Message from The Brampton Board of Trade General Manager, Sheldon Leiba

Brampton is very fortunate to benefit from the many skilled and talented immigrants attracted to our city, who want and do contribute to our community and economy.

As a large and one of Canada’s fastest growing cities, the attraction of immigrants has and will continue to be critical in sustaining a strong local labour force for business to thrive.

The Brampton Board of Trade is pleased to have taken a leadership role in supporting the effective employment integration of immigrants. In 2005, we developed a policy recommendation entitled “Capitalizing on the Employment of Immigrants in Canada”, that was adopted as an official policy of The Canadian Chamber of Commerce –contributing to a $920 million Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement. In April 2006, we initiated our “Skills without Borders” Employer Awareness Campaign, supported by Service Canada, that will better connect employers with skilled immigrants.

As a diverse community in an increasingly global economy, Brampton and the Region of Peel has much to gain by being proactive in supporting the hiring of immigrants. In the coming years, labour shortages will be affecting all sectors of our economy, and every business. Communities like Brampton, and individual businesses that successfully integrate immigrants into their workforce will have a unique competitive advantage. It is for this reason that The Brampton Board of Trade, as Brampton’s local business association, in partnership with many other stakeholder organizations, is committed to making a lasting economic and social difference with “Skills without Borders.”

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