'We are helping to address the workforce needs of employers and support population growth'
Newfoundland and Labrador is launching a program to help match immigrants with employers looking to fill job vacancies.
“By directly matching employers in need with people wanting to live and work here, we are helping to address the workforce needs of employers and support population growth,” says Gerry Byrne, minister of immigration, population growth and skills. “Participating employers provide detail on their vacant full-time jobs, then, qualifying newcomers provide their job qualifications. Once that occurs, our staff will begin matching newcomers who need jobs with employers who need workers.”
The government is encouraging employers to provide information about any full-time vacancies.
More than four in five (84 per cent of) Canadian companies expect to face hiring challenges over the next year, according to a recent report.
The government is also inviting international graduates living in Newfoundland and Labrador and seeking full-time employment, as well as individuals who have open work permits in the province and in other parts of Canada, who would like to permanently relocate to the province to participate in the program.
They can complete a detailed online application from Sept. 29 to Oct. 13. The government will then match applicants with the labour needs of participating employers.
Future application intake periods will be issued on a regular basis to gather interest from people looking to immigrate to Newfoundland and Labrador, according to the government.
“Fantastic news! We have employers unable to find talent and many highly educated and skilled international student/graduates wishing to live and work in this province,” said Jennifer Browne, director of student life at the Memorial University of Newfoundland on LinkedIn.
Immigrants welcome
The program is part of the province’s ongoing efforts to accelerate immigration to 5,100 permanent residents annually by 2026.
In November 2020, the federal government increased its immigration targets for the next three years: 401,000 permanent residents in 2021, 411,000 in 2022 and 421,000 in 2023.
Canada is well poised to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic by relying more on new immigrants to help alleviate the labour shortage, according to Canada’s immigration minister.
