Skills shortage a 'Significant Problem'

Canada's skills shortage is heading for a crisis, with newspapers all over the country reporting severe shortages of skilled workers. Shortages in many sectors of the economy can only be met in the short term by people taking up Canadian immigration. Finance minister Jim Flaherty has described Canada as being on the precipice of a major shortage of skilled workers, reported the London Free Press. "It's a significant problem. We're talking about thousands and thousands of vacancies for skilled workers across Canada," he told a meeting near Toronto. In Ontario, St Lawrence College has warned the government it must increase student enrolment by 30,000 in the next four years or there will be serious skills shortage.

Chris Whitaker, president and chief executive officer of the college, told the Brockville Recorder & Times that the province is facing a "serious skills shortage" in the years ahead with retiring baby boomers and rapid technological changes affecting businesses and industries. Canada needs skilled immigrants: The Canadian Visa Bureau can assist skilled workers interested in Canadian immigration. More information on Canadian visas is available on the website. Anyone applying for a Canadian visa should begin by completing the Canadian Visa Bureau's online Canadian visa application to see if they meet the legislative requirements.

Well-being relies on Improved Literacy Skills

Canada must redouble efforts to address its literacy challenge given the evolving structure of the global economy, according to a report published today by TD Bank Financial Group. The report counters the prevailing view that Canada is largely a literate nation, citing that many individuals lack the adequate literacy skills to fully participate in the economy and civil society. Moreover, this challenge is concentrated in specific regions and among various populations, which can accentuate and entrench economic disparity. "Our place in the world is increasingly defined by its intellectual, rather than political, boundaries," said Frank McKenna, Deputy Chair of TD Bank Financial Group and TD's literacy champion. "High levels of literacy ensure that we all have the ability to comprehend, compute and convey information and ideas necessary to support our future prosperity. Improving literacy levels is a national imperative."

Divides and discrepancies in literacy levels: The report, which was authored by TD's Deputy Chief Economist, Craig Alexander, noted that almost four in 10 youths aged 15 have insufficient reading skills; while more than two in 10 university graduates, almost five in 10 Canadian adults and six in 10 immigrants have inadequate literacy skills in English or French. Francophones and aboriginals also scored lower than the national average in literacy scores. Significant regional differences were also cited. Literacy levels tend to decline from above national average in western Canada to below national average in eastern Canada. Not only do these outcomes suggest many Canadians are ill-prepared to participate in the knowledge economy, they can also lead to a number of pressing societal problems. For instance, poor youth literacy is related to high school drop out rates, long-term unemployment and higher crime rates. Poor literacy in English and French amongst immigrants severely hampers the ability of many new arrivals to integrate into Canadian society and its economy.

Renewed efforts to address the literacy challenge: Concerted efforts must focus on youth literacy, particularly at the early childhood education, primary and secondary levels. The rationale is simple - benefits accrue over a longer time span than for adults. Moreover, literacy appears to be a virtuous circle in skill development. Higher literacy promotes greater education that, in turn, lifts literacy and helps to develop skills. Given the particular need in disadvantaged households, and among immigrant and aboriginal communities, policy makers should treat these challenges with the highest priority. Both the provinces and the federal government support literacy initiatives - and this is most welcome. However, there is little evidence of any improvement in literacy levels in recent years, which suggests that the current approach is not working. It may be that meaningful progress is impeded by lack of coordination. For instance, youth literacy falls largely under the umbrella of education, a provincial responsibility, but immigration is a federal concern. There is overlap too in adult literacy. At the federal level,Human Resources and Social Development Canada runs the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Canadian Heritage, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada also run literacy-promoting activities. Meanwhile, the provinces have their own adult literacy initiatives through a variety of social-economic programs. TD suggests a more coordinated and complementary approach could come about if the federal government becomes responsible for national literacy standards, while the provincial governments are explicitly responsible for program delivery. Both levels of government would need to provide financing for the initiatives. The private sector should also be encouraged to offer employees the opportunity to develop language skills and more basic abilities that could reinforce or bolster their literacy. This can be done in-house or through employer-sponsored training.

The case for improved outcomes: TD estimates that a one per cent increase in literacy rates could boost the national income by as much as $32 billion, noting that an economic payoff of more than $80 billion could be achieved if all Canadians reached the desired level of literacy. Raising literacy skills could also create thousands of new jobs, lower unemployment and significantly raise personal income - all of which could play a big role in combating poverty. It could also be key in reversing Canada's recent dismal productivity performance. Yet Mr. McKenna notes improved literacy rates extend well beyond economic gain. "No price tag can be placed on parents who read bedtime stories to their children. It's an immeasurable but profoundly valuable investment for family, community and society as a whole." TD prepared this report with the intent to shine a spotlight on literacy and provoke discussion about current challenges. This is the first in a series of studies, with future installments focusing on specific issues or dimensions. The bank also invests more than $1.5 million in children's literacy programs annually, including the TD Summer Reading Club and TD Canadian Children's Book Week that encourage children to discover the joy of reading.

New Funding for Mentorship in Ontario

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Canadian Minister of Immigration Diane Finley recently announced the allocation of $1.4 million to fund a mentorship program in the Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge regions of Ontario. The new program will provide newcomers with “one-on-one assistance from volunteers who guide their efforts to find work in their chosen field,” explains John Haddock of the YMCA Kitchener-Waterloo and the YMCA Cambridge. Newcomer professionals will be matched with experienced local Canadian professionals. Currently, the YMCA Cross Cultural and Community Services manages a Host Program which teams up newcomers with Canadian volunteers. The host volunteers practice language skills with new immigrants and help them with finding contacts in their field of work and adjusting to life in Canada. In addition to the Mentorship program, the YMCA also offers a Newcomer Youth Support program, a School Support program, and a Senior Support program, which provide targeted assistance to each of these groups of newcomers. With the increased funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, an additional 1,350 newcomers to Ontario will benefit from the Mentorship program.

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Tips for Best Air Ticket Deals

Air bound travel has increased to the reason that it is the quickest traveling experience and air travel has made the world shrunk in terms of distances. It has become very easy to start from one corner of the world and go the other part of the world within 24 – 48 hours time. It has become a matter of hours only. It might be a bit costly to avail of this facility but within the reach of the consumer if one plans properly.

The best deals on air tickets can be got when the travel plan is made on certain days of the week for example if it is planned on a Tuesday, Thursday or Friday night till Sunday morning, as the traffic is less and the air lines are forced to fill the seats to get the maximum amount. This is the case for almost all the flights. And also traveling in the wee hours also might get a deal say it you take a late-night flight departure.

Probing the reservation agent from time to time might help you get the necessary information. Some agents do not disclose the lowest air ticket fares unless and until you ask for it as the commission is involved in it. Normally a travel agent does not charge the customer or the person who is traveling but get a commission from the airlines. Some agents may even have the access to information regarding special deals a certain airline Offers. If the travel is bound to a famous foreign destination it is wise to ask the travel agent about the charter flights, as it might offer low price. But before signing the contract one should go through the policies and conditions if any applied on it.

The flight destination can also offer the best air ticket deals. It is good to find out from the travel agent about the destination if it is an airline hub or not. Because the flight charges might be higher than the flight charges to the nearby cities where competition is less. They can minimize their charges by choosing a city nearer to the hub even if he has to go to the city with the airline hub.

Even after the purchase of the air ticket, it is always mandatory to check with the airline or the travel agent even if it takes two or three phone calls to confirm about the reservations and if there is any change in fares. The fare changes occur round the clock, and a few airlines even refund the difference of amount if the air ticket fare gets reduced before travel, but it is not done on it’s own, you ask for it, you get it is the mantra.

Cheap Air Tickets for Vacation
You can get cheap air tickets for the vacation if you are organized well for a vacation. You need to search for related information either from colleagues, friends, travel agents and even on your own through the Internet. All you need to do is to compare different fares of different airlines, about the destination (whether it is an airline hub or not), dates and time period when the fares are low. Normally off-season airfare discounts are available which can be very well utilized for spending on food or stay rather than on the airfare. One might be surprised to find out that they can get a reduction of 25-30 percent on the total travel fare.

We can get a reduced air ticket fare if they plan the date of travel on the holiday itself rather than a day or two after or before the holiday. For example air ticket fares might be cheaper on a new year’s day, which is not the case the day before or after the holiday. The psychology of the people is that on the holiday they might like to spend the special moment with their near and dear ones rather than traveling. This attitude makes the fares go low. Plan a vacation well in advance as almost all the airlines set some seats aside on the flights which is desired the most at low prices. The good bargain seats sell very fast, it might go the other way round too sometimes, to make up with costs when the seats are not sold as expected may result in heavy discount seats for the flight available before the deadline expires.

Another thumb rule to be followed is to go for a one-stop flight, which works to be cheaper than the non-stop flight. When planning a vacation where flying is involved, it is necessary to find out the cost involved in reaching the destination nearby by a cheap ticket and then spending huge money for travel by car is not advisable but to travel to the destination with a slightly higher charges by air. Also some major carriers sometime match the air fares with that of the low fare carriers, which flies between the same city, but might be limited to certain number of seats.

When opting for a low fare carrier it is mandatory to find out the value for money. As low cost carriers operate only one flight per destination on a particular day, in case of any delay or cancellation, transfer from one flight to another might not be possible, also they might not give any facility regarding meals, advance-seating arrangements etc. These kind of inconvenience caused will spoil the whole enjoyment of the vacation.

You can get cheap air tickets for the vacation if you are organized well for a vacation. You need to search for related information either from colleagues, friends, travel agents and even on your own through the Internet. All you need to do is to compare different fares of different airlines, about the destination (whether it is an airline hub or not), dates and time period when the fares are low. Normally off-season airfare discounts are available which can be very well utilized for spending on food or stay rather than on the airfare. One might be surprised to find out that they can get a reduction of 25-30 percent on the total travel fare.

We can get a reduced air ticket fare if they plan the date of travel on the holiday itself rather than a day or two after or before the holiday. For example air ticket fares might be cheaper on a new year’s day, which is not the case the day before or after the holiday. The psychology of the people is that on the holiday they might like to spend the special moment with their near and dear ones rather than traveling. This attitude makes the fares go low.

Plan a vacation well in advance as almost all the airlines set some seats aside on the flights which is desired the most at low prices. The good bargain seats sell very fast, it might go the other way round too sometimes, to make up with costs when the seats are not sold as expected may result in heavy discount seats for the flight available before the deadline expires.

Another thumb rule to be followed is to go for a one-stop flight, which works to be cheaper than the non-stop flight. When planning a vacation where flying is involved, it is necessary to find out the cost involved in reaching the destination nearby by a cheap ticket and then spending huge money for travel by car is not advisable but to travel to the destination with a slightly higher charges by air. Also some major carriers sometime match the air fares with that of the low fare carriers, which flies between the same city, but might be limited to certain number of seats.

When opting for a low fare carrier it is mandatory to find out the value for money. As low cost carriers operate only one flight per destination on a particular day, incase of any delay or cancellation, transfer from one flight to another might not be possible, also they might not give any facility regarding meals, advance-seating arrangements etc. These kind of inconvenience caused will spoil the whole enjoyment of the vacation.

How to Get Discount Air Tickets
Due to the competition between airfreight companies the consumers can be benefited by means of getting heavy discounts on airfares. Discount air tickets are available in particular seasons like early autumn or after the new year celebrations. Many airlines put up discount sale for a short period many times a year when the air ticket sales go down. So the consumer has to be widen open to grab the opportunity.

Travel agents play an important role in getting the consumer the discounts needed as they sometimes have a tie up with certain airlines. They can also provide the information on the “consolidators” and other kind of sources, which provide discounts on air tickets, which cannot be got directly from the airlines. Travel agents normally do not charge any fees towards the services they provide the consumer but can get a commission from an airline with which he has a mutual understanding.

With the use of Internet, if a person wishes to find out discount air fares from various airlines, there are certain websites which offer the necessary information within one minute. Many airlines boost and encourage flying by offering air mileage points which can be redeemed for a free air ticket or for gifts and vouchers. Mainly people who travel a lot either for their business or personal purposes benefit the most. It makes them to get heavy discounts due the travel they take up frequently, as he is the potential and consistent customer for the airlines and the airlines in return want to get their patronage by providing the privilege to them.

Companies now have a habit of entering into a tie up with certain airlines due to the discount and special services they offer. Corporate plans usually are clubbed with boarding and lodging along with the airfares from some agencies, as an incentive to their employees. Certain countries for example Singapore and Malaysia provide heavy discounted air tickets during a particular period of the year in order to promote trading in their country and to boost their economy through their purchases by foreign visitors. Travel and tourism departments make it a point to award discounts on air fares to target in receiving tourists to boost their industry and other related tourist services like hotels and spas to get their awaited business opportunity.

The other ways of acquiring discounts on airfares are as follows:
By becoming a member of clubs, which offer discounted air tickets to certain selected destinations as a promotional offer. Another way to get up to 80 percent discount on air tickets is to decide and book the tickets before two – three months time. Also if a person is willing to take a mid night flight, he can get the air tickets at a discounted price, as not many people like the idea of traveling during wee hours. Discounts are offered for students and children in special. However it is necessary to go through the terms and conditions of the airlines for discounted air tickets.

Online Deals for Air Tickets
These kinds of offers are suitable for people who are subject to lot of travel due to their business and sometimes even for personal travel. A lot of people who travel frequently are those who benefit from this kind of schemes to the maximum.

There are a lot of websites, which offers memberships to travelers and intimate on the happenings related to special offers and discounts to them from time to time. The websites, which have a constant watch on the airlines and their offers, may go unnoticed by us. It could be for a particular period of time or exclusively for an occasion. Anyone who is about to travel is advised first to check with the available offers on the internet from the airline you choose to travel and then book the tickets.

Airlines on the other hand to promote the sale of air tickets tie up with certain websites and might give huge discount if booked through the websites. This way both the airlines and the travel agency site gets benefited, the airlines make the sites promote their services to the prospective customers.

Some airlines offer special discounts on bulk purchase of air tickets. Some agencies make good business by providing discounted air tickets with a package of other benefits like hotel stay, meals expenses, pick up and drop facility from the airport to the hotel, sight seeing etc. As all the expenses are given as a package to the customer, it makes the customer free from the hazel of searching for the right kind of the accommodation in an unknown country or city.

Due to the mushrooming of travel agencies, the travel and tourism and the aviation industry has seen a lot of growth, which in turn has boosted the opening of lot of airlines.

The attitude of the people has also changed from a conservative one to an outgoing one. People are fascinated about going to far of places and spend an exotic holiday in a different country, which has boosted the airline industry. Some countries and cities offer discounts on the airfares to make it a famous tourist destination. In addition, off-season bookings too offer special discounts on air tickets. Although the Internet has made air travel and purchase of air tickets at a discounted price to lot of destinations, it has also paved way for fraudulent practices. When booking a ticket via the Internet, care needs to be taken by logging on to the official site of the airlines and travel agencies, which has got a good reputation. It is better not to disclose any information regarding the credit card number or account number of the bank, the customers can opt for a payment on delivery of the air tickets rather than paying in advance and also read the terms and conditions before booking.

Cheap Air Ticket From Major Airlines
Experts in the air travel field say that the travelers are spoilt by discounts and cheap air fares, this had made the customer only to think of a lower price air ticket than about the services the airlines offers for them. price has taken over loyalty among the consumers.

Also it has been found that small carriers for the low cost segment has improved their services whereas the major carriers has reduced the services offered to the customer in the low fare war. The end product is the same when the customer is concerned. Very few airlines accept that customer loyalty is the key to business and say that their frequent flyer programs have boosted the business on the whole.

Airlines make huge money by selling their frequent flyer mileage cards to the corporate or business travelers, hotels, car rental and phone companies. Even though this program is popular when it comes to redemption, it has become very difficult, as there are many travelers. The hard truth is that a customer needs to take more and more number of trips in order to get a free air ticket or to upgrade to a service better than this. Hence, there is a decline in the number of travelers sticking on to a particular carrier. This is mainly due to the low-cost carriers offering better services and the restructure happening among the major airline industry.

This trend is damaging to the airline industry as a whole to maintain and attract the customers the airlines have to struggle a lot in spite of the increase in oil prices and higher salary level of aviation staff. Many of the major airlines have either sold or closed down. Low fare carriers have forced the major carriers to reduce their prices in turn the major carriers have cut down lot of services which they used to offer the consumers like free pillows and free meals on domestic flights.

In view with the above trend to attract customers the major carriers or airlines tie up with other service providers by marketing their products during the flight experience. It is like a freebie to the customers who gets his offer the service provider achieves his advertisement of the product and the airlines making it possible for the customer to get his extra service other than the flight experience.

An iPod company developed an advertising strategy by providing free seat connections which can charge iPods during flight and allowing the customer to view video with a display available on the seat back of air travel for some 6 major airline carriers. This has got more customers to the airlines and in turn boosted the sales of I pods. Thus major airlines are striving hard to get their share of the aviation industry by innovating lot of schemes and offers to their customers.