Today I read a report that Canada will have 700,000 tradesman/woman retire by the year 2028 and this would cause a huge shortage in the trades area.

The trades when I was a young person was the best way to have a good career which paid well for those who couldn’t afford to go to university.

These includes everything from Carpenters, to chefs, plumbers, mechanics and so on. The big problem for many is it is labour job and they rather work in an office environment. Most of the higher paying jobs need university education to get many of these positions.

Well, the point is that the trades are retiring and the need for trades to Canada is so vital. I have experienced so many companies already looking to fill trades that they cannot find skilled or even apprentices to fill these vacancies.

So, what is the solution to this. Immigration of foreign skilled workers in the trade’s fields. Many people realize that the skill level for these from overseas workers is not of the same standard here but you have to start somewhere.

I have clients from all over the world who have these skills and are skilled to 70 to 80% of the knowledge needed to fill these vacancies now and in the future.

So, whats the problem, we have a solution. Well Canadian employers can’t be bothered with the paperwork or the extra cost to bring these long term, hard working foreign nationals to Canada to fill these positions so they just whine and complain about not being able to fill these positions.

It’s time the Canadian employers start to actively look at immigration as the cure to an ongoing and only to worsen problem that we have here in Canada. Many of the individuals from overseas have these great skills and are very innovative in their abilities.

I have had multiple conversations with employers who are working with 3 or more positions that need to be filled and when you mention overseas workers they cringe and say they don’t want to pay the extra costs needed to retain overseas workers.

Cost of bringing an overseas worker to Canada under a LMIA is about $2.00 per hour over the 2-year life of the contract they are hiring them under. They are also likely able to get them at a rate lower than they are paying highly skilled trades here already so this cost is negligible.

Now they also say it takes to long to get them here. Well two responses to this. How much time have you already wasted not having someone to fill positions already not filled and how much work have you had to pass up trying to find someone to do this work already.

It’s time for Canadian employers to wake up and smell the roses. Low paying employers have been hiring foreign nationals for years to do work that Canadians don’t like to do like picking fruits or vegetable because they get it.

Our federal government knows they need for international candidates will become more and more important in the future and have increased the numbers to try and keep up with the demand going forward but employers can really make a difference.

A job offer to a foreign worker will speed up the process to get them here. Waiting for someone to do your job is not going to help you fill your shortages.

Time to take action Canadian employers. Start looking abroad and that’s where professionals who specialize in helping international candidates come to Canada to help you with your business needs come in play.

Reach out and ask that’s what we do.

#skilledworkers, #immigrationcanada,#hireinternational,#internationalcandidates