By Canadian Immigration News |
The government of Manitoba has released a new Labour Market Strategy for immigration through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). This province, located in central Canada, has been an increasingly popular destination for newcomers to Canada over recent years, principally due to plentiful job opportunities and a high standard of living.
By Canadian Immigration News |
The government of Manitoba has released a new Labour Market Strategy for immigration through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). This province, located in central Canada, has been an increasingly popular destination for newcomers to Canada over recent years, principally due to plentiful job opportunities and a high standard of living.
The new immigration strategy will aim to match nominees to priority labour market demands. Although it is expected that most nominees under the skilled worker categories will be nominated with a job offer, a portion will be nominated without a job offer; this latter group may then be matched to jobs upon arrival in the province.
Why a new strategy?
The new strategy comes only a few months after a change of government in Manitoba, with the Progressive Conservatives having taken office from the outgoing Manitoba New Democratic Party (NDP) government in April.
Manitoba’s Labour Market Projections for 2016–2022 indicate an ongoing need for immigrant skilled workers who have sector- and occupation-specific skills, as well as for entrepreneurs who can start businesses that will create local jobs. It is projected that over the coming years there will be 167,700 job openings from both expansion and replacement of existing labour, and about 25 percent of this demand will need to be filled by new immigrants. The sectors with the highest demand include sales and service, business and finance, trades and transportation, and health, and most job openings will require workers with the right training and skill sets.
In its 2017 Immigration Levels Plan, the federal government provided increased immigration targets through the economic categories, and stated its aim to increase immigration levels even further over time. As a result, the government of Manitoba is confident that it can increase its share of nominations over the coming years. The province aims to improve the existing MPNP Expression of Interest system for skilled workers by connecting more with employers and providing a clearer pathway to permanent residence to international students, as well as foreign workers in Manitoba and overseas.
The province aims to move the MPNP more towards a demand-driven model based on better labour market information and performance measurement.