On November 25, 2021, the Government of Saskatchewan announced a new immigration pilot to address hard-to-fill positions in the province. The Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot will allow Saskatchewan employers to recruit international talent through overseas missions, or other international recruitment activities for certain in-demand jobs. The eligible jobs under this pilot will allow for application of low and entry level positions, and may require on-the-job training. The sectors with the highest labour demands the province include health, manufacturing, agriculture, ag-tech, construction, hospitality and retail. The pilot is scheduled to launch in December 2021.
“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,” according to Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison. “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.”
“This is very positive news for businesses in the hospitality industry in Saskatchewan,” Hospitality Saskatchewan President and CEO Jim Bence said in a media release. “This pilot project is designed to attract talent and a great program for all sectors currently experiencing labour recruitment challenges in the province. While we always work hard to exhaust every opportunity to hire locally, we have to be creative to ensure we have the right labour supply to help our business and communities grow and thrive in Saskatchewan, something this very unique program will be especially helpful with post-COVID.”
Below are eligibility requirements to qualify for the the Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot:
- Have a full-time, permanent offer of employment and SINP job approval letter for an eligible occupation from a registered Saskatchewan employer;
- Meet a minimum Canadian Official Language proficiency level; and
- Meet the minimum educational and work experience requirements, which includes having at least one year of work experience in the same occupation as the job offer or six-months work experience in that job in Saskatchewan.