Council Asked To Approve Funds For Immigration Pilot Program

Forecasted and real employee shortages are set to see some relief thanks to a pilot program through Immigration Refugees and Settlement Canada (IRCC) and the City of Moose Jaw.

At this past Wednesday evening’s special meeting of Council economic development officer Jim Dixon presented a report requesting $5000 from the 2020 Operating Budget for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Progran (RNIP). The $5,000 will be used to help finance the local portion of the program’s estimated $75,000 cost as their are no federal dollars available for the City. Federal resources will be available for establishing the program and training the leadership team only.

In the report to Council a forecasted need for workers is forseen with the forthcoming construction of the SaskPower natural gas fired electrical generation station in the new Southeast Industrial Park as an example where employees will be needed not only for the construction but a projected increase in local economic activity.

“The accommodation, service and retail sectors will see a demand in labour needs over the next few years with the RNIP program helping to address this demand,” the report to Council stated.

Under RNIP local employers will no longer have to provide a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for employees seen as less skilled - high school education and on the job training - such as farm workers, truck drivers, meat plant workers and food and beverage servers.

A LMIA is a labour market verification process whereby Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) assesses an offer of employment to ensure that the employment of a foreign worker will not have a negative impact on the Canadian labor market. A LMIA requires employers to provide a variety of information about the position for which they want to hire a foreign worker, including the number of Canadians who applied for the position, the number of Canadians who were interviewed, and detailed explanations for why the Canadian workers considered were not hired.

Speaking before Coucil Dixon said the program is part of the long term economic goals for Moose Jaw and they are actively seeking funding for it through such programs as Western Economic Development Canada.

“While it is a great program we are doing all we can to seek funding for it.”

“There are however, concerns with the ability to fund the pilot project as a great deal of administration and organization will be involved. It is anticipated that a full-time administrator will be required for the duration of the pilot program,” the report to Council said.

Without the necessary funding Moose Jaw can withdraw from the program.

Employers who will utilize the program to find employees are not allowed to contribute to it due to a perceived conflict of interest.

As part of the process Moose Jaw is in active communication with other communities involved in the 11 community pilot program and as such it will help avoid problems other communities have faced, he said.

“When we will roll out our program here many of the committees will have worked out all of the bugs.”

Mayor Fraser Tolmie stated the pilot program was “an opportunity we fought to get to this community.”

“One of the problems local employers have is to get people to work,” Mayor Tolmie said.

RNIP is a pilot program that is attempting to not only to provide qualified workers for rural and northern areas of Canada but it is also designed to find workers and support them to remain long term in northern and rural communities. Employers will be able to select potential employees from abroad but also from students presently at Canadian post secondary institutions. There is also a component with local placement, cultural agencies and mentoring opportunities helping to integrate the newcomers and their families in the community. The Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce is also part of the local committee.

Employees will have to meet basic requirements such as employment experience, education and language skills. The communities will have the ability to recommend selected applicants to IRCC for permanent residence status.

At present many immigrants in northern and rural areas end up moving to larger urban centres such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. The program is designed to make the 11 communities, including Moose Jaw, the ‘forever homes’ of the immigrants selected.

The request for funds for the RNIP was tabled along with two other economic development initiatives (including a business retention and expansion strategy as well as a trade mission to China) in a 6 - 1 vote with Councillor Brian Swanson opposed. The initiatives will be lifted from the table for a final vote to be included in the 2020 Operating Budget at a future meeting.