Canada hopes its new global skills strategy will attract highly specialized professionals from India and elsewhere who will contribute to the growth of Canadian companies, according to a senior Canadian minister.
Canada has launched the Global Skills Strategy aimed at facilitating faster access to top global talent for the firms committed to bring new skills to the country and create jobs.
“We are very proud of our thriving Indian community in Canada…We have a thriving Indian community in Canada that is widespread across all provinces and they contribute in many different ways so we anticipate that this will be no different,” Canadian Minister of Employment, Workforce Development & Labour Patty Hajdu said.
Hajdu said she anticipates companies in her country will be able to recruit talent from India under the new strategy if the professionals meet the requirements of the firms and will help contribute to their growth.
“Certainly if companies find an employee in India that fits the specifications of what they need, we anticipate that more Indian people will come to Canada,” she added.
Hajdu, who was here to participate in the Commission on the Status of Women session at the UN, said the Global Talent Stream will help Canadian companies, particularly those that are experiencing high growth, find extremely skilled labour and talent.
She said if companies in the technology sector and other sectors are able to get professionals with very specialised skills, they will go on to create more Canadian jobs.
“I would anticipate that there may be that kind of talent in India. This strategy is driven by the corporations and companies,” she said, adding companies will have to find the specific talent they need whether in India, Europe or the US.
The initiative by Canada to draw global talent comes at a time when the US is tightening its immigration policies under the “America First” priority of the Trump administration.
Hajdu said Canada has always valued the contribution of immigrants to the country.
“We are a country that values diversity because we know that diversity actually creates strong cohesive societies and creates economic growth and that diversity is critical for innovation,” she said.
She, however, emphasised that Canada is focused on ensuring that its citizens have good jobs but is also aware that sometimes the talent that it needs in specific sectors is not available in the volume locally that it needs to be.
“We know that when we remain open to possibilities of reaching into other countries for talent and finding individuals that want to come to Canada and then companies use that talent to create great jobs for Canadians, this is a win win situation,” she said.
Hajdu said Canada has always been a very open country that has seen waves of immigration from a number of different countries. “This (global skills initiative) is no different. This is about us responding to the needs that the companies have to recruit the best and the brightest,” she said.
“We are very focused in growing the middle class, making sure that we have a strong economy. We are responding to the concerns of the corporate sector in making business easier for these companies,” she added.
Under the new initiative, once the company will identify specific person or positions it needs to fill, it will work closely with Canadian authorities, she said, adding that her agency is committed to ensuring that immigration gives the work permit within 10 days, much faster than the previous 7-10 months depending on the situation.
It will also be ensured that the companies do their due diligence to make sure Canadians are first approached and hired if they meet the requirements, she added.
The new initiative is aimed to help high-growth Canadian companies attract the specialized global talent they need to innovate and grow by providing a faster and more predictable streamlined service.
It will also assist Canadian firms in filling in-demand occupations where there is a demonstrated gap in the Canadian labour market.
Under the new stream, a Global Talent List of eligible high-demand occupations is being developed in consultation with labour market experts and key stakeholders.
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