色狐入口

Government efforts to ensure Canada鈥檚 tech sector has access to the best international and domestic talent are providing a unique advantage in the global economy, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

An interview with Trudeau kicked off the 2019 Collision Conference in Toronto on May 20, marking the first time the five-year-old gathering of global tech leaders has been held outside the United States.

Organizers picked Toronto over other North American cities because of its status as a global tech hub that is on track to outpace Silicon Valley in terms of jobs growth.

Trudeau told interviewer Shahrzad Rafati, founder and CEO of Broadband TV, that Canada 鈥渘eeds to stay open鈥� to international talent and pointed to policies like Canada鈥檚 rising and his government鈥檚 creation of the , which helps employers obtain work visas in as little as two weeks for foreign workers in specific occupations.

鈥淲e鈥檙e at a time right now where big countries around the world are closing themselves off a little more to immigration at a time where Canada is realizing we need to stay open, we need to make sure we鈥檙e drawing in the best and brightest from all around the world,鈥� he said.

Making sure Canadian students and workers also have the 鈥渞ight opportunities鈥� for a career in tech by investing in research, innovation and Canada鈥檚 education system is another key government priority, Trudeau said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of anxiety that people are feeling all around the world, and it鈥檚 coming out in all different sorts of ways 鈥� whether it鈥檚 populism or nationalism,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he important thing is making sure that there is room for everyone to succeed, for everyone to feel like there is a path for them and their kids in technology.鈥�

Public opinion supports immigration, Trudeau says

Trudeau said Canadians remain in favour of immigration and his government is working to maintain this by ensuring that those welcomed to Canada are 鈥渁ble to contribute and grow.鈥�

鈥淐anadians know that we get more resilient communities, we get better solutions, we get better innovation when we bring in people from all around the world,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we are doing well, even in a time of anxiety.鈥�

Canada鈥檚 immigration policies are also helping to lure Canadian tech leaders back from traditional innovation hubs like California鈥檚 Silicon Valley, which has long been a popular draw for Canadian tech talent.

鈥淲e鈥檝e spent a lot of time trying to compete with Silicon Valley, watching Canadian innovators head down to the Bay Area to try and succeed, and what we鈥檝e seen over the past few years is people are coming back: for the quality of life, the stability, the access to global talent through immigration, the liveable cities, through all of the things we鈥檝e been doing,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he fact Canada has always been a country that embraced diversity and we know that it is a source of strength 鈥� never a source of weakness 鈥� has given us a real advantage as we look at that competitive investment environment that more and more people are looking to Canada for.鈥�

Asked about his 鈥渆levator pitch鈥� for attracting business to Canada, Trudeau cited Canada鈥檚 network of free trade agreements, its education system and immigration system, and the diversity of its communities, among others.

鈥淭his is a good place to set down roots, this is a good place to build a company, this is a good place to build a future,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got socio-economic, fiscal, banking and legal stability that is world class, and we鈥檙e a country that does so in two languages.鈥�

漏 2019 CICNews All Rights Reserved