An agreement signed between the federal and Yukon governments will give the territory more control over the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

Yukon Senator Dan Lang and Education Minister Patrick Rouble, who is also the Energy, Mines and Resources minister, signed off on the agreement Wednesday morning in Whitehorse.

The program permits employers to offer jobs to foreign workers when they can't find local employees to fill positions.

Under the agreement, the Yukon government will be able to recommend entry into the territory for some temporary foreign workers without going through Service Canada's assessment of whether there are Canadians or permanent residents available to fill the positions.

Exact details on how the exemption will work still have to be worked out.

The criteria will be set by the Yukon government, staying in line with its economic plans and priorities, it was noted.

A number of pilot projects will be included in the plan as officials with the Yukon and federal governments work on the details in the coming months.

"I think it's another step forward for us,” Lang said. He later referred to the agreement as "one more tool in the toolbox” to deal with labour needs.

"The Government of Yukon has a role to play in protecting temporary foreign workers from exploitation and in identifying how immigration can help address gaps in its labour market,” said Lang, who was once a territorial Conservative cabinet minister.

"This agreement formally recognizes these roles.

"Today marks an important step in making the Temporary Foreign Worker Program more responsive to Yukon's particular labour needs. Meeting those needs translates into more opportunities for all Yukon residents.”

The change will help streamline the process, Rouble said.

"This agreement provides one more tool for Yukon's labour market stakeholders to address Yukon's labour market opportunities, both now and into the future,” said Rouble.

"Our first priority is to work with underrepresented groups in Yukon to meet labour force demands and turn to temporary foreign workers when the need arises.”

Both politicians pointed to the need for workers in the territory and for those workers to know their rights in the Yukon workforce.

Dan Charlebois, who owns the local Canadian Tire store and is a Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce member, was on-hand at Wednesday's press conference.

He was quick to praise the move, stating he is pleased to see government recognize the difference between the Yukon and the rest of the country.

As he pointed out in January, the territory had the lowest unemployment rate in the country, at 3.9 per cent.

Canadian Tire employs a number of people originally from the Philippines.

A number of businesses are still in need of additional staff, Charlebois said.

He pointed out that the owner of the city's Tim Hortons restaurants didn't make it to the 10 a.m. news conference because one of the coffee shops was so busy.