Regional immigration program to be discontinued

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Town of Taber is concluding its participation in the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program’s (AAIP) Rural Renewal Stream. Recent federal and provincial immigration policy changes have reduced the allocation spaces for immigrants coming into Canada to fill vacancies in understaffed sectors.

 In a news release, Economic Development Manager Amy Allred said that allocations have been cut in half to 4,875 across all six AAIP streams. Over 49,000 individuals are still in the queue hoping for approval.

 “This was a natural transition point for our participation,” Allred said. “The reduction in allocations presented increasing challenges for continuing the program, but we are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and grateful for the businesses and communities that helped make it a success.”

 Taber’s economic development department spearheaded the initiative in southern Alberta to assist local businesses in addressing their workforce shortages. Taber’s success translated into a wider regional effort and the Town led the way, assisting the M.D. of Taber, Vauxhall, Coaldale, Lethbridge County, Picture Butte, Milk River, Raymond, Cardston, and Nobleford with their own AAIP programs.

 The news release said that since the program’s inception, 235 full-time jobs in the region have been filled through endorsed candidates, benefiting 88 local businesses.

 The reasons for the allocation cuts aren’t clear if continuing on with the program could have been an ongoing benefit to the region. The fact that available housing can’t keep pace with the inflow of newcomers may be a contributing factor.

 “It has been a great program to build and stabilize our regional workforce,”   Allred said. “The program has some really great benefits for employers and candidates and we hope that we can continue to support our employers and our growth going forward in other ways.”

 In a follow-up, Allred elaborated on what she meant by “the reduction in allocations presented increasing challenges for continuing the program” as stated in the new release.

 “What we mean is that with the program being oversubscribed, the chance of a candidate in our community being selected from the queue has lowered significantly.  It’s not only our staff time to ensure candidates are qualified, but also our commitment to the employers to grow a stable, long term workforce that presents challenges,” she said.

 In addition, the Town received a Settlement, Integration and Language Projects Grant (SILP) from the Province that provided a full-time staff member to help facilitate the program in the region, as well as provided employer training and community engagement.

 “(The SILP) provided us with the resources that we needed to do the program well in our communities,” she said.  “The grant is a two year grant that will expire on Mar. 31 this year.”

 Allred said Taber is growing quickly, not only in population, but its commercial and industrial sectors are also “soaring.”

 “Being able to support our businesses with regional workforce programs is key to building and growing strategically.  The Rural Renewal Program has been a great success here, and as we continue to grow, we will continue to find ways to support our businesses so they can be strong and stable,” she said.

 As the program comes to a close, the Town would like to make the transition a smooth one for its candidates and partner communities. Qualified candidates who applied during the program’s pause will receive their endorsement letter before Mar. 31.

Going forward, Allred said the Town will continue to explore new opportunities to support business growth, workforce development, and community stability.