(Photo: Pipeworx)
OTTAWA – A new study by The Conference Board of Canada suggests labour-starved companies should start looking to American workers to fill employment gaps.
Alberta, which faces the most severe skills shortage in Canada, launched a pilot project that brought nearly 1,000 skilled U.S. workers into the province.
The province has been at the forefront of a strategy to recruit U.S. workers – particularly for resource projects – but Saskatchewan and Manitoba are also facing labour shortages.
The study, published by the Conference Boards Global Commerce Centre, looks at Albertas successful strategy to recruit US workers and lessons that may apply to other provinces and regions.
With 50,000 unfilled vacancies and more than double that number expected within a decade, the labour and skills shortage has a direct impact on Albertas ability to develop its resource and energy sector,” said Laura Dawson, author of Skills in Motion: U.S. Workers May Hold the Key to Canadas Skills Shortage.
“That is not just a regional problem, it affects our national economic prospects as well.”
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Many Alberta employers consider U.S. workers to be ideal candidates because they have comparable training and experience. They also understand the language and work culture, can enter Canada without a visa, and live nearby.
Nevertheless, there is no simple mechanism for Canada to bring in U.S. workers in skilled trades. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) does not allow mutual recognition between Canada and U.S. for regulated trades and professions.
The Alberta Occupation-Specific Pilot was launched in 2012, and has already allowed nearly 1,000 skilled U.S. workers to enter the province. Albertas Department of Apprenticeship and Industry Training has stepped in to provide its own evaluation of workers foreign credentials and experience.
The province has launched a recruitment campaign in the United States. Alberta employers are also targeting Canadian and American veterans of the armed forces.
The report was published by the Conference Boards Global Commerce Centre.
conferenceboard.ca
