A new pilot program launched under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program aims to attract foreign workers for in-demand jobs.

The Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot project will allow Saskatchewan employers to recruit talent from around the world in a number of key areas where there is currently high demand.

Eligible jobs under the pilot project include entry-level positions that may require on-the-job training. There are several sectors in the province where labour demand is highest, including health, manufacturing, agriculture, agri-technology, construction, hospitality and retail.

"The demand for labour in our province is strong, and it's only going to increase with the significant economic projects recently announced in Saskatchewan," Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison said in a news release. 

"This new Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot - developed in Saskatchewan for Saskatchewan - is progress on our autonomy discussions with the federal government and is going to help provide employers with greater access to international options to recruit workers. This is in addition to record investments into training and upskilling our provincial workforce, as we enter a period of strong growth coming out of the global pandemic."

The Government of Saskatchewan announced the new Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) pilot project on November 25 and intends to have it up and running in December 2021.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible under the new pilot program, candidates will have to meet the following criteria:

• have a full-time, permanent job offer and SINP job approval letter for an eligible occupation from a Saskatchewan employer;
• meet a minimum Canadian Official Language proficiency level; and
• meet the minimum education and work experience requirements, including at least one year of work experience in the same occupation as the job offer or six months of work experience in that occupation in Saskatchewan.

Employers, on the other hand, will have to:

• demonstrate that they have made significant efforts to hire locally before proceeding with recruitment through the pilot project;
• demonstrate the need and benefit to their business; and
• meet the requirements for providing settlement assistance to workers.

Saskatchewan's unemployment rate lower than the national average

Employment figures released by Statistics Canada for November 2021 indicate that Saskatchewan's unemployment rate currently stands at 5.2 per cent, down from 7.1 per cent a year ago. This is well below the national average of 6.0 per cent.

In a recent statement, Harrison said that "Saskatchewan's economy continues to show strength with more jobs being created and the unemployment rate continuing to drop."

"We are working to address the current labour shortages in certain sectors through funding for skills training programs, as well as the new Hard-to-Fill Skills Immigration Pilot in order to ensure this strength continues."

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