Employers in British Columbia are bracing themselves for more worker shortages, with nearly 50 projects on the go, most of which are in the billion-dollar range.

Business experts say that by 2020, the province will see about a million new jobs created in construction and operation of these projects. Though employers will certainly be looking at B.C. residents to fill those positions, they are also prepping for the likelihood that outside recruitment will be necessary.

“[T]he reality of it is, if we look at the projects that we’ve got going here in British Columbia, there will be a continued need and demand for access to temporary labour both from across Canada and from outside our borders,” said B.C. deputy job minister Dave Byng in a recent Vancouver talk. “And so you’ll most certainly see the province speaking from that perspective and working hard to ensure … access to temporary foreign workers.”

Immigration Minister Chris Alexander says that his government is prepared to provide the support B.C. businesses will need moving forward, pointing to the new Expression of Interest program in particular.

The Expression of Interest program, scheduled to launch next year, will allow employers to select workers from a pool of skilled worker applicants, giving them a much more proactive role in Canada’s immigration system.

“Those with a job offer,” said Alexander, “will have an almost automatic claim to our immigration system.”

Source: Vancouver Sun