Saskatchewan Launches New ‘Hard-To-Fill Skills’ Pilot Program

Today, on November 25, 2021, Saskatchewan announced a new Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot program to help employers recruit candidates in certain roles that are difficult to fill in the province.

The program will help Saskatchewan employers recruit workers in select jobs, including low and entry-level positions, through international missions and recruitment activities.

Sectors identified as having the highest demand include health, manufacturing, agriculture, ag-tech, construction, hospitality and retail.

Saskatchewan has experienced strong job growth within the last few months, surpassing the national increase by 0.8 per cent.

“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,” said Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison in a recent media release.

To be eligible for the Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot, candidates must:

• Have a full-time, permanent job offer in an eligible occupation with a Saskatchewan employer;
• Have a SINP job approval letter;
• Score a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 (some employers may require higher);
• Have completed the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma;
• Have mandatory licensing if required for job;
• Have at least one year of work experience in the same occupation as the job offered and at least six months of work experience with the Saskatchewan employer

Employers must demonstrate that they have made extensive efforts to recruit a permanent resident or citizen and the need for the foreign worker at their business. The Saskatchewan employer must also demonstrate their ability to provide settlement support for the worker once they arrive.

Eligible job offers must be in one of the following NOC codes:

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