YORK LINK BLOG SERIES
Earlier this year York Region’s Economic Strategy Division was approved as a Designated Referral Partner for the federal government’s Global Skills Strategy program, which includes the Global Talent Stream and other initiatives that enable employers to attract top global talent. The Global Skills Strategy provides Canadian-based businesses with a quicker and streamlined way (two-week processing time) to bring in highly skilled workers to support growing innovative companies.
The Global Talent Stream is, in particular, an avenue for fast-growing, innovative technology companies that need unique, high demand and specialized skills in order to scale-up, skills where there is no substantial Canadian talent pool from which to draw.
As a Referral Partner to Employment & Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Region has so far brokered approvals for companies in sectors ranging from enterprise software, to AI and data analytics, to 3D printing engineering, and autonomous vehicles R&D.
This has been a huge advantage for those firms; via the referrals they were able to reduce the processing time for work permit approvals for highly qualified, pre-identified executives and senior technical talent (known as a Category A referrals) as well as streamlined approvals to hire multiple tech and engineering professionals (Category B).
Innovative local companies across York Region that meet the Global Skills Strategy program referral criteria now have an additional tool to quickly address their talent needs. And – especially in high-density technology clusters – top talent remains the name of the game in tech.
Companies in York Region that are interested in learning more about the Global Skills Strategy program should contact Gordon Scheel in the Region’s Economic Strategy Unit.