The last area I want to talk about involves some measures directed more at businesses.
To facilitate access to talent, we also operate the Job Bank, a website that connects employers and jobseekers across the country, which has recently been modernized and improved. In cases where qualified Canadians and permanent residents are not available, we have the temporary foreign worker program to ensure employers have access to skilled workers they need. Budget 2017 announced the continued delivery of this program and the international mobility program.
On June 12 the new global talent stream was launched across Canada. It is a 24-month pilot project under the temporary foreign worker program that gives Canadian employers a faster and more predictable process for hiring the specialized and highly skilled talent they need to scale, grow, and expand their businesses.
I would end by saying that the initiatives that have been introduced in the past two years have set the stage for immediate and long-term benefits for Canadians who are navigating the impacts of a rapid technological change in an evolving labour market. There is much work to do. We work in partnership with our key stakeholders, provinces, and territories, and we will continue to explore how to ensure that policies and programs are flexible and responsive to the needs of Canadian workers and businesses.
Thank you. We will be pleased to answer your questions.