A newly formed group called the Alberta Coalition for Action on Labour Shortage (ACALS) is pushing the federal government of Canada to amend immigration policies to address a significant labour shortage.
According to the Montreal Gazette, ACALS is asking the federal government to:
- Change the point system under the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program to place more emphasis on marketplace demands and job offers rather than advanced degrees
- Expand opportunities for temporary foreign workers to become Canadian permanent residents (PR) under Alberta’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
- Amend the national occupation classification (NOC) system that is used in assessing workers under both the permanent and temporary immigration streams so the codes better reflect employer needs
- Reform the screening processes under the temporary foreign worker program
- Implement a far more aggressive campaign to recruit skilled workers internationally
ACALS projects a 114,000 worker shortage over the next decade in Alberta alone.
Again according to the Gazette, the coalition’s President, Tim Shipton, says: “We want to raise labour shortages to the top of the list of issues facing not just Alberta, but quite frankly Western Canada.”
CanadaVisa.com’s news team has been covering the continuing story of Alberta’s labour shortage in relation to Canadian immigration over the last couple of months:
- Alberta boom continues to tap tight labour market
- Calgary boomtown for immigration
- Alberta tops in North America for economic freedom
Also, in March’s upcoming mid-month CIC Newsletter, we will profile Alberta’s PNP program.
To find out if you are eligible for immigration to Alberta, fill out our free online assessment.