Prince Edward Island reps head overseas to solve labour crunch

CHARLOTTETOWN—Prince Edward Island government representatives are not willing to wait for workers to come to them, they are going after the workers.
In February, staff in the office of development and technology minister Richard Brown visited Edinburgh, London, Belfast and Utrecht in an effort to solve the province’s labour shortage.

Jeannie Pitts, manager of immigration promotion, recruitment and integration within the Population Secretariat, a newly established ministry department, has taken three trips overseas to find English-speaking staff. 

She said while her department’s past recruitment trips were focused on finding staff to work in the information technology, aerospace, bioscience and long-haul trucking industries, she has added tourism operators and restaurants to the list.

“We have recently heard of the shortage of workers in the hospitality industry,” Pitts said. “Within the hospitality industry, we are talking about year-round or seasonal jobs.”

Pitts said the department is interested in hearing from employers in need of staff in order to address the labour shortage plaguing the province. 

While the jobs Pitts looks to fill must be full-time and permanent, there are other programs employers can access if they require seasonal workers.

In order to hire a full time staff member, an employer must fill out a Labour Market Opinion, outlining why staff is not available locally to fill the position
When that has been accepted, the employer interviews the prospective employee over the phone. If a written job offer is made, the employee then applies for a work permit, a process that can take four to six weeks. When the permit is issued, the staff member can start work.

There is no extra cost to an employer if they hire someone on full-time whereas an employer hiring on a seasonal basis must cover the cost of airfare and provide the employee with a place to live.

Over the last two years of the program’s existence, Pitts said they have managed to attract between 18 and 20 families to Prince Edward Island because of the overseas recruitment missions.

“We are hoping to double that in the next few months. In Prince Edward Island as a whole we have increased our immigrant numbers threefold,” Pitts said.

In 2007 alone, 1,000 immigrants made the Island their home, primarily from China, Japan, Taiwan, Iran and Germany.

Pitts said it is taking time to convince the Island’s employers that they are facing a serious staffing crisis as people leave for more lucrative jobs in other parts of Canada.

“We do have a labour shortage and this is a step they have to take. We’ve been preaching this message for a year.”

To those in the hospitality industry, Pitts said, “You need to come to us and let us know your needs.”

Companies looking for staff can search the Prince Edward Island Business Directory to get in touch with potential candidates.

In the past, some PEI employers have been burned by overseas agencies promising workers and not delivering, Pitts said, stressing it is safer to go through proper government channels to find staff.