Nick Noorani Website

If you haven’t noticed, demographics in B.C. are changing. A new Statistics Canada report says that by 2031, 25- 28 per cent of the population could be foreign-born. Population growth from immigration is estimated to be between seven to 10 per cent of the population, or 2.3-3.3 million. Also, by 2031, it’s expected that 59 per cent of Vancouverites will be visible minorities — some immigrants, some born here.

Interestingly, this report comes at the same time as a report from TD Bank that says seven million baby boomers are set to retire in the next two decades, which accounts for more than one-third of Canada’s labour force. The report says Canadian employers will be hard-pressed to find skilled workers as the labour force shrinks. And, seeing as the residential construction industry is an instrumental force in B.C.’s economy, it’s no stretch to say the housing industry will be hit hard by labour shortages.

This isn’t exactly surprising news. Before the economic downturn, the cry about labour shortages in every field from construction to trades was heard loud and clear. But the recession put that discussion of labour shortages on hold for a while, as companies faced layoffs. But, like any demographic trend, that was a short-term situation in a long-term problem.

While Canadian post-secondary institutions and apprenticeship programs are doing their best to entice the next generation of builders, electricians, plumbers and so on, and training them very well to boot, the reality is that the numbers just aren’t there.

To make a long, meandering story short, this is where immigration comes in. More than 250,000 immigrants land each year, and many of them are highly skilled professionals and workers that can fill these shortages. But they are often faced with numerous barriers to employment and settlement. Some need to improve their English; some need help in understanding Canadian ways and workplace culture; some simply face discrimination.

Nevertheless, most immigrants come here with hopes and dreams to make Canada their new home, and want to work hard, make use of their skills and succeed personally and professionally.

Unfortunately, until a couple of years ago, Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s emphasis was on bringing in highly skilled professionals, many in regulated fields, who ended up driving taxi cabs or mopping floors because the barriers to getting relicensed or hired in Canada were too great. Things are improving in this regard, and the Immigration department is also paying closer attention to who it brings in. In 2008, the department consulted with stakeholders across the country and created a national occupations list of jobs facing labour shortages. The idea was that immigrant applicants in these fields would be the ones who get into Canada.

Today, as the economic recovery gains momentum, the department is launching a new set of consultations to re-identify Canada’s newest emerging labour market needs.

The consultations will be held with national and regional stakeholders, provinces and territories and the general public until April 16, 2010. If you wish to provide input, visit the online consultation www.cic.sondages-surveys. ca/s/cons-p/langen.

Even though there’s effort being made to choose the right immigrants to meet our labour needs, note that the job of integrating these immigrants isn’t done. The numbers clearly indicate that hiring immigrants and visible minorities will no longer be much of an option, so it behoves employers and industry professionals to find ways to incorporate diversity into your company well. I admit that having staff from various cultural backgrounds is not without its challenges. But workplace diversity will be a given, and employers will need to start understanding the necessity of adapting to different cultures in all spheres of their working environment.

With the housing industry only set to grow, it makes little business sense to ignore this latent pool of workers. Immigration must be seen as an opportunity, not an obstacle. And, as Canadians, it’s important for us to ensure that, as our country grows, no one is excluded from this growth or left behind.