As a way to address the shortage of skilled workers in the Canadian province of British Columbia, the Canadian government has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippines. This way announced by the Canadian Ministry of Economic Development yesterday.

The labor agreement was signed by Canadian Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen and Labor Secretary Arturo Brion. The agreement seeks to strengthen relations between British Columbia (BC) employers and Philippine recruiters. The agreement will cater to the employment needs of Canadian companies who are in the tourism and hospitality, retail and construction business. Minister Hansen said that," To maintain this momentum, we need to attract 30,000 workers per year with specific skills from outside British Columbia."

Secretary Brion said that the labor agreement will back up "the opening of a new chapter of sharing Filipino labor with other countries through contract migration." The Philippines is the third largest source country for immigrants to British Columbia. They are looking to attract temporary or permanent immigrants in areas where they have labor shortages.

The Canadian Ministry of Economic Development revealed that the labor agreement is a commitment under WorkBC which is a provincial action plan to address skills shortages in the Canadian province. More than a million job openings are expected for the next 12 years and meeting the labor needs will be a challenge.