The federal government has announced a pilot program designed to reduce administrative burden for employers seeking to hire Temporary Foreign Workers.
The Recognized Employer Pilot is a response to the labour shortage in Canada, the government said, and aims to give qualified employers a faster path to hiring TFWs through the existing federal program.
A fast track could allow the perennially labour-strapped agriculture sector to fill employment gaps faster, industry organizations say.
To qualify for the pilot, employers will be subject to assessments of their history and track record with the TFW program. Employers must have at least three positive Labour Market Impact Assessments for the desired occupation over the last five years, proving their need for TFWs to fill the role due to lack of Canadian citizens or permanent residents able or willing to take the job.
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Market impact assessments for recognized employers will be valid for up to 36 months.
The pilot also has a stated aim to create safer working environments for TFWs. The government has said it will be open specifically to employers who have demonstrated compliance with the federal program in the past.
Industry welcomes move
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture commended the announcement in an Aug. 10 press release, calling it a move they have “…advocated for over many years.”
“Many farmers across Canada have been unable to recruit Canadian workers for years,” said president Keith Currie in the statement. “As a result, they are reliant on temporary foreign workers to address these chronic shortages for in-demand occupations, many of them working with the same people for years, if not decades, on end.”
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages Randy Boissonnault said the pilot will reduce red tape for employers “who demonstrate the highest level of protection for workers” and will make it easier for them to fill jobs.
Also in support of the news was the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council, which called it “…a crucial step toward addressing labour shortages by simplifying the hiring process for repeat Temporary Foreign Worker Program employers.”
“This pilot program is an important step toward ensuring that the sector remains one of Canada’s largest employers and continues to grow the Canadian economy,” read an Aug. 9 news release from the council.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay also weighed in.
“It is vital that Canadian employers, including farmers and food processors, are able to hire the workers who are critical to food production and food security in Canada,” he said.
