Canada admitted only 9,924 individuals through its skilled trades programme, compared to 2.9 million individuals who were granted permanent residency, including economic migrants, sponsored family members, and resettled refugees, between 2015 and 2023.
According to a quarterly update by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), this constitutes less than 0.5 per cent of the total permanent residents.
Canada has increasingly prioritised granting permanent residency to highly educated individuals, leading to a decline in the prominence of skilled trades within the government’s immigration priorities.
The Federal Skilled Trades Programme is part of the federal government’s Express Entry system and is the only federal immigration programme that prioritises workers in trades professions.
Occupations in this category include construction, manufacturing, mechanics, forestry, agriculture, carpentry, culinary arts, painting, equipment operations, and related fields.
The programme allows qualified tradespeople from around the world to apply for permanent residency in Canada. Applicants must have at least two years of skilled trades experience, either in Canada or abroad, as defined by the National Occupational Classification. They must also have a full-time job offer in Canada or a provincial or federal skilled trade certificate.
The small numbers of skilled trades persons in Canada have led to the manufacturing sector experiencing labour gaps costing the economy an estimated $13 billion in 2022.
Removing barriers for internationally trained artisans
Ontario has therefore been exploring ways to create more pathways into the trades for apprentices and to remove barriers for internationally trained workers to meet local labour demands. Meanwhile, Alberta is looking to expand its list of recognised international qualifications to address gaps in the skilled labour market and fill vacancies in high-demand sectors.
David Piccini, Ontario’s labour minister and Rajan Sawhney, Alberta’s minister of advanced education have agreed to collaborate in addressing the skilled trades labour shortage in their respective provinces.
“Ontario needs hundreds of thousands of additional skilled trades workers over the next decade to build homes, hospitals and highways”.
“Working together with Alberta, we’re sharing knowledge and expertise on international credential recognition, removing barriers to skilled workers filling in-demand jobs and building our communities.”
“By expanding our international credential recognition and working with our partners in the Government of Ontario, we can welcome more talented individuals and ensure our economy remains competitive and dynamic”, said Piccini.
More than 60% of immigrants arriving in Canada in the past five years hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 30% of the Canadian-born population, according to a DeepDive by The Hub. Around 40% of new permanent residents are selected based on economic criteria, though many are family members of economic migrants (20%), family members of previous immigrants (20%), or refugees (15%).
“By focusing on high skilled immigrants [in granting permanent residency],… we’re neglecting an important and critical part of our economy,” according to an immigration lawyer in the same study.
