Construction trades contractors and supervisors are in short supply for Canada jobs, providing an opportunity for qualified foreign nationals to gain their permanent residence here through occupation-targeted Express Entry system draws.
“Over the period 2022 – 2031, the number of job openings arising from expansion demand and replacement demand for contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers are expected to total 19,800, while the number of job seekers arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility is expected to total 15,000,” notes the Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) website of the federal government.
That’s a shortfall of 4,800 jobs that are going to be going begging for a want of qualified workers – unless immigrants to Canada pick up the slack.
“Projected job openings are expected to be substantially higher than job seekers, creating a shortage of workers over the 2022 – 2031 period,” notes COPS.
“Job openings are expected to arise mostly from retirements.
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“As workers in this occupational group tend to be older than average, the retirement rate is expected to be slightly higher than the national average.
“As such, retirements will account for about 70 per cent of total job openings, a proportion that is significantly higher than the average of all occupations of about 50 per cent.”
When Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced Canada’s Express Entry system would begin targeting 82 jobs in healthcare, technology, trades, transport and agriculture this summer – including contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers, it opened the door to a new pathway to immigration for them.
The flagship Express Entry selection system had previously only conducted draws based on immigration programs, not by targeting specific occupations.
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Candidates hoping to immigrate through Express Entry occupation-targeted draws will need at least six months of continuous work experience in Canada or abroad within the past three years in one of these occupations to be eligible, experience that can have been gained while working in Canada as temporary foreign workers with a work permits or as an international student with a student visa.
Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers, categorized under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 system with the code 72014, supervise and coordinate the activities of tradespeople, including bricklayers and insulators, concrete finishers, tilesetters and plasterers, roofers, glaziers, painters, decorators and floor covering installers and building maintenance installers, servicers and repairers.
The Jobbank federal job-hunting and career-planning website gives a ranking of very good, its highest rating, for the job prospects of these workers in Quebec and Saskatchewan and a ranking of good for Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
In late August, the Indeed.ca job-hunting website listed 2,760 jobs for contractors across Canada.
Contractors Can Earn Up To $89,992 Per Year In Canada
The median hourly wage for contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers in Canada is $35 but that varies from a low of $22 right up to $46.15, reveals Jobbank.
Based on a standard, 37.5-hour work week, that means contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers can expect to earn up to $89,992 per year in Canada.
Under the changes announced at the end of May, the Express Entry streams, including the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program, Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program and Canadian Experience Class (CEC), as well as parts of the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) are now more responsive to labour market needs.
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“Everywhere I go, I’ve heard loud and clear from employers across the country who are experiencing chronic labour shortages,” said then-Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.
“These changes to the Express Entry system will ensure that they have the skilled workers they need to grow and succeed. We can also grow our economy and help businesses with labour shortages while also increasing the number of French-proficient candidates to help ensure the vitality of French-speaking communities.”
Canada first signalled its intention to start occupation-specific draws through Express Entry in June last year, when changes were made to the Immigration, Refugee and Protection Act to allow invitations based on occupations and other attributes, such as language ability.
The majority of Canada’s provinces have been issuing occupation-specific invitations for several years.
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Under the changes to the act, the immigration minister is required to consult provinces and territories, members of industry, unions, employers, workers, worker advocacy groups, settlement provider organizations, and immigration researchers and practitioners, before announcing new categories.
IRCC must also report to parliament each year on the categories that were chosen and the reason for the choices.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) says the number of occupations facing shortages doubled between 2019 and 2021. From 2018 to 2022, federal high skilled admissions accounted for between 34 and 40 per cent of overall French-speaking admissions outside Quebec, which manages its own immigration intake.
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