Saskatchewan leads with foreign worker pilot

REGINA—You know that Saskatchewan hoteliers are understaffed when they don’t show up for a party! But that’s the reason given for a decline in the numbers of people showing up for the recent Saskatchewan Hotel and Hospitality Association (SHHA) Golf Tournament.

“Owners and managers are putting in long hours at their establishments due to the shortage and feel they cannot be away from their properties for any extended periods of time,” the association said in its July 2008 newsletter.

In Saskatchewan, more than 32,200 people – or 6.4 per cent of the provincial workforce – are employed in the foodservice industry, according to Statistics Canada. An additional 2,700 foodservice industry employees will be needed by 2015, according to labour market studies. In 2007, Saskatchewan was Canada’s fastest-growing foodservice market.
 
Recognizing the growing labour shortages in the foodservice and hospitality industries, Saskatchewan has expanded its Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) to include hotel housekeeping staff and food and beverage servers on temporary work permits.

This pilot project will make it possible for temporary foreign workers in the hospitality sector to apply for nomination for permanent residency.  To apply, the employee must have a minimum of six months of work experience with an approved employer in Saskatchewan.

To be approved for the SINP, employers will be required to meet Service Canada criteria, such as offering wages within industry norms and demonstrating that they are unable to fill the positions locally. Employers must also submit a recruitment and settlement plan.

“We’re very pleased that the provincial and federal governments are taking steps to address the acute labour shortage in foodservice and hospitality,” says Courtney Donovan, Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association’s vice president for Manitoba-Saskatchewan.
 
“We’re dealing with a people shortage, not just a skills shortage.  Programs like the one announced today contribute to continued investment and job creation by hospitality operators in Saskatchewan.”

Tom Mullin of the SHHA and Carol Lumb of the Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council (STEC) played key roles in promoting the need for a pilot project in Saskatchewan.
 
Mullin of the SHHA is pleased about the program.  “It’s very positive.  We initially wanted to get a blanket LMO (Labour Market Opinion) we could use to bring in workers to fill 60 positions, but we’re happy with this solution.”

Streamlining the LMO

SHHA is also working with Elaine Burnett of Burnett Immigration Services in Regina, who has provided the SHHA with a Critical Path for Attracting Foreign Workers. This is available to SHHA members as a resource tool for those who are considering immigration as one way to fill vacant positions in the low skilled areas of their operations.

“We have identified positions in housekeeping, banquets, catering and kitchen as the target for this initiative and we are pleased to partner with Burnett Immigration Services,” said Mullin.

Mullin noted that under the current process, one of the biggest holdups to hiring foreign workers is that if the LMO does not have all the ingredients for success, it has to go right back to the drawing board.

“We want to have our members funnel their LMOs through here, have them double checked, and then sent to Service Canada,” he said.

First Nations talks

But SHHA is not putting all its hiring eggs into the Foreign Worker basket.

“We recently attended an employment summit with First Nations in Regina.  We want to work closely with them to get something in place to get aboriginal youth interested in our business and trained to do the jobs.”

The SHHA was invited to the inaugural meeting in Regina sponsored by the File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations to promote the engagement of First Nations people in the economy.
 
Wayne McKenzie, from the Aboriginal Employment Development Program, addressed the summit and indicated that businesses in the province can get ready for aboriginal employees by acting as follows.

o    Do an audit on all job classifications within the hotel property to determine education level and training required for the position.
o    Remove any barriers that provide an unfair advantage
o    Advertise positions in First Nation publications, websites, employment offices
o    Attend a 4 hour training session that will educate employers on Aboriginal culture
o    Ensure union agreements with hotels do not impede aboriginal hiring.
o    Deal with criminal records, if present, on a case by case basis