20,000 workers needed yearly in Manitoba by 2016 -- labor chief

MANILA, Philippines—In need of workers from plumbers to carpenters to engineers, the provincial government of Manitoba, Canada on Tuesday morning signed an agreement with the labor department to deploy overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the province.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger signed the agreement at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel which provides a framework of partnership in the recruitment of skilled OFWs to Manitoba, as well as in their protection and their skills development.

"For us, it's an equal partnership. Nobody's better than the other," Selinger said.

Due to its low birth rate and aging population, Manitoba will need around 20,000 new workers annually by 2016, according to Baldoz.

"In the next thee years, the number of retirements is expected to increase by 30 percent and the need for more workers, including the transfer of work-based knowledge, will be very critical to Manitoba's labor force stability," Baldoz said.

"Also, I understand that Manitoba has low birth and unemployment rates and the province looks at annual immigration targets (of) around 20,000 by 2016 to shore up its manpower banks. Current arrivals number only a little half of the yearly target," she added.

Baldoz said that, of the 613,593 Filipinos in Canada as of 2008, around 50,000 to 60,000 were in Manitoba.

"As Secretary Baldoz said, many of our existing labor forces are five to 10 years away from retirement. (This is) the baby boomer generation. (So) this opens up opportunities all across the board—in the trades like carpentry, plumbing, electricians," Selinger said.

"This also opens up opportunities in the professions—engineers, accountants, medical professionals, nurses and doctors. We believe we'll have opportunities all across the labor spectrum in Manitoba," he added.

Selinger said skilled OFWs in Manitoba could opt for Candian citizenship six months after their arrival there. - Philip Tubeza, Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 21, 2010