Foreign workers welcome and needed in region
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality Economic Development & Tourism Officer, Jaylene Arnold puts the case for local businesses in a letter to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Temporary Foreign Workers Program Service Canada.
“Fort Nelson and the Northern Rockies remains a service centre and business hub for the continued discovery, expansion, and development of shale gas in the Horn River, Liard, and Cordova Basins in Northeastern British Columbia.
“Growth in the region and growth in our community is ongoing and inevitable. While the oil and gas sector thrives, the service sector does as well. The accommodations sector in our community continues to expand as demand persists for short- and medium-term accommodations.
“With the Northeast having the second lowest unemployment rates in the Province in 2013, the availability of both skilled and unskilled workers to fill vacancies is difficult to source and attract both intra and extra-provincially. The dichotomy in salaries and wages, between the oil and gas sector and hospitality and retail, is staggering.
“The ability of both small businesses and franchises alike to recruit and retain workers for the hospitality and retail sector poses many challenges. An extremely competitive job market for skilled and non-skilled labour means that turnover is high and those looking for other opportunities have multiple employment choices, driving wage expectations beyond what is achievable in an industry with marginal room for negotiation.
“The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality fully supports our accommodation, hospitality, and retail sectors and the measures they take to ensure that they can meet the needs of our growing economy and continue to enhance their services as a result. For a number of members of our local business community, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program has been a tremendous resource in ensuring that operations can continue and that the services offered remain at a standard they have worked hard to maintain.
“Finally, with the inclusion of the Northern Rockies in the Provincial Nominee Program, many of those that have relocated to Fort Nelson for employment now find themselves well into the Process of becoming a permanent resident – an option much more difficult to pursue otherwise.”
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