The business of trying to attract immigrants is a tough one for a small province like Nova Scotia. It is widely recognized that Nova Scotia needs to attract plenty of talented immigrants to fill the gaps in the workforce as the population ages and retires. Major cosmopolitan centres like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver don’t have a problem attracting immigrants, mainly because those centres already have sizable immigrant populations. Aside from the major cities, the general impression of Canada seems to be one of wilderness and open space. For Nova Scotia to attract talented individuals to come live here they must first be convinced that we have something more to offer beyond a quiet lifestyle. And so Nova Scotia developed a mentorship program, which, for a fee, was supposed to help immigrants become integrated into Nova Scotia society.
Foreign-trained nurses help keep units open
Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital has found a way to cut the number of canceled surgeries by using foreign-trained nurses to bolster its staff, even as they wait to get accreditation in this country. In December, up to four of the hospital's 25 surgery units were closed at any one time because there weren't enough nurses to staff them. The hospital has cut that number in half, Dr. Doug Davey, chief of surgery at the hospital, told CBC Wednesday. Davey said it normally takes months for foreign-trained nurses to get their accreditation to practise in Alberta. In the meantime, the hospital has decided it will employ those awaiting accreditation as licensed practical nurses, who require less training.
Immediate Citizenship for Overseas Adoptions
New legislation went into effect at the end of December 2007 which allows children adopted abroad by Canadian citizens to obtain Canadian citizenship without first having to become permanent residents. As of 23 December 2007, citizenship may be granted to adopted children if an application for citizenship is submitted and certain legislative requirements are met. These include adoption requirements specific to the province in Canada that the child will live in and adoption requirements in the child's home country. "Canadian families open their hearts to adopt foreign-born children and we want to support them by making it easier for their adopted children to become Canadian citizens," said Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, during her announcement of the new legislation. "Canadian families welcome foreign-born children into their homes and we want to welcome them into the country. The new citizenship process means that citizenship can be granted to adopted children after the adoption is complete."
Labour shortage could cripple Canada
by David George-Cosh, Financial Post
Canada's technology companies will soon face a shortage of workers that could cripple the sector and deal a harsh blow to the Canadian economy, according to a report published by a coalition of industry professionals. More than 90,000 jobs in the information technology sector will need to be filled in the next three to five years and could potentially impact the Canadian economy to the tune of $10.6-billion, said Conference Board of Canada vice-president of organizational effectiveness, Dr. Michael Bloom. "The problem is much bigger than any of us at the Conference Board has identified," said Mr. Bloom. A "perfect storm" of socio-demographic factors, negative perceptions of the tech sector following the bubble burst of 2002 and a significant drop in university enrolment in IT programs across Canada has all come together to create this dire scenario, said Mr. Bloom. The Conference Board's report says that while more than 600,000 Canadians are employed in the IT sector, 31,000 of those will soon retire and another 58,000 will be needed to plug in forthcoming productivity gaps. Furthermore, the report found that each vacant position represents an average cost to the Canadian economy of $120,000 per year. To combat that problem, more than three dozen companies that span the gamut of the technology industry have formed together under the "Canadian Coalition for Tomorrow's IT Skills" moniker. Some of the companies include cable giant Rogers Communications Inc., Internet hardware maker Nortel Networks Corp., transportation manufacturer Bombardier Inc. and retailer Canadian Tire Corp.
Canada's technology companies will soon face a shortage of workers that could cripple the sector and deal a harsh blow to the Canadian economy, according to a report published by a coalition of industry professionals. More than 90,000 jobs in the information technology sector will need to be filled in the next three to five years and could potentially impact the Canadian economy to the tune of $10.6-billion, said Conference Board of Canada vice-president of organizational effectiveness, Dr. Michael Bloom. "The problem is much bigger than any of us at the Conference Board has identified," said Mr. Bloom. A "perfect storm" of socio-demographic factors, negative perceptions of the tech sector following the bubble burst of 2002 and a significant drop in university enrolment in IT programs across Canada has all come together to create this dire scenario, said Mr. Bloom. The Conference Board's report says that while more than 600,000 Canadians are employed in the IT sector, 31,000 of those will soon retire and another 58,000 will be needed to plug in forthcoming productivity gaps. Furthermore, the report found that each vacant position represents an average cost to the Canadian economy of $120,000 per year. To combat that problem, more than three dozen companies that span the gamut of the technology industry have formed together under the "Canadian Coalition for Tomorrow's IT Skills" moniker. Some of the companies include cable giant Rogers Communications Inc., Internet hardware maker Nortel Networks Corp., transportation manufacturer Bombardier Inc. and retailer Canadian Tire Corp.
Wage gap grows for immigrants
by Peggy Curran, The Gazette
Quebec's immigration policies may lean in favour of newcomers from North Africa and other French-speaking regions, but the Old World has a commanding head start on the wage front, says a study by researchers at Université du Montréal. And industrial relations professor Brahim Boudarbat said even in Quebec, it pays off enormously when a newcomer already speaks both French and English. While knowing one of Canada's official languages - in Quebec, it doesn't appear to matter which - may boost earnings by seven percent, being able to get by in both can bolster income by 15 per cent. Findings by Boudarbat and PhD student Maude Boulet show today's immigrants not only earn less than the average Canadian-born worker, they've been steadily losing ground when compared with what previous waves of immigrants received when they landed in the 1960s, '70s and '80s. They are both better educated and poorer than the people who came before them.
Quebec's immigration policies may lean in favour of newcomers from North Africa and other French-speaking regions, but the Old World has a commanding head start on the wage front, says a study by researchers at Université du Montréal. And industrial relations professor Brahim Boudarbat said even in Quebec, it pays off enormously when a newcomer already speaks both French and English. While knowing one of Canada's official languages - in Quebec, it doesn't appear to matter which - may boost earnings by seven percent, being able to get by in both can bolster income by 15 per cent. Findings by Boudarbat and PhD student Maude Boulet show today's immigrants not only earn less than the average Canadian-born worker, they've been steadily losing ground when compared with what previous waves of immigrants received when they landed in the 1960s, '70s and '80s. They are both better educated and poorer than the people who came before them.
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