The British Columbia (BC) provincial government has signed a two-year memorandum of understanding with the Philippine government to help fill provincial labour shortages with skilled Filipino workers.

The agreement, signed by BC Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen and Philippine Labour Secretary Arturo Brion, will strengthen relations between BC employers and Philippine recruiters. It targets skilled workers in the tourism, hospitality, retail, and construction sectors (chronic labour shortage sectors in BC), by providing more effective access to skilled foreign workers.

“The government of the Philippines is particularly receptive to partnering on international recruitment,” stated Secretary Arturo. BC is the second jurisdiction in North America after Saskatchewan to establish a partnership for recruiting Filipino skilled workers. The Philippines is currently the third largest source country for immigrants to BC. “The British Columbia economy is growing at a rate faster than the overall Canadian economy and definitely faster than the overall American economy,” stated Minister Hansen. “To maintain this momentum, we need to attract 30,000 workers per year with specific skills from outside B.C.”

The British Columbia and Philippine governments will work with Filipino recruitment agencies, who will ensure that the foreign workers are eligible to work in Canada (based on medical history, criminal history, language skills, and employment skills). BC employers are responsible for paying the costs related to hiring workers.