The Canadian government recently announced their commitment to fund $3.3 million in programs to facilitate the entry of newcomers to Canada into the job market.
Employment and Social Development Minister Jason Kenney made the announcement about the $3.3 million in funding, which is going to British Columbia’s provincial government to help fund foreign credential recognition for skilled workers in the province.
The money is expected to fund over 30 different programs that benefit new Canadians and new permanent residents entering the labour market in British Columbia. The programs being funded include the development of better online tools to assess job demand in the province and stakeholder consultation to eliminate barriers to workforce entry for newcomers to Canada.
This announcement comes shortly after the addition of ten new occupations to the Government of Canada’s priority list for foreign credential assessment. Individuals in occupations on the priority list will see their foreign credentials assessments fast tracked and processed within one year.
The easing of foreign credential assessment and the attempts to reduce barriers to the labour market for newcomers in British Columbia come at a time when British Columbia has a significant need for skilled workers. With the resource and energy sectors booming, the province is expecting the availability of one million new jobs in the near future. By 2020, newcomers to Canada are expected to have filled a total of one third of these jobs.
Of the new measures that will help link new Canadians to these available jobs in British Columbia, Minister Kenney said that “today’s funding will help new Canadians realize their dream of finding well-paying jobs and providing for their families, while also helping fill shortages in in-demand jobs in the Canadian economy. Our Government will continue to work to streamline the recognition of foreign credentials and help new Canadians find jobs in their fields faster.”
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