The Manitoba government announced a three-year pilot initiative on Friday, November 15, to address the labor shortfall in the rural west-central area.
The experiment, called the West Central Immigration Initiative, will be a joint effort between the Gambler First Nation, seven rural towns, and the province.
The West-Central Immigration Initiative’s partners include:
- Municipality of Russell-Binscarth
- Rural Municipality of Yellowhead
- Municipality of Roblin
- Rural Municipality of Ellice-Archie
- Rural Municipality of Riding Mountain West
- Rossburn Municipality
- Prairie View Municipality
- Gambler First Nation
About 240–300 workers will be required over the next three years to meet labor demands, which are driven by new employment openings, retirements, replacements, and general expansion, according to a survey done among 85 firms in the area.
According to Malaya Marcelino, Manitoba’s Minister of Labor and Immigration, the pilot initiative will support community and economic growth by addressing succession planning as well as labor market demands.
It would help “respond to the local demand for skilled workers in rural Manitoba and ensure that the province remains a welcoming place for newcomers,” Marcelino said of the program. This new project expands on Manitoba’s existing regional immigration programs in the Parkland, Winkler-Stanley, and Morden areas. The province will keep working with other rural and regional towns to create similar programs in the future, the minister continued.
What is an immigration pilot?
Canada frequently introduces immigration pilot programs to address specific labour shortages in particular regions or sectors and to support growth in those areas.
These pilot programs are typically launched through collaboration between various levels of government, including federal, provincial, and local authorities.
The eligibility requirements for these pilots vary. Some may require candidates to have a job offer, while others assess factors like work experience, language skills, and educational background.
One example of an active immigration pilot is the Agri-Food Pilot, which targets the workforce needs of Canada’s agri-food industry.
These pilots are generally time-limited, and if successful, they may evolve into permanent immigration programs. For instance, the Atlantic Immigration Program replaced the Atlantic Immigration Pilot in 2022.
