News briefs (July 17, 2000)

Canada among those pilfering developing world of nurses
Vancouver — Poorer nations are paying a heavy health-care price for the developed world’s bad management of its nursing supply, the president of the International Council of Nurses says. Kirsten Stallnecht, in Vancouver attending the Canadian Nurses Association Convention, said Canada and other rich nations have created their own nursing shortages by driving people out of the profession because of poor working conditions, and are now recruiting nurses from developing countries that have severe shortages of health professionals

Disability management Code of Practice
Port Alberni, B.C. — The National Institute of Disability Management and Research has released a Code of Practice for disability management that applies to all stakeholders in the return-to-work process. The code offers return-to-work guidelines and benchmarks for developing programs. It details management best practices and identifies roles and responsibilities. For more information contact (250) 724-4344.

Tech firms eager for laid off Corel staff
Ottawa — Employers are falling all over themselves to get their hands on the 320 workers recently laid off by Ottawa-based software giant Corel Corp. Engineers have several jobs to choose from and are picking the best offers. The search for technology professionals is, predictably, creating a wage boom in Silicon Valley North. At JetForm Corp., the HR manager reviews compensation every six months and the average salary increase for engineers is seven per cent.

Canadian Apprenticeship Forum created
Aylmer, Que. — Promoting apprenticeship, as well as the inter-provincial mobility of workers will be the tasks of a newly created organization receiving federal funding to help develop Canada’s workforce. More than three dozen people from business, labour, equity groups and Human Resources Development Canada, as well as representatives of provincial apprenticeship organizations, will serve on the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, which will run national projects.

Sign of the global times
Ottawa — A national scholarship program is being launched to help students pursue post-secondary degrees in business or economics with an international focus. The Economic Development Corporation, a federal Crown agency, is earmarking $1-million over three years for programs offered at 16 universities and colleges across Canada.

Who’s available
Toronto — Forty per cent of Canadian executives looking for work were victims of downsizing, 10 per cent of whom opt for self-employment, a study by Drake Beam Morin Shows. Seventy-six per cent of executives on the move were men and 24 per cent were women. Typically, they are 42 years old with nine years of experience and received an average severance of 19 weeks.

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