Immigration Canada: “Where the Jobs Are” in Canada

Tour CIBC (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to a recent CIBC report there is a growing divide between the number of high-vacancy job fields in Canada and the skills of the Canadian workforce. To combat labour shortages, Canadian employers and government officials are increasingly looking beyond their own borders to find the employees they need. In addition, the government is taking ambitious efforts to secure skilled foreign workers, on temporary or permanent bases, to close employment gaps across the country.

In its report, CIBC targeted 25 professions that are most in need of qualified employees. They are as follows:

Managers in Engineering, Architecture, Science and Info Systems
Managers in Health, Education, Social and Community Services
Managers in Construction and Transportation
Auditors, Accountants and Investment Professionals
Human Resources and Business Service Professionals
Professional Occupations in Natural and Applied Science
Physical Science Professionals
Life Science Professionals
Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Chemical Engineers
Other Engineers
Professional Occupations in Health
Physicians, Dentists and Veterinarians
Optometrists, Chiropractors and Other Health Diagnosing and Treating Professionals
Pharmacists, Dietitians and Nutritionists
Therapy and Assessment Professionals
Nurse Supervisors and Registered Nurses
Technical and Related Occupations in Health
Medical Technologists and Technicians (Except Dental Health)
Technical Occupations in Dental Health Care
Other Technical Occupations in Health Care (Except Dental)
Psychologists, Social Workers, Counsellors, Clergy and Probation Officers
Supervisors, Mining, Oil and Gas
Underground Miners, Oil and Gas Drillers and Related Workers
Supervisors in Manufacturing
Supervisors, Processing Occupations

These occupations are all considered skilled work by the Government of Canada. In general, these professions fall in the fields of healthcare, mining, and manufacturing or business services. When added together, these fields account for 21%, or about one-fifth, of jobs in Canada.

Canada’s need for qualified workers varies greatly from province to province. As demonstrated by the chart below, the need is most defined in the country’s rapidly-developing interior. It is reflective of Canada’s booming natural resources economy. Source: CIBC

By contrast, those who pursue employment in one of the above targeted professions have a high likelihood of employment.

The Canadian government has made efforts to offset employee shortages through a forward-thinking immigration system. Individuals with the education and skills most needed in Canada will find that programs for both temporary and permanent residence have been tailored to suit their profiles. Some recent immigration changes intended to bring in the workers Canada include:

The popular Federal Skilled Worker Program has overhauled its selection criteria to better target those individuals who have a high likelihood of succeeding upon arrival in Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Canada hopes to accept over 50,000 new permanent residents through this program alone in 2013.
A new class of immigration, the Federal Skilled Trades Class, has been created to more efficiently bring tradespersons to Canada.

Discussions are currently in place regarding the introduction of a new immigration system, known as an Expression of Interest system, that will directly connect Canadian employers and government officials with skilled workers interested in immigrating to Canada

Source: http://pdles.org/?mc_cid=23cf163d32&mc_eid=3cb254aa54