AN ENHANCED PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM (2006)
British Columbia emerged from the 1990s to enter an economic boom that continues to surge and create jobs. One of the less appealing effects of this boom is the critical skills shortage that employers throughout the province are facing.
The provincial economy is expected to create one million new jobs over the next 12 years, while only 650,000 students in B.C. will finish grade 12 during the same time frame. Furthermore, existing businesses are already indicating their inability to find employees in many critical sectors, and in all regions of the province. The magnitude of new job creation over the next 12 years combined with the existing difficulties finding suitable employees creates a daunting scenario for B.C. It is crucial that the province work towards attracting the best and most suitable immigrants to the province to help fill this gap.
The current immigration system is not capable of attracting ready-to-work immigrants to B.C. in a timely manner. The design of the immigration system along with the point matrix of the National Occupancy Classification (NOC) used to help determine an applicants suitability for Canada, discourage skilled tradespersons from qualifying, whereas it prioritizes managerial and professional type people (NOC skill levels 0 and A). In 2004, immigrants qualifying under NOC skill level B (skilled and technical), C (intermediate and clerical) and D (elemental and labourers) accounted for only 22.4% of principal applicants under the skilled worker category. Skill levels 0 and A accounted for 72.3% of total applicants (a further 5.3% did not indicate their skill level). Despite their NOC classification, one third of permanent residents who immigrated to B.C. between 1991-1996 worked in sales or services related positions and only 39% of those immigrants to B.C. worked in their intended occupation. Seventy-two per cent of immigrants who encountered difficulty finding work in their intended occupations cited poor language skills, lack of Canadian experience and qualifications/experience not recognized.
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a partnership between individual provinces and the federal government that allows provinces to fast-track immigrants in high-demand sectors. Every province has a unique agreement. The Chamber welcomes the fact that B.C. is the only program which is entirely employer driven, however this does place a huge burden on small businesses who have less than 10 employees and only need to recruit one. Over the space of five years, B.C. is able to fast track 1000 provincial nominees (not including dependents) through the immigration process (six months versus 18-24 months in the national immigration program). In order for a potential immigrant to qualify for the PNP, they must have a permanent full time offer for a position with an employer who has demonstrated that it has exhausted all other avenues to filling the position. Jobs that only require some high school and limited training do not qualify for the program as positions must have full secondary school and at least 2 years apprenticeship to qualify.
B.C.’s PNP has had some success attracting immigrants for hard to fill positions in health care and education. A total of 598 provincial nominees landed in BC in 2004, 249 who were principal applicants, which represented only 1.6 per cent of total immigration to British Columbia during that year. While employment statistics for immigrants in the PNP in B.C. are scarce, a study of the program in Manitoba and Saskatchewan can provide more insight to the relative success of the PNP.
Manitoba’s PNPs account for over 50 per cent of its net immigration. Manitoba’s agreement with the Federal government allows it to bring in 2500 provincial nominees every two years. The two provinces’ combined employment rate for provincial nominees is 94 per cent (after six months in the province), 60 per cent of provincial nominees work in their intended occupation, and 34 per cent settle outside of a major city. Manitoba and Saskatchewan provide information for interested immigrants on their website on how to contact local employers and access to local job listings. Because B.C.’s nominee program is entirely employer driven, it is difficult for potential provincial nominees to access the job market.
In short, the program is not small business friendly. Simply put, SME’s with hard to fill positions do not have the resources to recruit nationally or internationally. Finally, the nature of the program discourages against certain industries/sectors from bringing in foreign workers. Many industries have a hard time filling positions in the short run. In the construction industry alone experts estimate that there is a need for approximately 20,000 new workers between now and 2010. With other provinces facing similar skills shortages, thus competing for the same pool of national and international workers, it is crucial that British Columbia make improvements to its provincial nominee program.
The PNP is the quickest and most effective method of using immigration to address the current and growing labour shortage in B.C. Immigrants who come into the province enter high-demand sectors such as health care, education, aerospace and technical trades. Because immigrants must have an offer of full-time employment, they are much less likely to become a social burden. Credential recognition processes are addressed during the time that they apply with their prospective company and their ability to immediately gain Canadian work experience increases their ability to find work in the future.
Though the Chamber recognizes that the province renewed their agreement with the previous federal government in 2005, it encourages the provincial government to approach the new federal government to negotiate a new framework. Given the nature of the Canadian federal system and the growing employment crisis British Columbia is facing, it is crucial that the current agreement of 1000 provincial nominees over five years is increased and the program strengthened by providing resources to employers having difficulties finding skilled applicants in Canada and potential immigrants with a wealth of skills to offer.
THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS
That the Provincial Government;
1. renegotiate its 2005 provincial nominee agreement with the new federal government to significantly increase the amount of nominees it is allowed to bring into the province over the space of five years;
2. work towards making the PNP a major source of immigration to the province (similar to Manitoba, the PNP makes up more than 50 per cent of its total immigration and it has much higher employment rates, retention rates and satisfaction rates among recent immigrants).
3. open the provincial nominee program to trades and positions that require less than two-year apprenticeship training that are encountering major obstacles in finding new employees;
4. increase communication and visibility of the program among businesses across British Columbia;
5. provide resources to provincial businesses looking to hire abroad and a job database for prospective immigrants.
British Columbia emerged from the 1990s to enter an economic boom that continues to surge and create jobs. One of the less appealing effects of this boom is the critical skills shortage that employers throughout the province are facing.
The provincial economy is expected to create one million new jobs over the next 12 years, while only 650,000 students in B.C. will finish grade 12 during the same time frame. Furthermore, existing businesses are already indicating their inability to find employees in many critical sectors, and in all regions of the province. The magnitude of new job creation over the next 12 years combined with the existing difficulties finding suitable employees creates a daunting scenario for B.C. It is crucial that the province work towards attracting the best and most suitable immigrants to the province to help fill this gap.
The current immigration system is not capable of attracting ready-to-work immigrants to B.C. in a timely manner. The design of the immigration system along with the point matrix of the National Occupancy Classification (NOC) used to help determine an applicants suitability for Canada, discourage skilled tradespersons from qualifying, whereas it prioritizes managerial and professional type people (NOC skill levels 0 and A). In 2004, immigrants qualifying under NOC skill level B (skilled and technical), C (intermediate and clerical) and D (elemental and labourers) accounted for only 22.4% of principal applicants under the skilled worker category. Skill levels 0 and A accounted for 72.3% of total applicants (a further 5.3% did not indicate their skill level). Despite their NOC classification, one third of permanent residents who immigrated to B.C. between 1991-1996 worked in sales or services related positions and only 39% of those immigrants to B.C. worked in their intended occupation. Seventy-two per cent of immigrants who encountered difficulty finding work in their intended occupations cited poor language skills, lack of Canadian experience and qualifications/experience not recognized.
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a partnership between individual provinces and the federal government that allows provinces to fast-track immigrants in high-demand sectors. Every province has a unique agreement. The Chamber welcomes the fact that B.C. is the only program which is entirely employer driven, however this does place a huge burden on small businesses who have less than 10 employees and only need to recruit one. Over the space of five years, B.C. is able to fast track 1000 provincial nominees (not including dependents) through the immigration process (six months versus 18-24 months in the national immigration program). In order for a potential immigrant to qualify for the PNP, they must have a permanent full time offer for a position with an employer who has demonstrated that it has exhausted all other avenues to filling the position. Jobs that only require some high school and limited training do not qualify for the program as positions must have full secondary school and at least 2 years apprenticeship to qualify.
B.C.’s PNP has had some success attracting immigrants for hard to fill positions in health care and education. A total of 598 provincial nominees landed in BC in 2004, 249 who were principal applicants, which represented only 1.6 per cent of total immigration to British Columbia during that year. While employment statistics for immigrants in the PNP in B.C. are scarce, a study of the program in Manitoba and Saskatchewan can provide more insight to the relative success of the PNP.
Manitoba’s PNPs account for over 50 per cent of its net immigration. Manitoba’s agreement with the Federal government allows it to bring in 2500 provincial nominees every two years. The two provinces’ combined employment rate for provincial nominees is 94 per cent (after six months in the province), 60 per cent of provincial nominees work in their intended occupation, and 34 per cent settle outside of a major city. Manitoba and Saskatchewan provide information for interested immigrants on their website on how to contact local employers and access to local job listings. Because B.C.’s nominee program is entirely employer driven, it is difficult for potential provincial nominees to access the job market.
In short, the program is not small business friendly. Simply put, SME’s with hard to fill positions do not have the resources to recruit nationally or internationally. Finally, the nature of the program discourages against certain industries/sectors from bringing in foreign workers. Many industries have a hard time filling positions in the short run. In the construction industry alone experts estimate that there is a need for approximately 20,000 new workers between now and 2010. With other provinces facing similar skills shortages, thus competing for the same pool of national and international workers, it is crucial that British Columbia make improvements to its provincial nominee program.
The PNP is the quickest and most effective method of using immigration to address the current and growing labour shortage in B.C. Immigrants who come into the province enter high-demand sectors such as health care, education, aerospace and technical trades. Because immigrants must have an offer of full-time employment, they are much less likely to become a social burden. Credential recognition processes are addressed during the time that they apply with their prospective company and their ability to immediately gain Canadian work experience increases their ability to find work in the future.
Though the Chamber recognizes that the province renewed their agreement with the previous federal government in 2005, it encourages the provincial government to approach the new federal government to negotiate a new framework. Given the nature of the Canadian federal system and the growing employment crisis British Columbia is facing, it is crucial that the current agreement of 1000 provincial nominees over five years is increased and the program strengthened by providing resources to employers having difficulties finding skilled applicants in Canada and potential immigrants with a wealth of skills to offer.
THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS
That the Provincial Government;
1. renegotiate its 2005 provincial nominee agreement with the new federal government to significantly increase the amount of nominees it is allowed to bring into the province over the space of five years;
2. work towards making the PNP a major source of immigration to the province (similar to Manitoba, the PNP makes up more than 50 per cent of its total immigration and it has much higher employment rates, retention rates and satisfaction rates among recent immigrants).
3. open the provincial nominee program to trades and positions that require less than two-year apprenticeship training that are encountering major obstacles in finding new employees;
4. increase communication and visibility of the program among businesses across British Columbia;
5. provide resources to provincial businesses looking to hire abroad and a job database for prospective immigrants.
Copyright ©2007 BC Chamber of Commerce 