New legislation tabled in B.C. promises to increase the supply of workers in 29 professions, including high demand ones such as engineers, teachers, childcare workers, paramedics and veterinarians.
The legislation, which Andrew Mercier, Minister of State for Workforce Development, announced Monday (Oct. 29) is part of a larger push to fill looming job shortages. The provincial government projects one million job openings within the next decade.
Premier David Eby, who joined Mercier at a news conference, said labour supply and housing are the two most pressing issues facing B.C. 香蕉视频直播淭hese feel like very solvable issues and today香蕉视频直播檚 legislation is part of how we are going to solve that issue.香蕉视频直播�
Mercier said about 60 to 70 per cent of the one million job openings will come from retirements, as the proportion of British Columbians over age 65 continues to grow.
Filling those openings will take two things: taking better advantage of the skilled workers already available in B.C. and reducing barriers for people looking to move to and work in the province. Eby said they expect as many as one-third of job openings over the next decade to be filled by internationally-trained professionals.
British Columbia is not the only place in the western world competing for training labour. A report released by the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation last week found permanent migration to OECD countries, including Canada, reached record levels in 2022 with four out of 10 immigrants coming to Canada to work.
But many often find themselves in jobs below their levels of qualification.
香蕉视频直播淚nternationally-trained professionals have a choice when they come to Canada and there are a lot of folks that elect to come to British Columbia,香蕉视频直播� Mercier said. 香蕉视频直播淲e want them to stay here, which means that we need to be a leader in international credential recognition processes,香蕉视频直播� he added.
The tabled legislation removes 香蕉视频直播渦nfair and unnecessary香蕉视频直播� Canadian work experience and 香蕉视频直播渆xcessive and expansive香蕉视频直播� language requirements.
Eby called this work requirement a Catch-22. 香蕉视频直播淗ow do you get Canadian work experience if you香蕉视频直播檙e not allowed to work in Canada in the field where you have experience?香蕉视频直播� he asked.
Mercier added that immigrants admitted to Canada have already passed language tests. 香蕉视频直播淲hy should you then be recertified for English for the same test?香蕉视频直播�
Other aspects of the legislation, which is scheduled to come into force in the summer of 2024, will create a new superintendent responsible for promoting fair credential recognition, establish maximum limit caps for recognizing foreign credentials and make credential assessment information available online.
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Mercier said government chose the 29 professions by identifying the ones with the greatest barriers, adding that government consulted widely before making the changes. Among included occupations are engineers, social workers, early childhood educators, paramedics, teachers and biologists.
香蕉视频直播淣o one香蕉视频直播檚 defending the status quo,香蕉视频直播� he said.
The legislation builds on previous efforts to speed up the credentialing of health-care professionals, but Eby pointed out that B.C. also needs workers in other areas.
He also defended the inclusion of lawyers, while acknowleding the importance of health care. 香蕉视频直播�(We) actually did choose health care香蕉视频直播nd we are taking some of those learnings from health care,香蕉视频直播� Eby said, adding that B.C. is now moving to all the other professionals.
香蕉视频直播淭here are many communities around the province 香蕉视频直播� and I am not just saying this, because I am a lawyer 香蕉视频直播� that are actually short community lawyers,香蕉视频直播� Eby said.
wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
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