ARCHIVED – Speaking notes for The Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P. Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism

At a news conference to announce a new Federal Skilled Trades Stream

Mississauga, Ontario
December 10, 2012

As delivered

Good morning.

My name is Jason Kenney. I’m the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. 

First of all, I want to sincerely apologize to those of you who have been waiting for me.  I was supposed to arrive on a flight two hours ago, but we had very bad weather in Ottawa and an equipment failure and, alas, I couldn’t fly down here on my own steam. 

We are in a plant that manufactures equipment for airplanes, Cyclone MFG Incorporated, and I’d like to thank Andrew Sochaj for his warm welcome, as well my colleague, the Member of Parliament for this area, Mr. Wladyslaw Lizon, for being here.

I have many other friends here who are involved in business and employing tradesmen, including my friend Mario Cortellucci, and I know there will be other guests introduced after I speak. 

Thank you for your patience, for what is a very important announcement – a historic announcement for Canada’s immigration program.  As you know, our government launched fundamental reforms to Canada’s immigration system, as part of our Economic Action Plan. 

These are designed to improve the economic results that we get from immigration, to increase incomes for newcomers to ensure their successful integration into Canadian society, and to ensure that newcomers can arrive and work at their skill level when they get to Canada and fully contribute to our nation’s productivity.

For too long, too many newcomers to Canada have struggled to get by, paradoxically, in an economy that is facing large and growing labour shortages in many regions and industries.  Some of those most acute labour shortages are in the skilled trades, amongst those men and women who are highly trained and who typically work with their hands, bringing highly developed technical skills to actually making things in our economy. 

But, for the last three or four decades, as we have seen it, it has been virtually impossible for skilled tradespeople to immigrate to Canada through our skilled worker program, because it placed emphasis on academic training and formal post-secondary education, meaning that only 3 percent of selected skilled workers were trained in skilled trades.

And yet, according to all of the experts, we have acute shortages in the skilled trades.  According to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, they are estimating that, over the next decade, there will be a shortage of up to 163,000 construction workers, 130,000 oil workers and tens of thousands of skilled tradespeople. 

And, indeed, I was just speaking to the owner of the company where we are, Cyclone Manufacturing, Mr. Sochaj, who said that he has some 400 employees here and he is constantly searching to recruit and hire new tradesmen.  He’s looking for 20 right now. 

Just the other day, I was speaking to the head of one of Canada’s largest manufacturing companies who told me they have 17,000 employees in Canada, but are facing an acute shortage of skilled tradesmen. These shortages exist even here in Toronto, and right across the country.  I was in North Bay, Ontario, the other day and the mining companies that are developing a huge commodities boom with the Ring of Fire mining developments in Ontario are desperate for skilled tradesmen, as are the skilled trades right across the country. 

Now, of course, it is essential that governments do everything they can to help train up unemployed or underemployed Canadians for the jobs that are available in our economy.  Canadians must always come first when it comes to searching for people to fill skilled shortages.  And there are large groups within our population who are facing disproportionally high levels of unemployment, like young Canadians and Aboriginals, and we need to do more to help get them to gainful employment. 

This is an important responsibility of the provincial governments – to invest more in vocational training, in apprenticeship programs and in skills training.  It’s also the responsibility of employers to invest in apprenticeships and training.  But, even though many employers and provinces have substantially increased their investment in skills training and apprenticeships, we are still facing these acute shortages. 

That is why today we are announcing a fundamental change in Canada’s immigration policy.  For the first time in four decades, as of January 2, 2013, we will have a dedicated immigration stream in our federal immigration program for skilled tradesmen; people who are skilled to work with their hands and people who will be able to contribute enormously to Canada’s economy.  I am very pleased to announce that we are fulfilling a commitment made in our Economic Action Plan and, as of January 2, 2013, we will begin accepting applications under the newly-created Federal Skilled Trades Program.

We will prioritize practical training and work experience in that program rather than just formal education.  This will make it much easier for in-demand tradespersons to come to Canada. In order to apply, candidates will need to meet the following four requirements. 

First, they will either need to have a job offer in Canada or obtain a certificate of qualification from a province or territory, which ensures that they can work in their trade upon arrival. 

Secondly, applicants will need to have a minimum of two years of work experience as a skilled tradesman. 

Third, as part of their work experience, applicants will need to demonstrate that they’ve already performed the duties necessary to work in their skilled trade in Canada. 

And fourth, all applicants will need to demonstrate that they meet a basic language benchmark. 

I emphasize basic, because many skilled tradespeople overseas don’t have academic post-secondary education, and haven’t had the opportunity to perfect English or French language skills. They would, therefore, not normally qualify for the skilled worker points grid. That’s why we are lowering the language benchmark for tradesmen to a basic level, enough so that they can safely work in the Canadian environment and have enough English or French to integrate, but we do not require high levels of proficiency in this program. 

Now, as you know, our government is also taking steps to tackle backlogs in our immigration system and make our immigration system fast and flexible, and responsive to the labour market.  In order to ensure this happens, we have to manage the intake of applications and avoid backlogs to ensure fast processing times. That’s why the government, in the initial year for this program, will only accept up to 3,000 applications in the first year of the Federal Skilled Trades Program.  But, I emphasize, we anticipate it will grow.

When we started the Canadian Experience Class, the new program that allows high-skilled temporary workers and foreign students to stay in Canada in 2008, we only got 2,500 applications the first year.  This year, we’re getting 10,000. So it takes time for these programs to develop steam and we expect that 2013 will be a trial year, as we receive the initial applications and I hope to move the numbers up after that. Eligible occupations will include electricians, welders, heavy duty equipment mechanics and pipe fitters, amongst others.  The list of qualified trades will be announced prior to the program opening on January 2nd. 

And so, in closing, I’m really excited.  This is something that I have been working on for the four years that I’ve been Immigration Minister. I have been hearing from Canadians who say ‘what about those who came to this country in the 50’s and 60’s who had construction trades and skilled trades? Why won’t we let them come to Canada anymore?’ 

And then I heard from employers desperately crying out for skilled tradespeople, to help them fuel their expansion, their growth and our economy’s prosperity.  And that’s why we’re making these changes today. 

This is about having an immigration system that works for Canada, works for our economy, works for newcomers, and fuels our long-term growth and prosperity.

Thanks very much

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