In Alberta, corporate growth trajectories are streaking skyward at an unprecedented rate. That's good news for all of us. But there is a negative side to the current wave of prosperity.
Skilled labour is at a premium. Human resource professionals spend most of their time asking: "Where can my busy company find the technicians, engineers, accountants, geologists, geophysicists and IT experts it so desperately needs?" BOWEN Workforce Solutions Inc. has the solution. The company has partnered with Alberta Human Resources and Employment and Calgary employers to provide the new Immigrant Works™ program.
As one of the premier recruiting companies in Western Canada, BOWEN has spent the last 32 years developing innovative workforce solutions. Now BOWEN's Calgary-based team is stepping up to alleviate the skilled labour crunch by matching qualified unemployed or underemployed foreign-trained professionals with technical employment opportunities.
BOWEN has put together a standout pool of well-educated immigrant professionals who have mastered university-level reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Their technical abilities are documented in accordance with recognized international qualification assessment procedures. They're ready to work and eager to contribute to the long-term success of small-, medium- and large-sized organizations.
Oil and gas companies are particularly well-suited to the skill sets that these highly qualified candidates bring to the table, says Janice Clark, who manages the Immigrant Works™ program on BOWEN's behalf. "We work closely with these candidates to make the most of their interview skills, as well as to identify the transferable skills they possess that are best-suited to potential employers."
Under terms of the Immigrant Works™ program, BOWEN prefers to place candidates as interns, on either a four-, eight- or 12-month basis. It's the ideal way for new immigrants to acclimatize to new ways of doing business, or to a corporate culture that may not be immediately familiar.
"Even the most qualified candidates may require a certain period of time to get comfortable on a cultural basis. It's much like a new-grad program, helping recent graduates to get accustomed to a specific corporate culture. It's a developmental period, a learning period," Clark adds.
Such internships are ideal for enabling candidates to acquire the work experience they need to complete their professional certification in Alberta.
Naturally, BOWEN provides all the human resource support necessary to help new candidates and employers eliminate the cultural gaps. Once candidates are placed, BOWEN's award-winning service package includes individual coaching and a co-development plan shared by interns and managers as well as a third-party consultation service.
"We're the objective third party and essentially an extension of the company's human resource department. Either the manager or the candidate can call us in case issues do arise. We're happy to coach the intern, the manager or both, in case of communication gaps," Clark emphasizes.
BOWEN is there to ensure that the transition for both the new employee and the employer goes as smoothly as possible. Employers need not fear that the immigrant professionals will require a great deal of extra management time. BOWEN is there to support and bridge the gap as required.
All Immigrant Works™ candidates are eligible to work in Canada and, in many cases, have lived here for several years. They are often unemployed or underemployed simply because they have not been able to get a foot in the door to gain valuable Canadian work experience. All have undergone rigorous preparations and screening and are ready to work. They are a previously untapped valuable employee pool. Leading companies are recognizing that BOWEN's Immigrant Works™ program is an ideal solution for their personnel needs and are responding in a big way.
"Statistics indicate that new immigrant professionals tend to stick with the companies that give them their first break," Clark says.
"If you give these talented people an opportunity now, you will probably not have turnover or retention issues down the road."
In addition, such new cross-cultural hires bring valuable intangibles along with them when they enter a new workplace. Apart from their training, knowledge, skills and experience, they bring a global perspective that can broaden the horizons of their employers, particularly those aiming to penetrate international markets.
There's no disputing the fact that BOWEN offers a made-to-order pipeline to some amazingly diverse and multi-faceted skills. Whether you need a mechanical engineer or a civil engineer, an accountant or a financial analyst, BOWEN has a superb candidate to fit the bill.
These are well-trained, highly educated, EXPERIENCED professionals, eager to demonstrate their abilities. Many have improved their resume by completing master's-level programs since their arrival in Canada.
"Most of the people we're dealing with bring an absolute minimum of seven years experience to the workplace," Clark sums up.
For more information, please access the BOWEN website: www.bowenworks.ca or contact Garvey Chui at IW@bowenworks.ca or 403.538.3344.
