Labour Mobility
Labour mobility refers to the freedom of workers to practice their
occupation wherever opportunities exist. Currently, skilled workers may
find their qualifications are not recognized when they migrate to other
provinces or territories.
This important issue is being addressed by the Government of Canada and
the provincial and territorial governments through
the
Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT). Chapter 7 of this agreement is specifically targeted
to remove barriers to worker mobility.
On April 28, 2006, British Columbia and Alberta signed the
British Columbia – Alberta Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility
Agreement (TILMA). TILMA has helped create the second largest
economy in Canada and will create trade and investment opportunities,
but TILMA is also an important step for both provinces to realize
improvements to labour mobility beyond what AIT has achieved. The
agreement will come into force in April, 2007, and will be fully
implemented by April 2009, at which time individuals in all occupations
will be free to move and work in their chosen field in both provinces.
What does Chapter 7 say about Labour Mobility?
Chapter 7 of the
AIT - the Labour Mobility Chapter - says that any
qualified worker in an occupation in one province or territory must be
granted access to similar employment opportunities in any other Canadian
jurisdiction.
This chapter targets three main barriers that prevent or limit the
interprovincial movement of workers:
- Residency requirements.
- Occupational licensing, certification and registration practices.
- Differences in occupational standards.
Labour Mobility Resources
Regulated occupations are those that require recognition by a
provincial regulatory authority in order to work in that occupation in
British Columbia. For information on occupations regulated in British
Columbia and in other provinces in Canada, see the
Work Destinations website which has a searchable database.
Work Destinations has overview profiles for each regulated occupation in
BC, and provides contact information for further information. See
http://www.workdestinations.org/
For more information contact the Labour Mobility Coordinator:
Cindy Williams
Manager, Labour Market Initiatives
Economic
Strategies Branch
Ministry of Economic Development
7th Floor, 1810 Blanshard Street
PO Box 9327 Stn. Prov.
Govt.
Victoria, BC V8W 9N3
Phone: 250-356-2338
Fax: 250-952-0705
Email:
Cindy.M.Williams@gov.bc.ca
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