The Canada Department of Labour is making a concerted effort to onboard more truck drivers after recent reports indicate the workforce shortage is growing.
“This chain reaction and the associated consequences will also inevitably flow through to the companies relying on the delivery, be it raw materials, manufacturing inputs, or finished products destined for store shelves,” Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) president Stephen Laskowski reportedly said. “With little ability to replace this lost capacity through adding labour, things will only get tighter for the foreseeable future.”
Data released by Statistics Canada and assessed by HR Canada indicate truck driver vacancy rates hit a record high. The number of vacancies rose from 25,560 during the first quarter to more than 28,000 at the close of the second. Those numbers also point to a troubling trend that the trucking sector is experiencing higher losses than many others. The total national labour vacancy rates run at approximately 5.9 percent, with CDL professionals nearing 10 percent during the third quarter of 2022.
“Over the past several months, CTA has discussed with the Government of Canada how we can help stabilize the trucking industry’s labour force,” Laskowski reportedly said. “Improving the industry’s access to key immigration programs was one of those asks and CTA would like to thank the Government of Canada for working with us to make this happen.”
Ontario ranks among the hardest impacted provinces by the driver shortage, down a reported 9,000 during the third quarter of 2022. In response to the concerning lack of truckers, leaders from the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) met with Monte McNaughton, Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. The top line of their agenda was encouraging and investing in people to enter the truck driving trades.
“Over the past several months, OTA has discussed several strategies with the province to help stabilize our workforce and help address the acute shortage of truck drivers,” OTA president Stephen Laskowski, reportedly said. “Improving the industry’s access to key immigration programs from the federal government, as well as the province’s nominee program, has been one of the key proposals.”
Minister McNaughton indicated the Government of Ontario is keenly aware of the increased need for truckers. The agency is reportedly developing pathways to expedite applications through immigration, among others. Immigrants who acquire the skills to operate Class 8 commercial vehicles and work hauling freight can be nominated for permanent residency in Canada.
“The industry’s participation in the (Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program) since 2019 should be considered a great success. With over 700 drivers to date being nominated through the program, the decision by the Ford Government three years ago to include the trucking industry has already paid dividends to Ontario’s supply chain and economy and with today’s announcement, we look forward to that continued sustainability for our industry,” Laskowski reportedly said.
Truck driving opportunities were added to such programs after a significant workforce shortage was forecasted. The province reportedly plans to invest upwards of $44 million over the next five years to fast-track 4,500 people seeking gainful employment through Better Jobs Ontario.
Sources: ontruck.org, ontruck.org
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