Pilot project launching in North Okanagan to address labour market needs

Photo: Pixabey

Rural Community Immigration Pilot coming to the North Okanagan

Community Futures North Okanagan and Community Futures Shuswap are launching the Rural Communities Immigration Pilot in the region.

The initiative aims at supporting economic development by strengthening the region’s capacity to attract, retain, and integrate skilled workers.

The pilot program focuses on attracting foreign workers to fill jobs in five broad categories:

• Health
• Education, law and social, community and government services
• Sales and service
• Trades and transport
• Manufacturing

“RCIP will play a vital role in addressing persistent and emerging labour market needs and assist with tackling demographic challenges in our communities,” stated a press release.

The first intake window for candidates is from May 12 to 26. A schedule outlining the full application process and timeline can be found here.

Local employers also play a key role in the RCIP program. Employers must become designated and participate in mandatory training to become approved. Once designated, they will be eligible to apply on behalf of qualified candidates.

"This pilot represents a significant opportunity to address the critical labour shortages facing our region. By attracting skilled workers and supporting their integration into our communities, we can address critical labour shortages and grow the workforce in the North Okanagan/Shuswap,” said Leigha Horsfield, executive director of Community Futures North Okanagan.

More information on the program can be found here.