9 MORE SOLOMON ISLANDERS TO CANADA
Quoting the Solomon Star newspaper – 22 October 2018
Canadian labour mobility steams forward
“NINE locals from three separate provinces are heading to Canada under an arrangement that has set new records in Canada’s Labour Mobility partnership with Solomon Islands.
“Of the nine people travelling, four will be heading to Canada under the Permanent Residence stream whilst five will be admitted into Canada as Temporary Foreign Workers under Canada’s Agriculture Management arrangement where they will be issued with 24-month work permits.
“Canada’s Permanent Residence Stream has recently become an attractive feature to Solomon Islanders, the first to be made available to Solomon Islands under the Labour mobility arrangement.
“In the past year since it was launched, the Permanent Residency Stream has seen many CITREC-Guadalcanal Province graduates enter Canada under this arrangement.
“CITREC Canada chairman Ashwant Dwivedi announced that nine people will be the largest number that will be processed for Canadian visas in one day, all scheduled to arrive in one flight next week from Solomon Islands.
“We have four persons travelling under Permanent Residence Stream through provincial nomination, Permanent Residence Stream, while five others from Makira-Ulawa Province, Guadalcanal combined will be entering Canada as seasonal workers.
“We are all excited about this opportunity and the benefit it will have on the persons, their families and Solomon Islands,” Mr Dwivedi said.
“He said that this would be the first opportunity where Canada will be admitting Makira-Ulawa persons into the Labour mobility sector through seasonal employment.
“I was told that a new field reflecting the name of Makira-Ulawa province will be added to the work permit.
“This is an extremely proud moment for both the Government and People of Makira-Ulawa province and Canadian employers,” Mr Dwivedi said.
“We have one other individual who will be travelling under a different program this announcement will be made in the middle of next week,” he added.
“Mr Dwivedi said Solomon Islanders’ presence in Canada through the Permanent Residence Stream is expected to further receive a boost after the retail and food processing sector will begin to accept them into Canada in early January 2019.
“He said that a recent industry report says that Canada’s Tourism sector is already facing critical job shortages that are preventing growth in tourism and hospitality sector.
“It is being predicted that Canada’s tourism growth will be faced with severe labour shortages.
“We can’t find cooks, chefs, even line cook who can service the tourism sector.
“Canadian research predicts that spending on tourism goods and services in Canada could rise from $167 billion to more than $287 billion in 2035.
“That spending will cause the demand for labour to grow 41 per cent, from 1.6 million jobs in 2010 to 2.29 million jobs in 2035,” Mr Dwivedi said.
“He explained that with labour supply expected to grow only 25 per cent during the same period, 240,000 jobs would remain unfilled, stifling growth and impacting service in a globally competitive sector.
“This is where Solomon Islanders can help fill some of the labour shortages.
“Being trained on Canadian Education standard they will be able to enter Canadian job market job-ready,” Mr Dwivedi said.
“He added that many countries such as India, China and Philippines are some of the largest beneficiaries of Labour mobility with Canada.
“There is no reason why Solomon Islands that faces challenge of unemployment with its youth population cannot take advantage of the labour mobility opportunities that Canadian businesses present.
“We are seeking involvement of other sector such as skilled trades as well so that we can begin to supply other industries with labour as well from the Solomon Islands.
“There is no doubt that the Permanent Residence Stream has significant benefit to an individual and the members of their family who may also migrate to Canada if they meet Canada’s dependent policy.
“The opportunity is endless,” Mr Dwivedi said.
“He further said before the end of the year he anticipates that seven more members of a Guadalcanal family will be going to Canada under the Permanent Residence stream as well.
“Canada is providing our people of Solomon Islands great opportunities.
“We have also seen under permanent resident stream our people are employed as cooks, line-cooks and supervisors for multi-national businesses.
“This is proving that Solomon Islanders are Job Ready.”
“MrDwivedi said that once again Canada is displaying its commitment to immigrants and its strong presence of family reunification and Solomon Islanders are a direct beneficiary of these policies.
“Canada is not a country that will say to you that while you are in Canada working and contributing to our economy under permanent residence stream we are going to keep you away from your family.
“We are a nation that is built on the foundation of family reunification and this is a policy that I as Canadian cherish every day,” Mr Dwivedi said.
“I can confirm that the provinces of Makira-Ulawa and Malaita will soon see the same benefit of permanent resident participation as sister province Guadalcanal.”
Mr Dwivedi said that only three people from the Makira-Ulawa – CITREC program have been presently selected given a new pilot project they are conducting with a specific Canadian employer.
“Two weeks ago, Guadalcanal Province has presented Sue Tracy Didivera with her Permanent Residence Nomination document.
“Sue Tracy and two members of her family have been handed their immigration documents during a ceremony at the Guadalcanal Provincial headquarters by Premier Anthony Veke.
“Sue Tracy has accepted her employment with an international food chain restaurant where she will be employed in Canada as a Food Service Supervisor.
“I strongly welcome the news that along with the principal applicants their dependents will also be eligible to receive respective permits.
“Our partnership with CITREC is taking us to new heights," MrVeke said.
“Also accompanying Sue Tracy, who is the principal applicant, will be her husband Stephen Didivera and their dependent child Traven Savino Didivera.
“Guadalcanal becomes the leading province that is sending foreign workers into Canada under both streams of Permanent Residence nomination and as temporary skilled labourers.
“CITREC partnership with the provinces has started to open labour mobility opportunity.
“A few weeks ago, Makira- Ulawa Province officially launched its first CITREC cohort of students to advance the education and labour mobility partnership with Canada.
“Meanwhile, under the strong leadership of its Premier Stanley Siapu, the province could be sending its first workers under Canada’s Labour Mobility Partnership soon.
“In his address to the people of his province, Mr Siapu called CITREC as a “God sent opportunity and that all must embrace this and ensure that it grows to benefit our children, youths, families, relatives, communities, the province and nation as a whole.”
“Premier Siapu further added that the CITREC partnership ensures that the people of Makira-Ulawa Province get Canadian education and find employment in Canada a similar arrangement that is well evident with the people and province of Guadalcanal which is celebrating its benefit of partnership with CITREC.
“During his recent visit to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Prime Minister Rick Hou launched a new initiative with CITREC that will further strengthen the labour mobility relations between Canada and Solomon Islands.
“This new initiative introduces eligible locals to an expedited stream for Canadian Permanent Residency, which comes with permanent jobs into Canada’s Hospitality and Tourism Sector.
“It will also introduce new efforts in empowering women in Solomon Islands with 7 out of 15 Permanent Residency nominations under the pilot project.
“I am very pleased and privileged to be launching the Skills Passport Solomon Isles with CITREC a partnership that will further help Solomon Islands labour Mobility partnership with Canada.
“I must thank CITREC for the opportunity it is presenting to Solomon Islands and introducing our people to specially route to Permanent Residency,” Mr Hou said.
“He said he supports labour mobility between countries and that Canada’s Permanent Residence opportunity along with seasonal employment into agriculture, tourism and hospitality sector for his citizens is welcome news.”
Copyright @ 2018, Solomon Star news.
