News Briefs – British Columbia to Seek More Skilled Immigrants

The B.C. and Canadian governments are working on a new "made-in-B.C. strategy" for immigration that would increase the number of skilled out-of-province workers entering the workforce.

Federal Immigration Minister Denis Coderre met in Vancouver yesterday with George Abbott, B.C.'s minister responsible for immigration, and said afterward the deal involves greater recognition of foreign credentials.

And that, he said, would be tied to increased English as a second language training.

Demographics indicate that B.C. is an increasingly older society, and business leaders meeting with the two ministers yesterday told of the growing "skills gaps" in their industries, said Abbott.