leaders in developed economies in work effort, hours worked per person, but we are laggards in creating economic value per hour worked
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  • recommends that governments improve their innovation policies by shifting their efforts from new-to-the-world inventions to relevant-to-the-market innovations
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Canada - OECD Better Life Initiative - 0 views

www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/...canada metrics
shared by Omar Yaqub on 26 May 11 - No Cached
  • Omar Yaqub on 26 May 11
     
    quality of life
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globeadvisor.com: Gearing up for a new labour crunch - 0 views

www.globeadvisor.com/...RBOILSANDSJOBSATL Work alberta immigrants
shared by Omar Yaqub on 24 May 11 - No Cached
  • Canada's oil patch is scrambling to bring back foreign workers, desperate to avoid a repeat of the labour crunch that clobbered the industry three years ago.
  • In 2008, oil sands capital spending hit about $18-billion (Canadian). Projections by Calgary-based investment dealer Peters & Co. suggest industry will surpass that level by next year. By 2014, the firm forecasts capital spending will exceed 2008 levels by nearly 25 per cent.
  • The Alberta government says the province will be short 77,000 workers in the next 10 years. The Petroleum Human Resources Council has predicted up to 130,000 new workers will be needed in the coming decade, both to staff new jobs and replace retirements.
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  • For Flint Energy Services Ltd., the pinch is already on. The company has brought in 20 Filipino insulators this year. It has authority from the federal government to bring in 60 more foreign workers, and expects to apply for more later this year.
  • "Everybody's got a bit of a guess at all of this, but the numbers are like nothing we've seen before," said international recruitment lead Brent Guthrie. "Whereas Flint was bringing in hundreds in 2008, an expectation of going to 1,000 is not unheard of going forward ... The local market gets burned out quite quickly on these major projects, and then everybody's scrambling."
  • PCL Industrial Contractors Inc., the arm of the construction giant heavily involved in building the oil sands, hit 350 temporary foreign workers in the last boom. Today it has little more than a dozen, but is laying plans for a spree starting early next year that far outstrips the past.
  • "We're looking at the 1,000-person mark for a prolonged period, probably peaking in late 2012," said Gary Truhn, director of construction and labour relations. "We think there's some major projects that are going to be there for quite a while."
  • The hiring will begin months before, however. Depending on the country of origin, it can take between four and six months to gain government approval to bring in a foreign worker. That's why companies are working now to start the process.
  • In the first four months of this year, Alberta companies applied to bring in 9,910 temporary foreign workers, according to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.
  • Peter Veress, president of immigration consultants Vermax Group Inc., recently set up a new training centre in Saltillo, Mexico. In early May, it welcomed its first group of workers to a course designed to impart safety, language and other skills to pipe-fitters and welders before they head north. "Companies are a little more proactive this time around. They don't want to get caught like they did last time around."
  • It's not cheap, though. Between paperwork, training and travel, it can easily cost $10,000 to bring in a temporary foreign worker.
  • in Alberta, hiring can be uncertain. Workers in certified trades have a year to pass Red Seal exams. If they can't, they must go back home.
  • On the East Coast, where many trade and construction workers remain unemployed, the mention of overseas hiring rankles.
  • "We have probably 150 guys on the out-of-work list," said Ian MacIsaac, business representative for local 1178 of the Nova Scotia & PEI Regional Council of Carpenters, Millwrights & Allied Workers, which has 240 members.
  • Alberta's government is starting to feel the same way. It recently released a strategy to keep older workers in the labour pool. Thomas Lukaszuk, Minister of Employment and Immigration, has called on Ottawa to shrink employment insurance eligibility in other provinces, in hopes of compelling workers from elsewhere in Canada to come to Alberta. He also wants authority for the province to nominate more foreign workers to become permanent residents. "We will be severely short on workers, not [just] the next few years but the next few decades," he said.
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The Way We Culture: Edmonton's Plan for Multiculturalism? - 0 views

www.google.com/...view immigrants edmonton
shared by Omar Yaqub on 20 May 11 - No Cached
  • Omar Yaqub on 20 May 11
     
    With 24%, or almost one in four Edmontonians having immigrated to Edmonton in their lifetime, Edmonton is certainly a multicultural city.(1)  With the population now more than 722,260 people, there are over 180,565 neighbours, coworkers and friends in Edmonton whose comforts of urban culture and urban design are likely somewhat to very different than the Canadian status-quo. Based on the language spoken at home, Figure 1 shows the nation of origin of many new Edmontonians, including 40% from India, the Philippines and China, thousands from Germany, the Ukraine, Poland, Spain, the Middle East, Vietnam and many other countries. Edmonton is home to over 70 different ethnic groups.(2)  This multiculturalism could be called one of the backbones of the Canadian identity - and one which the Canadian government continues to pride itself on at national and international levels. At our municipal level, the City of Edmonton has stated it "acknowledges the diversity of Edmontonians and [has charted] a course of inclusion where all people can be confident of the opportunity for success in [the] city".(3) However, to truly plan for a multicultural city we must include and go beyond hosting food and dance fairs and funding cultural associations. To build a city that is reflective of its people means to provide room for the very public spaces and culturally-relevant buildings that inhabit and nurture the essence of urban culture that exist in its people's way of being. So how does the City of Edmonton contribute to the celebration and accommodation of the diversity of its citizens through the built form? The City's newly released 'Ways' documents including The Way We Grow (Edmonton's Municipal Development Plan (MDP) for urban growth) and The Way We Live (Edmonton's plan for community development and social service delivery) provide some insight to Edmonton's plans for cultural inclusivity through urban design using a livability framework.(4, 5) From the MDP Th
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Tapping Canada's immigrant capital - The Globe and Mail - 0 views

www.theglobeandmail.com/...article2017418 Work immigrants competitiveness
shared by Omar Yaqub on 19 May 11 - Cached
  • hiring newcomers to help drive expansion into new markets
  • A new report released exclusively to The Globe and Mail shows almost one in five companies have hired a skilled immigrant to help diversify their global client base. Of those employers who hired immigrants to help them expand overseas, 93 per cent said it was effective, according to the March poll of 461 employers, conducted for the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.
  • A Conference Board of Canada report in October found that every 1-percentage-point increase in the number of immigrants to Canada can increase the value of imports into Canada by 0.21 per cent, and the value of exports by 0.11 per cent. The report urged employers to hire more immigrants as a way to drive innovation and build global competitiveness.
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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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Edmonton Chamber of Commerce - 0 views

www.edmontonchamber.com/strategicpriorities.aspx Work alberta edmonton
shared by Omar Yaqub on 13 May 11 - No Cached
  • To support the development of a robust all-inclusive labour market in the Edmonton region that fosters skill development and capacity building, and attracts a diverse young workforce eager to participate in the Edmonton region and northern economies on a long-term basis
  • Omar Yaqub on 13 May 11
     
    To support the development of a robust all-inclusive labour market in the Edmonton region that fosters skill development and capacity building, and attracts a diverse young workforce eager to participate in the Edmonton region and northern economies on a long-term basis.  
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Immigration: The low-hanging fruit across the border | The Economist - 0 views

www.economist.com/...immigration immigrants trends competitiveness
shared by Omar Yaqub on 13 May 11 - No Cached
  • At a time when America is concerned about excess housing supply and anxious to boost its innovative capacity it is madness that so many willing immigrants, including high-skilled workers, including those educated in America, find it difficult to impossible to gain permission to work in the country on a stable, long-term basis.
  • The lump of labour fallacy is seductive, and in times of economic hardship it becomes very difficult to convince people that more competition for scarce jobs will make their lives better. Here again it is clear that weak labour markets are the enemy of liberalism, and those concerned for the future of free markets should do what they can to alleviate that weakness.
  • immigrants are people and they deserve a chance to move to maximise the return to their skills. When an immigrant moves to a rich country, that increases his or her welfare and boosts the productive potential of that country, which is good for everyone.
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  • Historically, relatively open immigration rules have been both a sign of and a source of national strength. If America can return to a more open past, the prospects for its economy will be considerably enhanced.
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http://employment.alberta.ca/documents/LMI/LMI-WSI_empwages_postsecondary.pdf - 0 views

employment.alberta.ca/...WSI_empwages_postsecondary.pdf Work alberta education
shared by Omar Yaqub on 13 May 11 - No Cached
  • Omar Yaqub on 13 May 11
     
    Between 2009 and 2013, Alberta's economy is expected to add approximately 149,000 new jobs. In addition, approximately 57% of all new jobs are expected to require some form of learning beyond a high school education
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NAIT hammered by would-be apprentices@ 200% capacity - Connect2Edmonton - 0 views

www.connect2edmonton.ca/...showthread.php Work alberta education
shared by Omar Yaqub on 13 May 11 - No Cached
  • Funding shortages are forcing NAIT to shelve a massive expansion project which administrators say is badly needed to address Alberta's shortage of skilled workers.
  • She said there are more than 62,000 apprentices in Alberta, with 100 new ones registering every day, yet the province has training spots for only half that number
  • Andrews said NAIT hopes to eventually increase annual enrolment to 105,000, up from the 72,000 students currently in full-time, part-time and continuing education programs.
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  • NAIT is already struggling to meet skyrocketing demand, Kuntz said.
  • operating at more than 200-per-cent capacity, NAIT can accept only 15,800 apprentices each year, she said.
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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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Record numbers of immigrants to Canada in 2008 - 0 views

www.workpermit.com/...migrants-to-canada-in-2008.htm canada immigrants Work
shared by Omar Yaqub on 09 May 11 - No Cached
  • 2008 Canadian immigration Statistics are as follows: 247,202 permanent residents; 70,000 more than in 1998. The Canadian Government had a target of 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents for the year. 193,061 temporary foreign workers. 79,459 foreign students Total permanent and temporary residents for the year: 519,722
  • Omar Yaqub on 09 May 11
     
    247,202 permanent residents; 70,000 more than in 1998. The Canadian Government had a target of 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents for the year. 193,061 temporary foreign workers. 79,459 foreign students
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http://premier.alberta.ca/PlansInitiatives/economic/RPCES_ShapingABFuture_Report_web2.pdf - 0 views

premier.alberta.ca/...hapingABFuture_Report_web2.pdf alberta trends work immigrants government
shared by Omar Yaqub on 09 May 11 - No Cached
    • Omar Yaqub
      Omar Yaqub on 09 May 11
       
      work with the federal government to change the immigration system - to help address critical shortages of workers at all skill levelsIt is in the interests of all Canadians that the Alberta economy remains strong. To realize the full potential of the oil sands and broaden the economic base, the province will need people from outside the country as well as migrants from other parts of Canada. The provincial government and industry must collaborate in demonstrating to the federal government the critical need to at least double the caps on the provincial immigrant nominee program. Advocate for immediate changes that allow temporary foreign workers with solid records to apply for permanent resident status while they are still in the country. Continue to work with the federal government to institute longer-term changes to better align the national immigration program with strategies for economic growth, making it more responsive to changing economic conditions and industry's workforce needs.Determine what is getting in the way of swift assessment of foreign trades and professional credentials related to these scarce skills, and remove barriers to full recognition of qualifications that meet Alberta standards. Pre-certify credentials from selected offshore institutions, and create a mechanism that allows all immigrants to determine their credential status before moving here. Expand initiatives such as the Immigrant Access Fund to help immigrants achieve credential recognition.
  • Omar Yaqub on 09 May 11
     
    Give a new alberta water authority the mandate to innovate in water stewardship, and realize the full benefit of our precious water assets Alberta needs all its citizens to develop the mindset and skills to thrive in today's world and drive economic growth - to be resilient, lifelong learners, healthy and productive, eager to achieve and perform, globally connected and informed seeking talent around the globe Like other countries with aging populations, Alberta in 2040 will be competing to attract the brightest and the best talent to the province's workforce to fill critical gaps. As early as 2030, demographers predict that domestic workforce growth in Alberta and Canada will have stalled, although higher birth rates in our Aboriginal population could indicate potential for some domestic population growth. Encouraging seniors who wish to stay in the workforce longer to do so could mitigate (but not solve) the problem. Employers could abolish their mandatory retirement age and other policies that discriminate on the basis of age.Employers in this province are already concerned about shortages of people to fill jobs at all skill levels, well aware that energy booms create huge demands for workers in service sectors as well as in construction and labour-intensive oil sands production. The very specialized skills and knowledge essential to success in broadening the economic base are in short supply in the province now because there have not historically been good opportunities in these areas. One key requirement is more people experienced in founding and growing technologybased businesses. While productivity improvements and the application of innovative business models may slow growth in the labour supply gap or change the mix of skills required over the  next three decades, we still expect to see an increasing  need to attract immigrants to the province to fill key gaps  at all skill levels.The number of immigrants to Alberta fr
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Why don't more people live in liveable cities? - 0 views

kottke.org/...people-live-in-liveable-cities competitiveness
shared by Omar Yaqub on 09 May 11 - No Cached
  • I spoke to Joel Kotkin, a professor of urban development, and asked him about these surveys. "I've been to Copenhagen," (Monocle's Number 2) he tells me "and it's cute. But frankly, on the second day, I was wondering what to do." So, if the results aren't to his liking, what does he suggest? "We need to ask, what makes a city great? If your idea of a great city is restful, orderly, clean, then that's fine. You can go live in a gated community. These kinds of cities are what is called 'productive resorts'. Descartes, writing about 17th-century Amsterdam, said that a great city should be 'an inventory of the possible'. I like that description."
  • "These lists are journalistic catnip. Fun to read and look at the pictures but I find the liveable cities lists intellectually on a par with People magazine's 'sexiest people' lists."
  • "We also have to acknowledge that these cities that come top of the polls also don't have any poor people," he adds. And that, it seems to me, touches on the big issue. Richard G Wilkinson and Kate Pickett's hugely influential book The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better (2009) seems to present an obvious truth -- that places where the differential in income between the wealthiest and the poorest is smallest tend to engender a sense of satisfaction and well-being. But while it may be socially desirable, that kind of comfort doesn't necessarily make for vibrancy or dynamism. If everybody is where they want to be, no one is going anywhere.
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Dream big, Albertans urged | www2.canada.com | Readability - 0 views

www.readability.com/...ilrvqafv trends
shared by Omar Yaqub on 09 May 11 - No Cached
  • A report issued Thursday by the Premier's Council for Economic Strategy should be required reading for all Albertans.
  • Among its five "big ideas," it urges the creation of a new Global Centre for Energy and an Alberta Institute for Advanced Technology to thrust the province into the forefront of global energy innovation.
  • the creation of a new Alberta Water Authority to protect the province's precious water assets;
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Diversity Study: Edmonton Chamber of Commerce - 0 views

www.edmontonchamber.com/...nt_ChambersCommerce_Survey.pdf immigrants attraction work alberta edmonton
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  • Omar Yaqub on 09 May 11
     
    Analysis of Findings: Diversity Study 
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