Attracting global talent to solve job market gaps
Alberta's economy has recovered strongly and the biggest issue hindering further economic growth is a shortage of labour. Alberta's government is making changes to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) that will increase opportunities for international, high-demand workers with close relatives in Alberta to fill those vacancies.
AAIP is an economic immigration program that enables Alberta to nominate qualified workers for permanent residency. If newcomers have an established support system already in place when they accept a job in the province, they are more likely to have an easier transition to a new culture and community. In addition to making the integration into Alberta life easier, it also helps retain these workers over the longer term.
“AAIP's change will draw workers in high-demand sectors through Express Entry who have immediate family ties in Alberta. This approach will help ensure Alberta's economy will prosper by dedicating a portion of provincial nominations towards in-demand workers who will have a great support network right from day one, said Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism in a prepared statement.
Industry experts predict that Alberta will experience skilled worker shortages into 2025 due to industry growth and retiring workers. Currently, Alberta has 100,000 job openings in the province across all sectors. In-demand sectors include healthcare, construction, education, technology and engineering.
“The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program is one of the most attractive provincial nominee programs in the country. This announcement will definitely increase the retention of talent in Alberta. Immigration fuels our economy. Giving priority to high-demand workers with families in Alberta will not only fill the labour gap but will also provide solid support to new immigrants in their settlement. A big thank you to Minister Rajan Sawhney for taking this initiative to strengthen our provincial immigra
tion,” explained Sheba Singh, CEO, Canarch Immigration Solutions.
“With job vacancies high and unemployment relatively low, the labour market in Alberta is the tightest we've seen in years, and skilled immigration is one of the best ways we can address the labour shortages affecting the majority of Alberta employers. Maximizing the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program is a win for Alberta's economy, addressing many of the labour gaps and attracting more people to the province.”
Adam Legge, President, Business Council of Alberta
Quick Facts:
• In December 2022, Alberta gained more than 41,000 new full-time jobs for a total of nearly 94,000 full-time jobs in 2022. 221,000 full-time jobs have been added in Alberta since the start of 2021.
• Alberta is forecasting a cumulative job shortage of 33,100 workers by 2025 across several occupations, skill levels and sectors
• AAIP is an economic immigration program that allows Alberta to nominate individuals for permanent residence.
Nominees must have skills to fill job shortages in Alberta and be able to provide for their families.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sets AAIP annual nomination limits:
In 2022, AAIP issued all 6,500 nomination certificates that were allocated by IRCC to skilled and semi-skilled immigrants across seven immigration streams.
• 3,120 certificates were allocated under the Alberta Express Entry Stream.