Alberta boom continues to tap tight labour market

the CanadaVisa Team - 23 February, 2012

A shortage of labour was cited by a roundtable of energy companies in Alberta as their key business challenge. Easing immigration rules has been put forward as a possible partial solution.

The release of new Canadian census numbers this month highlighting the growth in western provinces, as well as other statistics such as Alberta having the highest employment growth in Canada, and the fact that oilsands production (based in Alberta) is expected to climb from 1.6 million barrels a day to 3 million in 2020, point to growth in both the economy and population of Alberta.

However, it is apparent that population growth is not keeping up with demand even at its high rate.

According to an article in the Postmedia news, "more than 30 percent of the [oil and gas] industry’s core workforce is expected to retire within the decade as the first baby boomer's turned 65 in 2011." These workers all have to be replaced.

There are a variety of immigration and temporary status programs available in Alberta with the goal of helping to alleviate these labour shortages. These include:

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), which among its list of 29 qualifying occupations, has several skilled and semi-skilled occupations relevant to the energy industry.
The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP), which includes for example, fast-track options for engineers, as well as criteria for semi-skilled workers such as truck drivers and those in the hospitality industry that can complement the energy industry.
Temporary work permit options that can eventually lead to permanent residency through one of the above programs.

Calgary, as the hub of all this growth in Alberta, was profiled in a previous CanadaVisa.com news story: Calgary boomtown for immigration.

An upcoming issue of CIC News will profile the AINP in depth, including distinctions between the permanent and temporary status options available for workers to come from abroad to live and work in Alberta.

Cohen Immigration Law has expertise in all relevant programs for Alberta, including pin-pointing which one best suits a particular client's needs. For example, temporary workers already in Canada can benefit from the AINP program to stay in Canada if their permit expires, as once they receive a Provincial Nomination, they can extend their work permit until their permanent residency comes through.

We work with both employers looking to fill their labour needs, and foreigners looking to move permanently or temporarily to Canada. You can contact us for a free telephone consultation about the many options available for Alberta, additionally if you are considering moving to Canada, you can fill out our free online eligibility assessment form.