It is a well-known fact that immigration is crucial for the growth of Canada’s economy and society. Newcomers are contributing heavily across almost every sector of Canada’s economy, including accommodation and food services, transportation and warehousing, professional, scientific, and technical services, construction, and health care. As a matter of fact, immigration will account for 100% of labor force growth over the next five years.

Hence, it is a no-brainer that immigration is something that is pivotal to Canada’s federal policies and hence needs to be monitored carefully. Consequently, the IRCC is gearing up to prioritize immigration policies and set a foundational strategy to match pace with Canada’s ambitious scheme for a more robust immigration system.

Among the many changes the IRCC is considering, one of the key things that the immigration department will be focusing on is matching immigration inflow with the nation’s skill and expertise needs to mitigate Canada’s ongoing labor crisis and simultaneously meet the nation’s cultural, social, and economic goals.

For this, IRCC is planning to prioritize PR applications coming from international students who demonstrate skills that are in high demand. In order to assist international students with in-demand skills to join the existing workforce and secure PR, the IRCC blueprint categorically aims to “enhance connections between students, post-secondary institutions, and employers”.

To put this in action, IRCC is looking to deploy measures like inculcating a work-integrated learning curriculum into the International Student Program and revamping the Post-Graduate Work Permit to better aid the job market in Canada.

Additionally, the department aims to promote and market high-demand skills and industry verticals to international students who are more likely to join the workforce and attain PR status in Canada.

What Are The Most Sought-After And In-Demand Skills In Canada In 2023?

We just came across this list from Randstad, the globally renowned employment consulting firm. They’ve laid out these 11 skills for 2023 that are sought-after by employers, like the goldrush:

1. Data Analysis
2. Customer Centricity
3. Operations Planning
4. Business Development and Sales
5. Coding and Programming
6. Digital Marketing
7. Budgeting
8. Agile Project Management
9. Human Resource Management
10. Administrative Support
11. Accounting

On top of this, they’ve also got the scoop on the top 15 jobs that are red-hot in Canada this year:

1. Software Developer
2. Human Resources (HR) Manager
3. Mechanical Engineer
4. Welder
5. Accounting Technician/Bookkeeper
6. Registered Nurse
7. Warehouse Worker
8. Customer Service Representative
9. Delivery Driver
10. Sales Associate
11. Admin Assistant
12. Business Systems Analyst
13. Production Supervisor
14. Digital Marketing Coordinator
15. Construction Project Manager

So, Which High-Demand Skills Will Be Targeted By IRCC?

Currently, there is no update on which high-demand skills will be targeted by the IRCC to encourage economic immigration.

However, the recent Express Entry policy updates may provide a sneak peek into the probable skills.

Express Entry is one of the major gateways for economic immigration into Canada. It manages applications broadly under three immigration programs, namely: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

In 2023, category-based selections for PR were introduced into the Express Entry system. With this change, IRCC uses professional acumen and language proficiency as the ground to issue ITAs to applicants. These changes were in line with IRCC’s motto of bridging the needs of the domestic labor market with the skills of potential immigrants to address labor shortage.

Express Entry has the following categories currently:

• Professional experience in Healthcare related professions
• Professional experience in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professions
• Professional experience in trades, such as carpenters, plumbers, contractors, and other associated professions
• Professional experience in Transport related professions
• Professional experience in Agriculture and Agri-food professions
• Proficiency in French

Considering the fact that the category-based selection measure aims to sync up immigration with the needs of the labor market (kind of like the whole “in-demand skills” initiative they’re talking about), it seems logical to deduce that a bunch of those sought-after skills will likely tie into, or be right within, the professions pinpointed by the fresh Express Entry category-based selections.

Interestingly, Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) will soon dethrone Express Entry as the major contributor for economic immigrants and a major component for IRCC to sow the benefits of immigration across the nation. And guess what? In-demand professions are also a crucial component of the PNP programs.

Is This For Students Only?

Although international students represent a bedrock of talent in the future, this whole initiative to target in-demand skills is not limited to students only. Anybody who can effectively contribute positively to the Canadian workforce in strategic ways is part of this move.

Well, first things first, it looks like we’re in for the long haul with those category-based selections for Express Entry. It’s not just a passing trend; they’re here to stay and doing some pretty crucial work. The deal is, they’re honing in on skilled workers, especially in those hotshot sectors like healthcare and housing, which have been grappling with ongoing job vacancies. It’s like a strategic move to tackle the real challenges head-on.

Additionally, the federal government is seeking to raise awareness among newcomers pursuing credential recognition about all the government support and aid. This will enable newcomers to implement their in-demand skills in the existing labor market in the best possible way by having the necessary credentials.
Finally, let’s talk about a pretty clear sign of how much weight Canada is putting on those sought-after skills – they’re gearing up to bring in a Chief International Talent Officer (CITO). It’s a fresh role in the scene, and this person will basically be the big shot overseeing Canadian immigration. So, what will be his role? Well, making sure the yearly influx of newcomers lines up perfectly with what Canada needs in its job market and sector plans. Now, the person who takes on this role could end up shaping which skills and sectors get the spotlight in future immigration moves.