Ontario announces PNP for foreign workers

TORONTO — Ontario has joined the rest of the country in adopting a Provincial Nominee Program which helps carrier companies recruit immigrant workers to Canada.

A new Canada-Ontario immigration agreement was signed and includes the commitment to develop a pilot PNP within the next 12 months. Previously, Ontario was the only province not to have a version of a PNP, which allows employers to import truck drivers to their province from overseas, and then after a year in Canada, assists them in applying for landed immigrant status.

During the next year, Canada and Ontario will develop the terms of a Temporary Foreign Worker agreement. These programs will give Ontario the opportunity to identify newcomers who will help meet its economic priorities and labour market objectives.

Carriers in other parts of the country, including Saskatchewan and Atlantic Canada have recently been successful, for example, in bringing in a limited number of truck drivers from Europe — mainly the British Isles.

This announcement, combined with last week’s announcement that truck driving is now an apprenticeable and therefore skilled trade, could enhance the chances of truck drivers being included in the program, says the Ontario Trucking Association.

The trucking industry has one of the oldest workforces, with more that 13 percent of the drivers being over than 55 years old. A recent federal study indicated that Ontario needs 20,000 new truck drivers a year just to keep pace with economic growth and the retirement of these older drivers.

OTA President David Bradley cautions that the details still need to be worked out over the next 12 months, but says there is a growing awareness of a long-term driver shortage that is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. Bradley also cautions that even if truck drivers are included in a PNP, “it is not a slam dunk process, carriers have to seek out qualified people and make certain commitments. The floodgates are not going to open,” he says.

PNP programs have their fair share of proponents and detractors. A small handful of companies have successfully filled cab seats by importing immigrant drivers. Others say the costs of recruiting, importing, training, and retaining such drivers outweigh any potential benefits.