Skilled foreign workers forgotten by Quebec

Photo Courtesy
Frédéric Beck spoke to the Journal from his apartment, Lille, France. This forty-something woman was pushed out of several project in the past two years, including that of a child, because he is still awaiting a response to their immigration application.

Camille Garnier

Tuesday, 27-feb-2018 01:00

UPDATE
Tuesday, 27-feb-2018 01:00

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While Quebec has a shortage of labor, skilled foreign workers in areas deemed to be priorities have been waiting for almost two years, the certificate which would allow them to be hired here, and for which they have already paid more than $700.

These aspiring immigrants from Europe, Africa, or Latin America have all applied for via the online platform in My Project Québec, during its launch at the beginning of 2016.

This electronic system, which has cost the ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion (MIDI) more than a million of dollars was intended to replace the paper files and speed up the processing of applications.

MISFIRES AND DELAYS

But in practice, My Project Quebec seems to accumulate failures and delays.

“What is frustrating is that for the past two years I don’t know where I’m going,” explains Frédéric Beck, a French 40 years old, holder of a diploma in nursing and head of works in construction.

Man is a part of the lucky few who have managed to file in their folder on My Project, Quebec in January 2016, despite the many server crashes that had made headlines and forced the ministry to provide explanations.

“I paid about $ 1000 for the costs of administrative management and after that, nothing more,” he says. I have not had any new MIDI since, and when called, it is impossible to obtain the slightest response. “

PARADOXICAL

At the end of last summer, Mr. Beck has finally received a message from the department asking for a list of documents. The man was provided immediately and has never since received any information on the progress of his case.

“It is paradoxical because on the one hand, the ministry is full of communications, claiming the need of labour force [see text], and on the other, it does nothing to fill this need “, he laments.

Mr. Beck is far from being the only skilled worker in waiting for a response to despair of these times.

SACRIFICE

“I had to pay about $ 750 for the costs of management and I still have no answer 20 months after,” says Arsène Koffi, a computer scientist of Abidjan, in Côte d’ivoire. It is a big sacrifice for me. “

On the specialized forums, there are hundreds of write from Algeria, Moldova or Brazil, their impotence in front of the slowness and the silence of the NOON.

“We know that the ministry is still processing paper applications that were made before the launch of My Project in Quebec, says lawyer specialized in immigration law, Andres Miguel Pareja. There is a significant delay. Maybe it is a question of resources or efficiency, but I don’t think that it justifies so many years of waiting. “

Interviewed by The Newspaper on these unusually long delays, the MIDI has not been able to respond to us.

Delays that threaten the productivity

Photo Ben Pelosse

Stéphane Forget, President Chamber of commerce

Time daunting faced by the skilled workers who want to immigrate to the province to penalise the productivity in quebec, according to the president of the Quebec Chamber of commerce.

“It is certain that it has an impact on our productivity, slice immediately Stéphane Forget. There are contracts which do not materialize, there are shifts that do not open and people who are treated less quickly. “

The situation is all the more deplorable that Quebec is experiencing a significant shortage of labour.

Professions as diverse as a heavy equipment mechanic, chemist or engineer had all of the urgent needs in 2016 and 2017, according to a list established by the Commission of labour market partners.

DEMOGRAPHICS

“We’re living through a particular situation with a unemployment rate very low and a population of working age which has been in decline since 2015,” says Stéphane Forget. By 2030, it is expected that Quebec’s active population will have declined by 3% compared to 2010, while the canadian average has increased by 7 %. “

A study published last November by the Institute of Québec felt the same as 10 000 immigrants per year were needed to cope with the shortage.

“Currently, there has not been an immigration system that meets our needs for skilled labor,” said Mr. Forget. It is necessary that they be made of direct recruitment and that the company can say : “there is such type of employee who has the qualifications that I am looking for such a place and I’ll do the request for that person to come.” “

If the skilled workers foreigners continue to come up against delays, Stéphane Forget think that they are likely to abandon Quebec.

“The reality is that today, competition is global,” says-t it.