Blueprint for Nation Building
CALGARY, October 10, 2006 — Canada’s future
prosperity will depend upon its ability to supplement its
aging workforce by more effectively utilizing its current
and future human capital, according to Gordon Nixon, president
and chief executive officer of RBC Financial Group.
Nixon, who was the keynote speaker at an event for the Immigrant
Access Fund in Calgary, said, “We can no longer view
immigration as a temporary employment agency. We need to start
looking at immigration as a blueprint for nation-building,
and we must find the right balance between social justice
and economic need.”
In his speech entitled “Building a Nation: Canada’s
Immigrant & Diversity Imperative,” Nixon used the
example of labour shortages in Calgary and the rest of Alberta
as a wake-up call for the entire country. In his remarks he
discussed the need for smart social planning and an adequate
infrastructure to make sure that new Canadians and future
immigrants are able to maximize their potential and be part
of Canada’s success in the global marketplace.
“We require a coordinated strategy for dealing with
our labour challenges,” Nixon added. “We must do
a better job of inventorying the skills we need, now and in
the future. We must do a better job at developing the right
policies and programs so that we can find these people and
make sure they choose Canada as their home. And we must also
make sure we have the programs and environment where the people
we attract can live up to their potential.”
Nixon characterized Canada as being in a global war for talent
and stressed the need to attract the brightest and the best
such as scientists, entrepreneurs and engineers, emphasizing
that Canada cannot just sit and wait for people with the right
skills to come here.
While Canada welcomes about 240,000 immigrants every year,
the country’s labour force will stop growing in about
10 years – which is why RBC went on record last year,
saying that Canada should raise its immigration targets.
However, according to Nixon, simply increasing our immigration
levels won’t solve the problem. “We need smart social
planning to make sure that future immigrants are properly
welcomed, housed and educated and that they are integrated
quickly into our workplaces, marketplaces and economy, so
that they contribute to economic growth and enhance overall
prosperity.”
Nixon has repeatedly called for the recognition of foreign
credentials, language training and settlement programs, as
well as mentoring and internship programs to provide immigrants
with Canadian work experience.
“While governments and NGOs have an important role to
play, business has to pick up the ball as well —but so
far we’ve been dropping it,” said Nixon. By their
own admission, many Canadian companies say that they overlook
immigrants in their human resource planning; don’t hire
immigrants at the level at which they were trained; and have
trouble integrating recent immigrants into the workforce.
The need to attract talented immigrants will play a key role,
as economists predict that Calgary is facing a shortfall of
as many as 90,000 workers over the next five years, and The
Conference Board indicates that by 2025, the shortage across
the province will be well over 300,000. With Alberta receiving
almost twice as many immigrants as it did ten years ago –
around 20,000 – and the majority moving to Calgary, Alberta
is a microcosm of a trend that is being seen nationwide: an
aging population and a record-low birth rate.
For a copy of Nixon’s speech, please visit www.rbc.com/newsroom.
More information on the Immigrant Access Fund can be found
at www.iafcanada.org.
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Media contact:
Diana Ward, (403) 292-3372
Beja Rodeck, (416) 974-5506
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