Newly arrived Canadian immigrants must be paid to train as truck drivers in Ontario
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Newly arrived immigrants, women and others from groups considered underrepresented will be paid to train for trucking jobs in Canada in Ontario as the province announces $1.3 million in funding.
The investment goes to the training of 54 people from these groups. That may seem like a drop in the ocean, given that Ontario is estimated to need at least 6,100 more truckers to fill jobs begging for a lack of workers to fill them.
But Ontario Premier Doug Ford is confident the program will get the ball rolling and help those who may have never considered a career in trucking to do so now.
“This innovative program will help break down barriers to attracting more women to the trucking industry,” said Ford.
“As we build Ontario, we need all hands on deck. That is why our government is working hard to ensure that all skilled professions become more accessible and welcoming to women and all under-represented groups.”
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In Ontario, only 2 percent of truck drivers are women. Since women are traditionally more likely to be the primary caregivers of young children, the new program will reimburse up to $4,500 for child care and other living expenses.
“The Ontario trucking industry continues to face significant skills and labor shortages,” said Stephen Laskowski, president of the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA).
“As a multifaceted and diverse industry, there are many trucking opportunities for Canadian women who will be an important resource in helping us overcome our labor shortage. This program is an essential part of the kind of investment needed to build a strong workforce that can support our economy going forward.”
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The project, which is led by the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada, provides participants with up to 200 hours of training required to earn AZ (tractor-trailer) and DZ (straight truck) licenses.
Instructors will use both virtual reality systems and in-cab hands-on training to teach job seekers how to drive a commercial vehicle, perform maneuvers, perform inspections, maintain the vehicles and understand the systems and controls of commercial vehicles.
“Truck drivers are the everyday heroes who keep the wheels of our economy turning, and we need to ensure that more people have the opportunity to explore these purposeful careers,” said Ontario Immigration Minister Monte McNaughton.
Ontario paying women, immigrants to train as truck drivers
“I was proud to make Ontario the first province in Canada to guarantee truck drivers the right to access toilets and our government will continue to invest in training to ensure everyone in our community has a chance to earn bigger paychecks for themselves and their families.”
Under the new initiative, the county government wants to remove barriers to women entering the trucking industry by making participants eligible for up to $1,000 for transportation and childcare, $300 for equipment and a $400 weekly stipend.
The first cohort of personal training begins July 1, Canada Day, and will be available in Kitchener-Waterloo, the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa and London.
The project also includes:
- training forklift operation;
- to drive defensively;
- workplace violence and harassment, and;
- awareness of human trafficking.
“This investment in the trucking industry will directly help more people achieve fulfilling careers as professional drivers,” said Shelley Walker, CEO of the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada.
“With a significant and growing shortage of skilled drivers facing the Ontario trucking industry, this initiative is timely to both remove barriers to employment and support Ontario’s economy.”
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There are more trucking jobs begging for a lack of qualified labor in Ontario than anywhere else in Canada, making the country’s most populous province brimming with opportunities for foreigners seeking employment there under economic immigration programs.
Job Bank, the federal government’s job search and career planning website, had a list of 954 job openings for truck drivers, categorized under the National occupational classification (NOC) 2021 with the code 73300, end of June.
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) was by far the most intense trucking region, with 545 of these positions in the county centered in the county seat.
Toronto has the largest concentration of truck driver jobs in Ontario
In Ontario, the average hourly wage for trucking is $24, but that ranges from a low of $17 an hour to $32.34 an hour, Job Bank reveals. Based on a standard work week of 37.5 hours, that would be $63,063 at the top end of the annual pay scale for Ontario truck drivers.
But truck drivers also often receive a mileage allowance, which allows them to earn considerably more.
With transportation companies desperate for truck drivers to supplement and grow their aging workforce, both the federal and provincial governments have helped with immigration policies to work permits And permanent residence to qualified foreign workers seeking these types of jobs in Canada.
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Ontario took the lead four years ago in helping trucking companies recruit internationally trained truck drivers by adding the occupation Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Employer Job Offer In-Demand Skills Stream.
That means experienced truck drivers with a job offer in Ontario have a specific path to permanent residency in Canada.
Applicants must first register in the OINPs Expression of interest (EOI) system and receive a Invitation to apply (ITA) before they can apply online to be nominated by the Ontario government for permanent residency.
Once nominated, the next step is to apply to the federal government through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The IRCC makes the final decision on who becomes a permanent resident.
Refugees with truck driving skills are welcome to apply under the EMPP
Ontario is also one of nine provinces participating in the Pilot Economic Mobility Projects (EMPP) that allows employers to hire skilled workers refugees and other displaced persons, including for freight transport.
“Canada is a global leader in helping skilled refugees connect with employers struggling to find workers in critical areas, while giving newcomers the opportunity to restart their careers and their lives here in Canada,” said Secretary of Immigration Sean Fraser.
“Our government will continue to develop and scale up innovative immigration measures to help employers address their critical labor shortages and give refugees the chance to live in safety as they rebuild their lives.”
Foreigners who are not refugees can also immigrate to Ontario as truck drivers through the federal Express Entry Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program.
In mid-November last year, truck driver was one of 16 professions added to the FSW’s list of eligible professions when the IRCC updated to the NOC 2021 classification system.
