Saskatchewan is in such desperate need of immigrants to address its labour shortfall that it established a brand-new avenue to permanent residency for them last month.

The Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot was established in late November to allow firms to recruit people for chosen positions that have considerable recruitment issues through abroad missions or other international recruitment operations.

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) pilot programme accepts applications for low and entry-level employment that may require on-the-job training yet are necessary for enterprises to continue operating.

The Hard-To-Fill Pilot is part of the province’s targeted initiative to attract more immigrants to Saskatchewan, which includes the Health Professional, Hospitality Sector Pilot Project, and Long-Haul Truck Drivers sub-categories of its Saskatchewan Experience category of programmes, as well as the Farm Owners/Operators and Young Farmers sub-categories of its Business category of programmes.

Saskatchewan’s healthcare, manufacturing, agricultural, ag-tech, construction, hospitality, and retail industries are all desperate for people to fill positions that are being unfilled due to a lack of staff.

“The need for labour in our province is robust, and it will only grow with the large economic initiatives just announced in Saskatchewan,” provincial Immigration Minister Jeremy Harrison said in late November.

“This new Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot – designed in Saskatchewan for Saskatchewan – is a step forward in our autonomy conversations with the federal government and will assist firms get more access to overseas choices for recruiting people,” he said.

“This is on top of record spending in training and upskilling our provincial workforce as we approach a period of significant growth in the aftermath of the worldwide epidemic.”

Saskatchewan is hiring, with its provincial economy on track to grow by 4% this year and a further 3.4% increase in real GDP predicted next year.

“Company owners, business management in the region… they’re all struggling for support,” said to Sherry Halvorson, district manager of Urban Cellars Beer Spirits & Wine Stores in Saskatoon.

“It makes no difference if they’re restaurants or grocery stores. The bank has a line out the door. They require bank tellers. It’s an unavoidable truth of life. We must return people to work.”

Here below Top 5 Most In-Demand Jobs in Saskatchewan:

1. Nurses (NOC 3012)

Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses offer direct nursing care to patients, as well as health education programmes and consultation services on nursing-related concerns.

Indeed had 128 available opportunities for nurses, and Jobank had 300 job offers posted for these medical professionals in Saskatchewan in early December, as the COVID-19 epidemic increased demand for nurses across the country.

Mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers resulted in a few layoffs, while the pandemic’s most recent wave produced an even larger need for medical employees.

The occupation pays a typical annual compensation of $86,250 based on a 37.5-hour work week, with top wage earners in the province earning up to $96,525 in Saskatchewan’s Yorkton-Melville region.

2. Delivery and Courier Service Drivers (NOC 7514)

These are the individuals that pick up and deliver things for dairies, drug stores, newspaper distributors, take-out restaurants, dry cleaners, mobile caterers, courier and messenger service firms, and so on.

Most internet buyers recognise these individuals as those who deliver items purchased on eBay and Amazon to their houses. This year’s employment surge for these professionals was fueled by the internet shopping boom and the rise of Amazon in Canada.

In early December, there were 191 delivery driver positions available in Saskatchewan, according to Indeed.

The profession offers a typical annual salary of $32,175 in Saskatchewan based on a regular work week, although top workers may make up to $68,250 per year.

3. Physicians – Family (NOC 3112) and Specialists (3111)

Indeed posted 138 vacancies for family doctors and specialists in Saskatchewan in early December.

Family physicians and general practitioners diagnose and treat illnesses, physiological abnormalities, and accidents. They earn a typical yearly pay of $216,864 across the country, but may earn as much as $414,390.

Specialists, which include surgeons, diagnose and treat illnesses as well as physiological or behavioural issues, and they serve as advisors to other physicians.

A surgeon’s typical annual pay in Canada is $281,182, although earnings may reach $580,346 per year.

4. Cooks (NOC 6322)

Saskatchewan restaurateurs are in desperate need of cooks, as the hospitality industry suffers an unprecedented labour crisis.

According to Job Bank, there were 271 cook positions available in Saskatchewan in early December. Indeed, 351 such vacancies were advertised.

It isn’t the highest-paying job. The typical yearly wage for a cook in Saskatchewan is $27,787, based on a 37.5-hour work week, while the highest annual compensation is $45,181 in the province’s north. However, there are several work opportunities in the hotel industry throughout the province.

5. Food And Beverage Servers (NOC 6513) 

Restaurants in Saskatchewan are likewise confronting a severe labour shortage, with one vice president of the Restaurants Canada business organisation describing the situation as “unprecedented.”

According to Indeed, there were 108 server positions available in Saskatchewan in early December.

Based on a 37.5-hour work week, the typical annual wage for a waiter in Saskatchewan is $27,105, with a maximum annual salary of $39,000.