Last month, a team of Alberta government and industry leaders went to India on a trade mission. Though the focus of the GO-India mission was meant to be trade and investment, it served just as much as a recruitment fair for labour-strapped Canadian employers.

"We're working with our colleagues ... to see where it makes sense to have immigration an issue that's undertaken at the same time (as trade promotion)," stated John Cotton, executive director of Alberta International, Inter-governmental and Aboriginal Relations, who was in India as part of the GO-India trade mission.

Alberta is focusing on India as a source for skilled workers because of its large, highly skilled and educated population, which is largely English-speaking. Terry Jorden of the Alberta Employment, Immigration, and Industry says that the provincial government will soon be releasing an Action Plan, which will outline how agencies can work with all stakeholders to facilitate the immigration and temporary work permit processes.

Alberta agencies, industry, and post-secondary institutions are working together to develop clearer standards and to improve systems to help immigrants obtain required Canadian accreditation to integrate into the work force.