Saskatchewan announces its new Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot Program to meet its labour market demand.

On November 25, Saskatchewan announced its new Hard-to-fill Skills Pilot Program. Under this immigration category, employers in Saskatchewan will be able to recruit overseas talent for certain in-demand occupations as part of the Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot. Entry-level positions that may require on-the-job training will be eligible for this trial. Health, manufacturing, agriculture, ag-tech, construction, hospitality, and retail are the industries with the largest labour demand in Saskatchewan.

Here’s a list of Eligible Occupation’s List for the Hard-to-fill Skills Pilot program: 

NOC- 3413: Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates

NOC- 3414: Other assisting occupations in support of health services

NOC- 4412: Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations

NOC- 7611: Construction trades helpers and labourers NOC- 7521: Heavy equipment operators (except crane)

NOC- 9536: Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators

NOC- 9526: Mechanical assemblers and inspectors

NOC- 9416: Metalworking and forging machine operators

NOC- 9612: Labourers in metal fabrication

NOC- 9431: Sawmill machine operators

NOC- 9617: Labourers in food and beverage processing

NOC- 9461: Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing

NOC- 7452: Material handlers

NOC- 1521: Shippers and receivers

NOC- 9619: Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities

NOC- 6513: Food and beverage servers

NOC- 6525: Hotel front desk clerk

NOC- 6731: Light duty cleaners

NOC- 6711: Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations

NOC- 6733: Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents

NOC- 1525: Dispatchers

NOC- 7511: Transport truck drivers

NOC- 8431: General farm workers

The pilot program is set to begin in December of 2021. Employers and the community will support workers nominated through this Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) stream. There are separate eligibility criteria for the applicant and the employer under this new category. 

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For the applicant: 

The position should be full-time, a permanent offer to work from a registered Saskatchewan employer, as well as a SINP job approval letter for an appropriate occupation category.

The candidate should attain a minimal level of competency in a Canadian Official Language.

Minimal educational and work experience level should be maintained, which includes at least one year of experience in the same occupation as the job offer or six months in that position in Saskatchewan.

For the employer: 

Should make a concerted effort to hire people from your own country.

•The employer should be able to demonstrate the hiring the importance and benefit to their company.

•The employer is also advised to assist the employees in their relocation.