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US workers plug Alberta gap
Alberta is developing a growing two-way bond with the United States, shipping oil and natural gas south of the border and bringing American workers into the province to keep the resource sector operating.
A four-year pilot project started in 2012 by the Alberta government has already seen almost 900 highly skilled Americans help plug some of Alberta’s 50,000 unfilled jobs that are expected to reach 120,000 within a decade.
“The Alberta government has been really farsighted in implementing accelerated programs to recognize skills,” said Laura Dawson, author of Conference Board of Canada report.
She also credited labor unions “which have been instrumental in helping get foreign skills from the United States recognized,” even though the North American Free Trade Agreement does not allow mutual recognition between Canada and the U.S. for regulated trades and professions.
Temporary certification But, on a temporary basis, Canadian unions can certify the skills of an American worker, who have comparable training and experience, while unions that co-exist across the border can help facilitate the entry of Americans into Canada, the study said.
However, Dawson said a permanent solution to Canada’s looming labor crunch requires building a domestic workforce.
Alberta Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk said that although hiring Canadian workers is cheaper and more practical, the province currently has 70,000 temporary foreign workers, which points to the severe labor shortage.
The Alberta government said work permits issued under the pilot program from July 2012 to August 2013 were: Steamfitter-pipefitters 721 (320 from the U.S.), welders 967 (U.S. 177), ironworkers 453 (U.S. 355), carpenters 154 (U.S. 12), estimators 81 (U.S. 22) and heavy-duty equipment mechanics 92 (U.S. eight).
—Gary Park
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