The mayor of Prince Albert says it is tough to find workers in the city.
Greg Dionne was commenting on a recent Globe and Mail story that indicated a number of Prince Albert businesses are relying on the temporary foreign workers program to fill jobs rather than hire locally.
Dionne says he does not believe this to be the case.
Instead, he says the problem is people – both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal – are not applying for entry-level jobs
“I know quite a few businesses advertise all the time and just so you know it’s not just Aboriginals not applying, they are not getting anyone applying and so that is why some employers had to look for foreign workers to at least make their workforce and their business stable,” he says.
It is now also tougher to hire a temporary foreign worker.
There are more restrictions in place and the application fee has increased from $275 to $1,000.
Dionne says he sees the large Aboriginal population as an untapped resource but adds there has been tremendous progress over the last 25 years and this progress needs to continue.