On February 28, the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Canada (ESDC), announced a new Canadian immigration initiative to increase the involvement of Canadian immigrants in the workplace.

The Government of Canada has pledged almost $3 million to fund Bridging the Gap: Integration of Skilled Immigrants into the Canadian Workplace , a project that will increase understanding about the current barriers to integration with the goal of employing strategies to overcome them. Over 11,000 stakeholders will participate in the study, including small and medium-sized enterprises, skilled immigrant workers , and human resource professionals.

Minister Solberg asserts that the Canadian government’s support for the project highlights their commitment to immigrant integration into the Canadian workforce “to ensure they have the opportunities and choices necessary to help them build a better and stronger future.” He contends that the project will not only benefit newcomers, it will also address the Canadian labour shortage.

The government funding is sourced from Workplace Skills Initiative, which finances projects that address present and future challenges in the Canadian workplace. The program encourages Canadian employers to invest in their employees and improve human resource practices. The Government of Canada acknowledges that the Canadian economy’s future competitiveness depends on developing a highly skilled workforce and a flexible labour market, with a recognition that immigrants will make up an important part of the Canadian labour pool.