Foreign Labour Provides Opportunity to Grow
Published on June 29, 2010
June 29, 2010, Medicine Hat Alberta…Faced with unique obstacles, local greenhouse growers are competing in a global marketplace with British Columbia, Ontario and Mexico; an industry poised for growth, operators require a reliable labour force to remain competitive and expand their operations. Showcasing their readiness to make a significant private investment to expand operations and create jobs, growers, supported by the Economic Development Alliance of Southeast Alberta met with Employment and Immigration Minister, Thomas Lukazuk to discuss the temporary foreign worker program.
“We’ve predicted that the demand for greenhouse products requires an additional 200 foreign workers in 2010,” said Tracy Heebner, business development officer for the Economic Development Alliance of Southeast Alberta. “Provincially there’s long term value; a more productive greenhouse industry will result in an increase of export opportunities, and as the operations see growth in terms of more acreages, there will be additional jobs created in areas such as HR and maintenance that will be attractive to Canadians.”
Most Canadians are not attracted to this work due to hot weather, repetitive tasks, and strain from bending and standing on hard surfaces; whereas foreign workers are use to these conditions, and views this as a career versus a temporary job. Long term foreign labour is also important due to the forecasted labour shortage in oil & gas. If greenhouses are currently having trouble retaining workers, they will be unable to compete for labour when the oil and gas industry increases recruitment and offers higher wages.
“Our current economic climate is masking the labour shortage anticipated for Western Canada,” said Heebner. “This could put a strain on productivity, and with experts predicting a persistent shortage over the next 20 years, it is increasingly important that greenhouse are able to get a reliable, trained and a sustainable work force.”
Tim Horton’s is currently participating in a pilot project, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP), allowing them to keep foreign employees permanently. The growers want to work alongside the province of Alberta to add their industry to a special classification of the semi skilled stream of the AINP. If growers feel confident that they will have a consistent workforce, they will expand their operations adding investment into the community. The EDA, with the help of local greenhouses produced a video showcasing the challenges faced by growers.