Thank you.
The reason we work with a private recruiter stems from our belief that the community should take charge of itself. We could, of course, do more if we received funding for these activities. The private recruiter has an agreement with employers. The company looks for qualified bilingual workers and brings them to Alberta. As a well-organized community, we assist these immigrants, on a volunteer basis, with everything right down to the small stuff. They feel close to their community. And there is no question that when they go from a temporary job to a permanent one, they stay in our community because they feel they are being supported. We also support them through the process of moving from temporary to permanent status.
You wondered whether the federal or provincial government had a role to play. I would say definitely, given that, as of now, we operate on a volunteer basis, so there is a limit to what we can do. If we were to receive financial support, however, we could do more. Employers are very satisfied with the program, mainly because they don't like constantly having to start over with new employees. When an employee has the assistance and support of their community, they stay longer and the employer benefits, as well. So it's a win-win for both parties.
If we received support from both levels of government, we would have a fantastic program.