Jayson Myers: Building a better foreign workers program

The current debate over the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) highlights the challenges that our governments face in trying to ensure that employers are able to hire adequately skilled workers, and that Canadians have the resources they need to prepare themselves for a job market that demands new skills and higher levels of competencies. Business as usual is not an option; it’s time to create a new foreign skilled worker program that addresses the faults of the TFWP.

More and more employers across Canada, in all sectors of the economy, are struggling to find workers with the skills they require. Demand for skilled workers is increasing as older employees retire, and labour shortages have become particularly acute in regions experiencing rapid economic growth. The reality is that foreign workers who enter the country on either a temporary or a permanent basis, are an economic priority for Canada.

Some economists and academics use the national unemployment rate to argue that there is no lack of skilled workers in this country. While on paper it may appear that there is a sufficient number of people to fill every opening, many employers are looking for more specialized skills or expertise than are currently available in the Canadian labour market. And workers are often unable, or unwilling, to relocate to regions of the country where labour demand is the highest. A lack of essential skills also makes it difficult for many Canadians to enter the jobs market.

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