Nova Scotia announces new immigration stream for skilled trades

Nova Scotia's own immigration program will now become even more extensive with the addition of another stream for skilled trades. The pilot program, called the Critical Construction Worker Pilot, is designed for construction professionals looking to relocate to Nova Scotia.

A prerequisite for candidates will be a provincial job offer. And the profession must be on the list declared by the province, here it is:

• construction managers;
• home building and renovation managers;
• contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations;
• contractors and managers, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers;
• contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades;
• welders and related machine operators;
• electricians (except industrial and power systems);
• industrial electricians;
• carpenters;
• bricklayers;
• heavy-duty equipment mechanics;
• heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics;
• crane operators;
• concrete finishers;
• plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers;
• roofer and shinglers;
• residential and commercial installers and servicers;
• heavy equipment operators;
• material handlers;
• construction trades helpers and labourers;
• other trades helpers and labourers.

Candidate Requirements:

• experience in one of the 21 occupations on the list for 1 year or more;
• a diploma OR other proof that you have completed a training program in a specific construction industry;
• ages 21 to 55;
• results of the CLB language test at level 5 or 4, even if your first language is English or French;
• financial resources to successfully establish themselves in Nova Scotia.

The launch of the program is linked to the ever-increasing need for construction professionals in Canada and specifically Nova Scotia. Provincial Premier Tim Houston announced that with the new pilot, the province expects to attract 5,000 new apprentices over the next 3 years, increase the number of professionals by 1,000 per year and increase the retention rate of apprentices as permanent employees from 43% to 60%. If this goal can be met, the province will post one of the highest rates in the country in five years.

"We are willing to make bold decisions and substantial changes to the status quo to become the skilled trades leader in Canada," said Houston.

The need to address the housing crisis in a systemic way has prompted Nova Scotia authorities to not only launch a new immigration stream, but also to generally overhaul industry practices. That is, in addition to extensive hiring, a number of training and retraining programs are planned, as well as an expansion of mentoring. The authorities also promise to fundamentally change the government's interaction with industry, but exactly how this will be done is still unclear.

In total, Nova Scotia is going to spend about CA$ 100 million over the next 3 years on all construction changes.