Destination Employment: Project Highlights

An Innovative Pilot Project

A Solution for the Hotel Industry

In order to address the industry’s labour shortage, the Hotel Association of Canada, together with its project partner Tourism HR Canada, has partnered with the Government of Canada to build a bridge program that will mobilize new Canadians into available hotel jobs.

With nearly $7 million in funding provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Tourism HR Canada and the Hotel Association of Canada, alongside other provincial and local labour market partners, will work together to employ newcomers in sustainable, long-term hotel jobs. This project is an important one for both government and the accommodation sector because it provides a labour solution to a long-standing shortage, while offering new Canadians meaningful, stable employment. It is a win-win for all parties involved.

Destination Employment

Project Highlights

The new IRCC agreement is a $6,955,000 Contribution Agreement, referred to by Minister Hussen as a “Signature Project”. It is currently IRCC’s largest funded initiative, part of the Settlement and Integration stream.
The Minister identified hotels as a key interest and place to start. IRCC is keen to increase the scale of the project (once we demonstrate success), and at that time will be open to expansion in other tourism sectors. Our intent is to aggressively expand the project.
This Pan-Canadian initiative is three-years in duration.
It aims to employ at least 1300 unemployed or underemployed newcomers in sustainable, well-paid, long-term hotel jobs, i.e. in occupations where there is significant demand and allow for the greatest mobility of workers, in a variety of skills levels.
Employment opportunities are available in occupations that require minimal proficiency in English or French (e.g. Housekeeping Room Attendant/Light Duty Cleaner; Banquet Service, Food Preparation/Kitchen Helper; Grounds Keeper), and in executive roles for individuals with prior experience in the field (e.g. Accounting, Director of Food Services, Events Planning and Coordination, Sales).
The project will start in five selected regions to demonstrate success, then scaled up to include additional urban and rural centers. Each region was selected for different reasons, with the overall aim to test a systemic and sustainable model that could apply to all regions of Canada and account for highly variable resources.
The five regions are:
- Yukon
- Alberta
- Saskatchewan
- Ontario
- Atlantic Canada