A federal government initiative aims at easing and speeding along the process for companies to bring high-skilled, temporary workers to Canada, but one expert on innovation policy says the measure doesn't provide the long-term recruitment solutions Canadian businesses need.
The Global Talent Stream, part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, is available to employers who meet one of two criteria.
Employers with a need for foreign workers with specific skills in order to grow their business can be referred to the program by designated partner organizations of Employment and Social Development Canada.
The Global Talent Stream program is also open to companies that need skilled foreign workers with specific in-demand skills, as determined by the ministry. The list includes high-tech occupations such as software engineers, web developers and digital media designers.
However, at least one commentator says the Global Talent Stream fails to solve a long-term recruiting problem for Canadian businesses, saying Canadian high-tech firms need "high-level, seasoned managers and high-level, specific R&D workers."
What Canadian firms need is not something short-term, but instead, Ottawa could focus on repatriating high-skilled Canadians who were educated here but left to pursue work abroad.
Government news releases say eligible employers will have their applications to the Global Talent Stream prioritized, and offshore workers applying to those employers will get their work permits processed within two weeks. Immediate family members of those skilled workers will also be eligible for faster processing.
