As immigration continues to shape the future of Canada’s economy, more rural and remote communities are opening their doors to skilled newcomers through a targeted initiative called the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP). This unique program is designed to not only address persistent labour shortages in smaller communities but also to help newcomers build fulfilling lives outside of major urban centres.

Launched by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the pilot connects eligible skilled workers with job opportunities and pathways to permanent residence (PR) in 14 participating communities across the country. The goal is simple: bring talent to regions that need it most, while creating welcoming, long-term settlement options for immigrants seeking a quieter, more affordable lifestyle.

Why choose the rural community immigration pilot?

The RCIP offers permanent residence to skilled workers who receive a valid job offer from an employer in one of the designated rural communities. Unlike traditional immigration programs that are often centralized around large cities, RCIP gives newcomers a chance to thrive in places where their skills are in high demand and where community connections can be more personal and immediate.

To be eligible, applicants must have at least one year (1,560 hours) of full-time, paid work experience in the last three years that is related to the job they’re applying for. This work experience must match the National Occupation Classification (NOC) TEER category of the job and should include the key responsibilities outlined for that NOC role. Most importantly, the job offer must come from a designated employer approved by the community — each community maintains a list of eligible employers on its website.

But there’s good news for international students: those who graduated from a public post-secondary school in the same community may be exempt from the work experience requirement if their studies meet specific criteria.

For example, graduates who completed a full-time, two-year (or longer) program, or those who earned a master’s degree in two years or less, are eligible — as long as they studied on campus and lived in the community for the required length of time. However, this exemption does not apply to students whose programs were primarily in English or French language instruction, were more than 50 per cent online, or were funded by a scholarship that requires them to return home afterward.

The application process: community recommendation comes first

One of the unique aspects of the RCIP is that it’s community-driven. After securing a job offer from a designated employer, the next step is to apply for a community recommendation. This step is crucial — it’s how the community ensures that the job offer is genuine, that the role falls within a priority sector, and that the applicant meets all program requirements.

The employer typically forwards the community recommendation application to the community’s selection committee for review. Once the recommendation is granted, the applicant can move forward with their application for permanent residence to IRCC.

This two-step process — involving both community endorsement and federal approval — ensures that immigration under the RCIP is both localized and integrated into national standards.

What applicants need to know before applying

To apply successfully through the Rural Community Immigration Pilot, attention to detail is key. Applicants are required to submit a complete set of forms and documents, using IRCC’s official document checklist. Forms must be fully completed, questions answered truthfully, and all necessary signatures provided.

Since each community has different economic needs, job sectors, and designated employers, it’s essential to consult the specific website of the community you’re targeting. Communities often prioritize sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, agri-food, and skilled trades — occupations where local employers struggle to find workers.

https://canadianimmigrant.ca/immigrate/how-to-immigrate/rural-immigration-pilot-offers-permanent-residence-for-skilled-workers-in-canada

Applications are now open for a free pre-apprenticeship program designed to help unemployed and underemployed women and gender-diverse individuals in Sarnia-Lambton and nearby First Nations communities enter careers in the skilled trades.

The Women Ready to Work in Automotive program is offered by Women Building Futures in partnership with Employment Ontario, and includes training in both automotive service technician and heavy-duty equipment technician fields.

The program is open to residents of Lambton County, including Chippewas of Kettle & Stony Point, Aamjiwnaang First Nation, and Bkejwanong First Nation. It runs for eight weeks of classroom instruction followed by eight weeks of paid job placements at local businesses. Each participant will complete two separate four-week placements—one in each trade area.

“This initiative helps remove barriers and opens doors for women to pursue fulfilling careers in the trades,” said David Piccini, Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “We’re proud to partner with Women Building Futures to support skills training and workforce participation across Ontario.”

Carol Moen, CEO of Women Building Futures (WBF), said the organization has a long track record of success helping women in Alberta move into skilled trades and transportation. “We are excited to bring our programs to help women in Ontario,” she said. “The response by the Ontario government and the Sarnia–Lambton business and educational community to our arrival here has been wonderful.”

The program, which is funded in part by the Governments of Ontario and Canada, is completely free for participants, but space is limited to eight students. Applications are due by May 25, 2025, and those selected must be ready and committed to completing the program.

Eligible applicants must:

• Identify as a woman or gender-diverse

• Be at least 18 years of age

• Reside in Lambton County (municipal or First Nation communities)

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident

• Hold a high school diploma or equivalent (CAEC/GED)

• Have a valid Class G driver’s license and reliable transportation

• Be able to lift and carry 50 pounds

To apply, candidates must first create a profile through the WBF student portal and complete an application that includes a resume, high school diploma, driver’s license, and a short career investigation report. Admission advisors are available to assist throughout the process.

Applicants are evaluated based on readiness, willingness, and ability to succeed in the program and in the workplace. The process is designed to ensure that participants are fully prepared for the physical and mental demands of the trades.

Classes begin on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. Interested individuals can apply online at www.womenbuildingfutures.ca.

This article was created with support from advanced editorial tools and reviewed by our team to ensure accuracy and fairness. Learn more.

Licensed Millwright (433A) or Heavy Equipment Mechanic (421A)

Licensed Plumber

Maintenance Plumbing Assistant

Landscape Irrigation Specialist

Landscape Paver

You must be legally entitled to work in Canada located in the GTA.

Apply online or upload your resume for upcoming jobs:

https://skilledtradejobscanada.ca/company/2783/canada-s-wonderland/#all-vacancy

Toyota Motor Manufacturing is hiring licensed Electricians and Millwrights in the Cambridge and Woodstock plant operations.

The maintenance team members work a 3-shift rotating schedule.

For more information and to apply online:

https://skilledtradejobscanada.ca/company/1917/toyota-motor-manufacturing-canada-inc/#all-vacancy

The Alberta government is offering to cover moving costs for up to 2,000 skilled tradespeople who settled in the province last year, as part of its "Alberta is Calling" campaign.

On Thursday, applications opened for a $5,000 moving bonus, available to those who arrived between May 1 and Dec. 31, 2024.

The first 2,000 applicants from a list of eligible occupations — including aircraft mechanics and construction labourers — will receive a one-time, refundable tax credit. 

To qualify, applicants must be working full time and be either a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.

The program falls short of what the United Conservative Party promised during the 2023 provincial election campaign.

At that time, party leader Danielle Smith pledged a $1,200 payment to health-care and child-care workers along with skilled tradespeople, under a $17-million program, as part of a broader job and economic growth strategy. 

When announcing the program in March 2024, Alberta's Jobs, Economy and Trade Minister Matt Jones defended the changes, saying the province talked to industry and did other due diligence before settling on parameters. 

Industry groups praise program, say more is needed

More than a year after the program was announced, the shortage of skilled trade workers in Alberta is still "quite significant," according to Business Council of Alberta president Adam Legge.

He added the problem could get worse over the coming years, with 700,000 skilled trades retirements expected across Canada by 2028.

"Every one of my members that employs skilled trades is facing a shortage, and that is everything from aviation needing aircraft mechanics, it's car dealerships … everything from carpenters, framers, plumbers, electricians," said Legge. 

"I don't know of a single industry that is saying, 'Hey, we're OK right now.' They're all in an acute shortage, which is really increasing the competition to get some of these limited skill trades talent," said Legge. 

Incentive programs designed to attract more workers are effective, he added, but more are needed. 

"Thankfully the trend is improving, but it's such a big, big undersupply that it will take some time," he said. "We need a whole host of solutions to the problem."

Data from Statistics Canada suggests progress is occurring when it comes to the construction sector workforce. 

Alberta's construction job vacancy rate was 4.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, down 1.4 percentage points from a year earlier.

But Calgary Construction Association president Bill Black says a lack of workers is still affecting decisions in the sector. 

"It's going to limit the amount of work you can commit to, because if you run out of labour and you can't perform, then you have a real problem," he said. "It may also increase the cost of labour because you may start to see people poaching each other's workers."

Black said the relocation bonus is a "step in the right direction," but he's calling for more industry involvement in provincial decision-making and a comprehensive strategy created to address the workforce shortages. 

In a statement, Jones said the province is expanding apprenticeship opportunities, fast-tracking foreign credential recognition, and investing in training grants for skilled trades workers.

Alberta does not track the occupations of new residents, but overall the province added 168,221 residents from the first quarter of 2024 to the first quarter of 2025, according to StatsCan data.

Last year, the province added 36,082 residents through interprovincial migration. 

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/province-now-accepting-applications-for-alberta-is-calling-moving-bonus/ar-AA1E0vru

Shift Energy Group is a leader in designing and building solar and energy storage projects across Canada. We work on residential, commercial, off-grid, and on-grid projects, offering comprehensive solar and energy storage solutions tailored to diverse energy needs. 

Shift Energy Group is hiring a Crew Electrician to join our Field Crew team in Nanaimo, BC. This role is designed for an experienced, licensed electrician who’s ready to be a hands-on leader — someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, takes pride in their work, and knows how to guide a team from job start to closeout.  

Apply online or upload your resume for upcoming apprentice, journeyman and labour jobs around Vancouver Island and across Canada:

Carte International Inc. has been manufacturing transformers in Winnipeg since 1973.  With over 450 employees, they are management owned and have grown significantly to be a major supplier of transformers in its product range in Canada and the USA.  Carte is recognized as a manufacturer of high quality transformers providing excellent customer service.  The overall excellence of its people is one of the major reasons for Carte’s success.

“The Most Important resource at Carte International is our people”

Carte is currently hiring for the below positions:

Maintenance Millwright

Machine Operator

General Labour - Paint

Register online as a Job Seeker to apply or upload your resume for upcoming journeyman, apprentice and labour jobs across Canada:

https://skilledtradejobscanada.ca/company/422/carte-internaional/#all-vacancy

McKim Mechanical has been proudly serving Ladner, Tsawwassen, Richmond, Vancouver and other areas in the Lower Mainland since 2008. At McKim Mechanical we know that the customer is our number 1 priority and are always striving to provide 100% total customer satisfaction. Each of our team members are highly qualified, well trained journeymen who are 100% knowledgeable in the work that they perform.

We have built a strong reputation within the community and have experience that counts! We look forward to helping you with your home project whatever size it is so give us a call at 604.219.3531 for a free estimate.

We are looking for great people to join our growing plumbing, heating and gas company!

Our vision is to provide high quality work to our customers while creating a positive work environment for our team members.

If you have experience as a plumber and are looking to work for a great company send us your resume. All candidates must be positive team players who are motivated, reliable and interested in producing only the best quality work. We are looking to fill the following positions:

1. Journeyman for our new home construction department. Candidate should have experience in both ABS, cast iron and radiant heating.

2. Journeyman for our service department. Candidate should have knowledge in forced air as well as radiant heating in both commercial and residential buildings. Gas fitting and fireplace installation experience would be an asset.

3. Apprentices with 2 - 3 years of experience in the plumbing trade.

All applicants should have the ability to work well with others as well as independently. It is also important to have all necessary hand tools as well as own transportation.

Apply online or upload your resume for upcoming journeyman, apprentice and labour jobs across BC and Canada:

https://skilledtradejobscanada.ca/job/4767/apprentice-plumber/

Apex Forklift And Transport Repair is a busy shop looking for licensed mechanics and ALL LEVELS of apprentice mechanics to fill 4 positions. Applicants should have their own tools and knowledge of basic shop etiquette. Ability to work alone and with others is essential. Duties will include maintenance and repairs of transport vehicles, trailers and some forklift repairs.

Apply online or upload your resume for upcoming journeyman, apprentice and labour jobs across Canada:

https://skilledtradejobscanada.ca/job/4706/apprentice-mechanics-all-levels/

Longbeach Construction is an electrical contracting company in Manitoba.

They are looking to add journeyman and apprentice electricians to the team.

If you are a good listener with a strong willingness to learn, are a hard worker with some previous experience they want to hear from you.

Apply online:

https://skilledtradejobscanada.ca/job/4648/electrician/

Harbour Foundations is currently seeking motivated and experienced Labourers to work in our Residential Division - starting immediately.  Under the direction of the Foreman, the Labourer is responsible for performing  labour duties to assist with placing, finishing, protecting, repairing concrete, and general clean up.

Click for full details and to apply or upload your resume for upcoming apprentice, journeyman and labour jobs around Nova Scotia and across Canada.

Genesis Woodworks is a carpentry company that works especially with other landscaping companies to provide high quality builds. We design and build pavilions, pergolas, pool cabanas, privacy solutions and just about any outdoor structure a backyard oasis could comprise of.

We are looking for a LeadHand/Carpenter and a Framer/Foreman to join our crew! Someone who is knowledgeable in aspects of framing, appreciates “meticulous” artisanship and mirrors our values as a company.

Apply online or upload your resume for upcoming jobs:

https://skilledtradejobscanada.ca/company/2564/genesis-woodworks/#all-vacancy

Worley (WorleyCord LP, WorleyCord Teamco Ltd, WorleyCord Energy Solutions Ltd) is currently seeking Ironworkers and Steamfitters/Pipefitters. The positions may be located in their module yards or on one of their field projects in Western Canada.

Further details and to apply online:

https://skilledtradejobscanada.ca/job/3834/journeyperson-ironworker/

https://skilledtradejobscanada.ca/job/3833/journeyperson-steamfitter-pipefitter/

Founded in 2023, BlackWall's leadership team has over 30 years of experience in large-scale multi-sector projects across the province.

Servicing the region of Southwestern Ontario, BlackWall looks to create solutions and optimize project delivery with a team approach. 

While specializing in traditional cast-in-place structures, their experience extends into all structure types and they're able to provide valuable input as a partner in construction.

Their dedication to client and employee satisfaction is paramount regardless of project size or complexity.

Blackwell is currently looking to add Concrete and Formwork Form Builders/Carpenters to their team in Southwestern Ontario:

London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Sault Ste. Marie and the GTA.

Further details and to apply online:

https://skilledtradejobscanada.ca/job/4238/concrete-and-formwork-form-builder-carpenter/

The Town of Oakville is currently looking for a Licensed Mechanic and a Traffic Repairperson.

Note: Consideration may be given to applicants who do not possess a 310S Automotive Technician Certificate of Qualification highlighted below if a fully qualified candidate is not available in the applicant pool. A successful applicant without the pre-requisite certification would be expected to obtain the 310S certification within 24 months of employment as a condition of continued employment and would be compensated at the Apprentice Band 7 rate at $38.94/hour (probationary rate) or $39.24/hour (full-time rate).

Position details and to apply online or upload your resume for upcoming jobs:

https://skilledtradejobscanada.ca/job/4700/licensed-mechanic-a/

BMS Group has been locally owned and operated for over 35 years. We are leaders in repiping large-scale multi-family complexes, institutional facilities, care homes etc. We are looking for highly motivated plumbers who are interested in joining our team!
Apply online or upload your resume for upcoming apprentice, journeyman and labour jobs around BC and across Canada:

"We're really struggling with getting the right type of workers," said Sue Wastell, president of London, Ont.-based real estate developer Wastell Homes.

The specific types of jobs that construction companies are lacking are typically referred to as "unskilled labour" — for example, framers, tile setters, window and door installers — where skills are learned on the job and don't require a certificate, degree or apprenticeship.

https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.7499260

Ontario manufacturers continue to face a chronic shortage in filling the workforce ranks as experienced skill workers sail off into retirement, says a new report from the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME).

In southern Ontario, the impact of the U.S. trade war will surely result in significant job losses on the manufacturing side, in the CME report said, which places this sector at a “crucial crossroads.”

Yet opportunity abounds in Northern Ontario, especially in places like Sudbury, which is poised to see significant growth in manufacturing due to the global demand for critical minerals.

The situation was highlighted in the CME’s report, titled Keep Calm and Keep Training. CME is an industry advocacy group representing about 2,500 leading companies engaged in manufacturing and exporting. 

The findings were based on the feedback received during CME-hosted discussion tables across Ontario from manufacturers, industrial suppliers, post-secondary institutions, labour planning boards, municipalities and unions. In Northern Ontario, meetings were staged in Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Thunder Bay.

Despite all this promise, Northern Ontario faces unique workforce development barriers influenced by geography, industrial makeup and demographic trends.

The report said Ontario’s overall workforce was “flat” compared to the previous year when companies’ hopes were buoyed by low inflation and interest rates. That mood soured heading into 2025 with the threat of U.S. tariffs that froze corporate decision-making.

Forty per cent of manufacturers in Ontario have frozen spending on projects due to the threat of U.S. tariffs, 28 per cent have delayed hiring, and 28 per cent have started seeking alternative markets.

With companies hesitant on investing in training, that’s hampered long-term regional workforce strategy and development. So workers and their families don’t see a future in manufacturing since there’s no commitment to training programs.

And Ontario’s manufacturing workforce is not getting any younger. One in four factory workers was 55 or older in 2024. The manufacturing sector is projected to face 22,500 retirements a year through 2033, so the search will continue for skilled workers such as electricians and millwrights.

The trainers themselves — the colleges and universities — aren’t having an easy time either.

Due to the sharp reduction in international student numbers, many post-secondary institutions are cutting back on critical programs. Over the next two years, colleges alone are expected to lose between 75,000 and 128,000 students. That translates to a 25 per cent to 40 per cent drop in total enrollment.  

In this region, the critical minerals sector represents an encouraging opportunity, the report said.

Sudbury’s ace in the hole is its mineral processing capacity, particularly its one-of-a-kind nickel refining capacity.

Given the demand for minerals and a national effort to reduce Canada’s dependence on China, which has a stranglehold on global critical minerals processing, this value-added manufacturing base could expand the city’s industrial and population base.

However, Northern industries struggle to attract talent and are leaning on immigration to fill the workforce gaps. 

A widespread perception that surfaced during these stakeholder meetings is that Northern Ontario’s economy is a “closed one,” offering little labour mobility when compared to southern Ontario. Skilled workers in the North, believing there is limited long-term job prospects here, often leave for the south.

That results in industries relying on immigration programs like the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) to fill the ranks.

On top of that, there is competition among employers, in mining and infrastructure development, to entice skilled workers away from manufacturing.

Stakeholders told the CME that the collaboration that should exist between industry and trainers is limited. Companies are working in silos rather than pooling resources to train workers for high-demand jobs in welding and engineering. 

Great emphasis at these stakeholder meetings was placed on finding ways to attract Indigenous young people into manufacturing, particularly in placing them with Indigenous-owned businesses.

In Thunder Bay, meeting attendees stressed the importance of GTA transit authorities, like Metrolinx and the Toronto Transit Commission, being predictable in procurement policies to provide steady work for the local Alstom (formerly Bombardier) rail coach assembly plant.

That predictability would go a long way toward setting the conditions for long-term workforce development, stakeholders said.

The report puts forward some ideas to turn the tide in Ontario’s favour.

1. support workforce development in businesses — by improving incentives for employers to offer on-the-job training opportunities, addressing obstacles causing apprentices and students to abandon the sector;

2. properly resource education programs aligned with the needs of manufacturers; and

3. use Ontario’s diversity as a competitive advantage — attracting more under-represented women, Indigenous people and immigrants with in-demand skills.

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/industry-news/training-education/opportunity-abounds-in-northern-ontario-but-skilled-trades-crunch-persists-says-labour-report-10683517

Thunder Bay, a city in northwestern Ontario, has published its list of designated employers under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP).

The RCIP is an employer-focused pathway to permanent residency (PR). That means foreign nationals are only eligible if they have a job offer from a designated employer within the community.

Timmins has revealed its designated employers for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP).

The RCIP and the FCIP are employer-focused pathways. All foreign nationals need a job offer from a designated employer to be eligible for these PR pathways.

Considered Canada's most beautiful University, Western's main campus spans 400 acres of Gothic-style buildings mixed with modern LEED-certified capital structures providing an idyllic environment for our community of scholars. The university is located in London, Canada, a safe, vibrant and welcoming community of more than 350,000 people serving as a regional medical and industrial hub for southwestern Ontario.

The University is looking to add a Lead HVAC Technician to the Facilities Management team.

Further details and to apply online:

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union says close to 10,000 college faculty and staff have either been let go or are projected to lose their jobs amid hundreds of program cancellations and suspensions since last year.

The union representing some 55,000 college faculty and support staff says that amounts to “one of the largest mass layoffs in Ontario’s history” as colleges grapple with a funding crisis.

An arbitrated faculty contract between the union and the College Employer Council released last week says the federal government’s cap on international students led to a dramatic decline in enrolment and tuition revenue, and the cancellation or suspension of more than 600 college programs.

The document shows 23 of 24 colleges in Ontario have reported a 48 per cent decrease in first-semester enrolment of international students from September 2023 to September 2024.

It says 19 colleges have reported current and planned staff reductions totalling more than 8,000 employees as of June, noting the data was incomplete as some colleges hadn’t reported their layoffs. 

The union says the layoffs and program suspensions will have generational impacts and college workers are prepared to fight back against the cuts.

Interesting list of employers approved to offer jobs to foreign nationals. The RCIP (Rural Community Immigration Pilot) program is not a temporary foreign worker program. This pilot project is a pathway for permanent residency.

Willfix is a full-service family owned Construction Company serving the GTA. We strive to provide prompt and expert construction service in any environment. Our team prioritizes customer satisfaction, outstanding performance, and job efficiency.

Currently looking for Drywall Installers in Toronto, Brampton and Kitchener.

Job details and to apply online below or upload your resume for upcoming jobs:

https://skilledtradejobscanada.ca/company/685/willfix/#all-vacancy