Human Resources 101

Information line established, seminars offered, program expanded

Edmonton … Employers considering hiring a foreign worker now have more help while navigating federal and provincial government immigration processes, thanks to several new and expanded Alberta Economic Development initiatives.

“While these new provincial government initiatives will help Alberta employers, the federal government still controls the immigration paperwork process. Bringing a foreign worker to Alberta is not easy but the new services will help guide employers along the way,” said Economic Development Minister Clint Dunford.

“We should also remember the Alberta Provincial Nominee (PN) Program is not the silver bullet solution to the labour shortage. The PN program helps the employer retain a foreign worker who wants to become a permanent resident. The Alberta nomination assists in the citizenship process but does not control the federal immigration process,” he said.

The new initiatives include the following:

Experienced Alberta Economic Development staff are available Monday to Friday to answer questions on the immigration process. Call: 1-877-427-6419 within Alberta or (780) 427-6419 outside Alberta.

Seminars will be held in Fort McMurray Nov. 20, Edmonton Nov. 28, Red Deer Nov. 29, Grande Prairie Dec. 5, Calgary Jan. 9 and Lethbridge Jan. 10. The seminars will help employers find out if hiring a foreign worker is the best solution to their staff shortage. Employers can learn how to hire foreign workers, professionals, skilled trades people and semi-skilled workers. To register call the seminar organizers Currie Communications at (780) 413-9570 or email bev@curriecom.com.

While the PN program does not directly bring in a foreign worker, it does speed up the permanent residency immigration process for a foreign worker already brought to Alberta temporarily by an employer. An application from the employer and the foreign worker with the appropriate training and experience and a guaranteed job offer from an Alberta employer, are both reviewed by Alberta PN staff who then may nominate the applicant to the federal government for processing. For further details go online to: www.alberta-canada.com/immigration.

The initiatives are part of the Alberta Government’s Building and Educating Tomorrow’s Workforce, a strategy structured around the four themes of informing, attracting, developing and retaining the workforce. These three new initiatives are aimed at informing employers and attracting workers. For more information on the strategy contact Alberta Human Resources and Employment online at: www.hre.gov.ab.ca/betw

New services help an employer understand the rules on bringing a foreign worker to Alberta.