Jobs & Money Detail
Skills shortage reaches new levels
Last month new census data released by Statistics Canada confirmed what has been known for a number of years – Canada is facing a severe skilled worker shortage.
At present, Canada boasts the fastest-growing employment rate of any G7 nation, while, as revealed in this paper last month, unemployment in the country is at a 33-year low. However, tough times seem to lay ahead for Canuck employers. The latest census figures show that 15.3 per cent of Canada's current workforce is aged 55 or older and nearing retirement, compared to only 11.7 per cent in 2001.
More worrying, though, is the fact that the rate at which younger workers are filling these job vacancies has been declining steadily. In 2006 just 1.9 Canadians aged between 20 and 34 entered the workforce for every person aged 55–64 who left, compared to 2.7 in 2001 and 3.7 25 years ago. What's more, for the first time in Canada's history statistics show that there are now as many workers aged over 40 employed in the country as there are under 40.
It's no real surprise, then, that economic experts are predicting a grim time for the immediate future of the Canadian employment market, with the consensus seeming to be that it will take around 20 years for the country's labour market to replenish itself. The Healthcare, IT and skilled labour/ trade sectors are expected to be particularly hard hit by these shortages. Earlier this year, a Conference Board of Canada report warned that 90,000 jobs in the information technology industry will need to be filled over the next three years. Failure to do so could result in a CDN$10 million loss to the economy, the report said.
Statistics such as this are all too common across Canada. The country's food service industry recently predicted that it will need around 200,000 more workers over the next ten years because of the retiring workers and the growing trend of dining out. In the February edition of Emigrate Canada we revealed that a recent survey carried out by the Canadian Medical Association and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons suggests that Canada needs to add 26,000 doctors to its workforce immediately in order to meet minimal international standards.
Individual provinces also seemingly have much to fear with regards to the predicted job shortages. For example, the Conference Board of Canada predicts that Ontario alone could face a shortfall of 190,000 skilled workers by 2020 and 564,000 by 2030. Elsewhere, the Vancouver Regional Construction Association states that British Columbia's construction industry will need to fill 45,000 jobs over the next five to ten years, due to a combination of new jobs created by the province's hosting of the 2010 Winter Olympics and an ageing workforce.
With this in mind it's not hard to see why, that for over ten years, the Canadian immigration programme has been largely focused on attracting economic immigrants – particularly skilled workers – to the country. In fact, since 1995 at least half of Canada's total immigrant intake has emigrated through the economic category. In 2006, 47.4 per cent of new Canadians entered via the Skilled Worker or Provincial Nominee Programmes (PNP) alone (the economic class also includes business immigrants and live-in care givers), and it is through these two schemes that the Canadian government is hoping to plug the skills shortages. Of course, Canada's Skilled Worker programme does not want any old skilled workers going to live there – just those who have the skills to be of use to the country's economy.
This is where the National Occupations Classifications (NOC) list comes into play. In order to emigrate through the Skilled Worker category an applicant will need to have had at least one continuous year's worth of full-time work experience in an occupation included under Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B on this list. In theory, this list features all the skilled occupations deemed to be particularly in demand throughout the whole of Canada, and as you can see from the table on the right, it's a pretty extensive list.
However, even if you don't have skills in one of the many occupations on the NOC, you may still find that your particular area of expertise is required in a province that will be happy to sponsor you for immigration through its Provincial Nomination Programme. For example, long-haul truck drivers are not included on the NOC, yet Alberta and Saskatchewan, to name just two, both run programmes through their PNPs which target truck drivers.
National Occupations Classifications list
In order to emigrate to Canada as a Skilled Worker you must have had at least one continuous year's worth of full-time work experience in an occupation included under Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B on the National Occupations Classification List. These occupations are considered to be the skilled vocations which are most in demand in Canada:
Business, Finance and Administration Occupations
Skill Type 0 – Management Occupations
Legislators and Senior Management
Administrative Services Managers
Managers in Financial and Business Services
Managers in Communication (except broadcasting)
Skill Level A – Professional Occupations in Business and Finance
Auditors, Accountants and Investment Professionals
Human Resources and Business Service Professionals
Skill Level B – Skilled Administrative and Business Occupations
Clerical Supervisors
Administrative and Regulatory Occupations
Finance and Insurance Administrative Occupations
Secretaries, Recorders and Transcriptionists
Natural and Applied Sciences and Related Occupations
Skill Type 0 – Management Occupations
Legislators and Senior Management
Managers in Engineering, Architecture, Science and Information Systems
Skill Level A – Professional Occupations in Natural and Applied Sciences
Physical Science Professionals
Life Science Professionals
Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Chemical Engineers
Other Engineers
Architects, Urban Planners and Land Surveyors
Mathematicians, Statisticians and Actuaries
Computer and Information Systems Professionals
Skill Level B — Technical Occupations Related to Natural and Applied Sciences
Technical Occupations in Physical Sciences
Technical Occupations in Life Sciences
Technical Occupations in Civil, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Technical Occupations in Electronics and Electrical Engineering
Technical Occupations in Architecture, Drafting, Surveying and Mapping
Other Technical Inspectors and Regulatory Officers
Transportation Officers and Controllers
Technical Occupations in Computer and Information Systems
Health Occupations
Skill Type 0 – Management Occupations
Legislators and Senior Management
Managers in Health, Education, Social and Community Services
Managers in Public Administration
Skill Level A – Professional Occupations in Health
Physicians, Dentists and Veterinarians
Optometrists, Chiropractors and Other Health Diagnosing and Treating Professionals
Pharmacists, Dieticians and Nutritionists
Therapy and Assessment Professionals
Nurse Supervisors and Registered Nurses
Skill Level B – Technical and Skilled Occupations in Health
Medical Technologists and Technicians (Except Dental Health)
Technical Occupations in Dental Health Care
Other Technical Occupations in Health Care (Except Dental)
Occupations in Social Science, Education,
Government Service and Religion
SKill Type 0 – Management Occupations:
Legislators and Senior Management
Managers in Health, Education, Social and Community Services
Managers in Public Administration
Skill Level A – Professional Occupations in Social Science, Education, Government Services and Religion:
Judges, Lawyers and Quebec Notaries
University Professors and Assistants
College and Other Vocational Instructors
Secondary and Elementary School Teachers and Educational Counsellors
Psychologists, Social Workers, Counsellors, Clergy and Probation Officers
Policy and Program Officers, Researchers and Consultants
Skill Level B – Paraprofessional Occupations in Law, Social Services, Education and Religion
Paralegals, Social Services Workers and Occupations in Education and Religion, n.e.c.
Occupations in Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport
Skill Type 0 – Management Occupations
Legislators and Senior Management
Managers in Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport
Skill Level A – Professional Occupations in Art and Culture
Librarians, Archivists, Conservators and Curators
Writing, Translating and Public Relations Professionals
Creative and Performing Artists
Skill Level B – Technical Skilled Occupations in Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport
Technical Occupations in Libraries, Archives, Museums and Art Galleries
Photographers, Graphic Arts Technicians and Technical and Co-ordinating Occupations in Motion Pictures, Broadcasting and the Performing Arts
Announcers and Other Performers
Creative Designers and Craftpersons
Athletes, Coaches, Referees and Related Occupations
Sales and Service Occupations
Skill Type 0 – Management Occupations
Legislators and Senior Management
Sales, Marketing and Advertising Managers
Managers in Retail Trade
Managers in Food Service and Accommodation
Managers in Protective Service
Managers in Other Services
Skill Level B – Skilled Sales and Service Occupations
Sales and Service Supervisors
Technical Sales Specialists, Wholesale Trade
Insurance and Real Estate Sales Occupations and Buyers
Chefs and Cooks
Butchers and Bakers
Police Officers and Firefighters
Technical Occupations in Personal Service
Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators and Related Occupations
Skill Type 0 – Management Occupations
Legislators and Senior Management
Managers in Construction and Transportation
Facility Operation and Maintenance Managers
Skill Level B – Trades and Skilled Transport and Equipment Operators
Contractors and Supervisors, Trades and Related Workers
Supervisors, Railway and Motor Transportation Occupations
Machinists and Related Occupations
Electrical Trades and Telecommunication Occupations
Plumbers, Pipefitters and Gas Fitters
Metal Forming, Shaping and Erecting Trades
Carpenters and Cabinetmakers
Masonry and Plastering Trades
Other Construction Trades
Machinery and Transportation Equipment Mechanics (Except Motor Vehicle)
Automotive Service Technicians
Other Mechanics
Upholsterers, Tailors, Shoe Repairers, Jewellers and Related Occupations
Stationary Engineers and Power Station and System Operators
Train Crew Operating Occupations
Crane Operators, Drillers and Blasters
Printing Press Operators, Commercial Divers and Other Trades and Related Occupations, n.e.c.
Occupations Unique to Primary Industry
Skill Type 0 – Management Occupations
Legislators and Senior Management
Managers in Primary Production (Except Agriculture)
Skill Level B – Skilled Occupations in Primary Industry
Supervisors, Logging and Forestry
Supervisors, Mining, Oil and Gas
Underground Miners, Oil and Gas Drillers and Related Workers
Logging Machinery Operators
Contractors, Operators and Supervisors in Agriculture, Horticulture and Aquaculture
Fishing Vessel Masters and Skippers and Fishermen/women
Occupations Unique to Processing,
Manufacturing and Utilities
Skill Type 0 – Management Occupations
Legislators and Senior Management
Managers in Manufacturing and Utilities
Skill Level B – Processing, Manufacturing and Utility Supervisors and Skilled Operators
Supervisors, Processing Occupations
Supervisors, Assembly and Fabrication
Central Control and Process Operators in Manufacturing and Processing
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