By Kendall Roberston

Local labour shortages have organizations looking abroad

Mar 22, 2019 | 1:56 PM

PRINCE GEORGE-  It was just a few weeks ago… the provincial Minister of Citizens Services was in town, discussing a new program to attract working professionals to rural communities. The idea is to attract immigrants to those smaller communities, where they’ll start businesses, and diversify local economies. Now, two local organizations are applying for a similar federal program. Community Futures and the Societe de developpement economique de la Colombie-Britannique have both asked for the City’s support in applying for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program. That would use immigration to meet local labour market needs and support regional economic development as well as attract skilled labourers from around the world. In addition to those applications, the Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society has requested funding through the Settlement Program and Resettlement Assistance Program. That would help newcomers settle into the community and connect them to language and skills training as well as employment services. 

The applications are welcome news for local business owners, who say there is a huge shortage of workers and it’s expected to get worse in the coming years. “We will be getting some of those big jobs that are going to be in this area and they’re going to be struggling for workers, right from labourers to fully skilled people, and that will drain what we have here so it will be a domino effect,” said Allen Cruezot of Creuzot Homes & Construction Ltd. He notes there’s already a tremendous shortage of workers in all trades locally.