Hong Kongese
Oct 9, 2008, 4:19 AM
40,000 workers wanted
Wed, October 08 2008
Following meetings in Manila this week with Canadian officials, The Philippines is poised to deploy as many as 40,000 overseas Filipino workers to Western Canada, each year.
At a high-level meeting in the Philippine capital’s business centre of Makati, Alberta Ministry of Employment and Immigration Minister Hector Goudreau and Philippine Labour Secretary Marianito Roque signed a Memorandum of Agreement outlining a partnership for cooperation in the recruitment and deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to address Alberta’s labour shortage.
Roque said he is looking at sending as many as 40,000 OFWs every year to Alberta and three other Canadian provinces with which the Philippines recently forged similar labour migration agreements — British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
The agreements will expedite the approval of employment of OFWs, provide programs for Filipinos working in Canada, promote equitable recruitment and employment practices, establish human resources development programs and create standards for credential recognition.
“The Philippines has been a significant contributor to the economic success of Alberta as a major source of workers to the province,” said Goudreau, whose province last year welcomed 6,000 OFWs. “This agreement is about working with the Philippine government to ensure Filipino workers understand what skills are in demand, and about protecting the interests of workers coming here.” Alberta Ministry of Employment and Immigration spokesperson Janet Schroeder told The Filipino Post that Alberta has identified over 30 different job categories that need filling immediately.
“We have a number of sectors that we’ve identified, particularly in engineering, construction and health care,” she said.
“These agreements will ensure that workers are well and fairly treated when they’re here and ensure that workers have good information before they come here.”
As Philippine and Canadian officials meet this week to dot the i’s and cross the t’s on a slew of new international labour agreements, B.C. also stands to benefit from the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) it signed with The Philippines in late January.
Philippine Labor Secretary Roque met at the weekend with Mike Carter, assistant deputy minister of the B.C. Ministry of Technology, Trade, and Economic Development, as well as Mark Gillis, executive director of Canada’s Labor Market Development.
Roque said the two countries will collaborate on a pilot recruitment project wherein three Canadian companies will interview applicants already pre-screened by Philippine-licensed agencies based on the qualifications set by the employers.
According to the Philippines Department of Labour and Employment, among workers needed by the Canadian employers are hotel workers, food counter attendants, and long-haul drivers.
The priority concerns for discussion include: recruitment procedures, employment contracts, a B.C.-specific orientation package for OFWs, identification of skills requirements, criteria for employers and sending agencies, and human resource development mechanisms.
Meanwhile, B.C. is hosting a “job fair” in Manila this week, where over 150 workers are expected to be recruited, mostly in the hospitality sector and construction trades in the lead up to the 2010 Olympic Games.
A Canadian team led by Michael Chew, manager of the Provincial Nominee Program, is conducting briefings on the B.C. nominee program for participating recruitment agencies and applicants.
The team is also scheduled to visit the TESDA Women Center in Taguig City, the hospitality department of the Lyceum of the Philippines in Intramuros, and the Department of Trade and Industry in Makati City.
Vancouver’s Bernardino Julve, the consular officer in charge of the Philippine Overseas Labour Office for Western Canada, has also been dispatched to Manila this week to monitor the activation of the western province’s various labour agreements, as well as the B.C-Philippine job fair.
Additionally, Manitoba is sending a recruitment team for nurses to Manila in November, while Saskatchewan has agreed to extend the two-year MOU it signed two years ago with the Philippine government. Saskatchewan has already been on four recruitment missions to Manila, three for nurses. Another is scheduled for November.
Also in November, representatives from The Philippines and the World Health Organization will be arriving in Saskatoon (Nov. 12-14) for a seminar entitled “Enriching our Worlds – A Meeting of the Minds on Workforce Migration.”
Aside from the recruitment of OFWs, Roque said Canadian employers are also finalizing the details on setting up of training programs in The Philippines for Filipinos destined for Canada.
“They are willing to invest in the Philippines for the continued training for the availability of the Filipino workers to upgrade their skills,” explained Roque, adding the programs are expected to be up and running within three months.
Roque also said that illegal recruiters will have no place in the new employment programs forged with Canada.
In a radio interview, he said the Canadian employers included in the employment agreements will not require Filipino applicants to pay a placement fee – thus reducing, if not eliminating, cases of abusive illegal recruitment.
While Alberta as an “immediate need” for 10,000 Filipino workers, Alberta officials said they have a shortage of 30,000 workers for their oil and gas industry.
Janet Schroeder said that over the next decade, Alberta will be short 100,000 workers as the shrinking population continues to age.
She said Employment and Immigration Minister Hector Goudreau is also going to Australia, China and Korea in his hunt for qualified workers for Alberta.
“Alberta has a lot to offer,” said Schroeder. “We offer comparatively high wages, high quality of life and welcoming communities.”
For qualified Filipinos, the wages are excellent, said Philippine Labour Secretary Roque.
He said that workers who qualify for work in Alberta will receive a monthly salary of $6,000 for highly skilled welders and $3,800 for pipe fitters. He said the amount is much higher than the salary offered for welders and pipe fitters deployed in Saudi Arabia, which ranges between US$300 to US$500.
But Roque clarified that the agreements do not facilitate applications for residency in Canada, adding these were only meant to expedite the processing of contracts for those who want to work in Canada.
By Mata Press Service
Wed, October 08 2008
Following meetings in Manila this week with Canadian officials, The Philippines is poised to deploy as many as 40,000 overseas Filipino workers to Western Canada, each year.
At a high-level meeting in the Philippine capital’s business centre of Makati, Alberta Ministry of Employment and Immigration Minister Hector Goudreau and Philippine Labour Secretary Marianito Roque signed a Memorandum of Agreement outlining a partnership for cooperation in the recruitment and deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to address Alberta’s labour shortage.
Roque said he is looking at sending as many as 40,000 OFWs every year to Alberta and three other Canadian provinces with which the Philippines recently forged similar labour migration agreements — British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
The agreements will expedite the approval of employment of OFWs, provide programs for Filipinos working in Canada, promote equitable recruitment and employment practices, establish human resources development programs and create standards for credential recognition.
“The Philippines has been a significant contributor to the economic success of Alberta as a major source of workers to the province,” said Goudreau, whose province last year welcomed 6,000 OFWs. “This agreement is about working with the Philippine government to ensure Filipino workers understand what skills are in demand, and about protecting the interests of workers coming here.” Alberta Ministry of Employment and Immigration spokesperson Janet Schroeder told The Filipino Post that Alberta has identified over 30 different job categories that need filling immediately.
“We have a number of sectors that we’ve identified, particularly in engineering, construction and health care,” she said.
“These agreements will ensure that workers are well and fairly treated when they’re here and ensure that workers have good information before they come here.”
As Philippine and Canadian officials meet this week to dot the i’s and cross the t’s on a slew of new international labour agreements, B.C. also stands to benefit from the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) it signed with The Philippines in late January.
Philippine Labor Secretary Roque met at the weekend with Mike Carter, assistant deputy minister of the B.C. Ministry of Technology, Trade, and Economic Development, as well as Mark Gillis, executive director of Canada’s Labor Market Development.
Roque said the two countries will collaborate on a pilot recruitment project wherein three Canadian companies will interview applicants already pre-screened by Philippine-licensed agencies based on the qualifications set by the employers.
According to the Philippines Department of Labour and Employment, among workers needed by the Canadian employers are hotel workers, food counter attendants, and long-haul drivers.
The priority concerns for discussion include: recruitment procedures, employment contracts, a B.C.-specific orientation package for OFWs, identification of skills requirements, criteria for employers and sending agencies, and human resource development mechanisms.
Meanwhile, B.C. is hosting a “job fair” in Manila this week, where over 150 workers are expected to be recruited, mostly in the hospitality sector and construction trades in the lead up to the 2010 Olympic Games.
A Canadian team led by Michael Chew, manager of the Provincial Nominee Program, is conducting briefings on the B.C. nominee program for participating recruitment agencies and applicants.
The team is also scheduled to visit the TESDA Women Center in Taguig City, the hospitality department of the Lyceum of the Philippines in Intramuros, and the Department of Trade and Industry in Makati City.
Vancouver’s Bernardino Julve, the consular officer in charge of the Philippine Overseas Labour Office for Western Canada, has also been dispatched to Manila this week to monitor the activation of the western province’s various labour agreements, as well as the B.C-Philippine job fair.
Additionally, Manitoba is sending a recruitment team for nurses to Manila in November, while Saskatchewan has agreed to extend the two-year MOU it signed two years ago with the Philippine government. Saskatchewan has already been on four recruitment missions to Manila, three for nurses. Another is scheduled for November.
Also in November, representatives from The Philippines and the World Health Organization will be arriving in Saskatoon (Nov. 12-14) for a seminar entitled “Enriching our Worlds – A Meeting of the Minds on Workforce Migration.”
Aside from the recruitment of OFWs, Roque said Canadian employers are also finalizing the details on setting up of training programs in The Philippines for Filipinos destined for Canada.
“They are willing to invest in the Philippines for the continued training for the availability of the Filipino workers to upgrade their skills,” explained Roque, adding the programs are expected to be up and running within three months.
Roque also said that illegal recruiters will have no place in the new employment programs forged with Canada.
In a radio interview, he said the Canadian employers included in the employment agreements will not require Filipino applicants to pay a placement fee – thus reducing, if not eliminating, cases of abusive illegal recruitment.
While Alberta as an “immediate need” for 10,000 Filipino workers, Alberta officials said they have a shortage of 30,000 workers for their oil and gas industry.
Janet Schroeder said that over the next decade, Alberta will be short 100,000 workers as the shrinking population continues to age.
She said Employment and Immigration Minister Hector Goudreau is also going to Australia, China and Korea in his hunt for qualified workers for Alberta.
“Alberta has a lot to offer,” said Schroeder. “We offer comparatively high wages, high quality of life and welcoming communities.”
For qualified Filipinos, the wages are excellent, said Philippine Labour Secretary Roque.
He said that workers who qualify for work in Alberta will receive a monthly salary of $6,000 for highly skilled welders and $3,800 for pipe fitters. He said the amount is much higher than the salary offered for welders and pipe fitters deployed in Saudi Arabia, which ranges between US$300 to US$500.
But Roque clarified that the agreements do not facilitate applications for residency in Canada, adding these were only meant to expedite the processing of contracts for those who want to work in Canada.
By Mata Press Service
