02 October 2008

Coalition urges Canada to address massive skills shortage crisis

A coalition of business, labour, education and health groups urged the Canadian government to address the looming skills shortage crisis, reports Global.

At a news conference on Tuesday, the coalition said the government needs to change immigration policy to allow a more successful skilled migration system cater to the needs of the Canadian economy.  The Canadian government currently has a massive backlog of Canadian skilled migration applications, and is struggling to keep up with the rapidly increasing demands of the economy.

"The shortage of skilled workers is crippling our country's economy," said Paul Charette, Chairman of the Canadian Construction Association and of the coalition.  He added, in the construction industry alone, 260,000 new workers are needed before 2016. "We expect all party leaders to tell Canadians how they plan to address this crisis."

The coalition said a review into the immigration and employment insurance systems, as well as apprenticeship, training and education services for foreign nationals, will be necessary to address the problems of Canadian immigration.

"As our country braces for more economic uncertainty, we can choose to invest in a skilled workforce that can compete with the best the world has to offer, or we can continue to turn our back to the problem and force employers to fight among themselves for an ever-more scarce resource," Jayson Myers, President of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters told Global TV.

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The Canadian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people apply for Canada visa and immigration services.

Article by Jessica Bird, Canadian Visa Bureau.