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Federal Skilled Trade Program accepting applicants

Jan. 31, 2013, Canada – The brand-new Federal Skilled Trades Program is now accepting
applications for 43 eligible occupations, including water well drillers.

Jan. 31, 2013, Canada – The brand-new Federal Skilled Trades Program is now accepting
applications for 43 eligible occupations, including water well drillers.

The new skilled trades program will address serious
labour shortages that some regions of the country are facing, and will
help grow Canada’s economy, said Jason Kenney, minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism. Canadian employers have long been asking for ways to
get the skilled tradespeople they need to meet demands in many
industries across the country. We’ve listened to their concerns and
created this program in response.

In the program’s first year, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will accept applications from up to 3,000 people in specific trades. The occupation list, includes water well drillers. CIC says the list
was designed to reflect current labour market needs and ensure the
program delivers a diverse range of skilled tradespeople to fuel
Canada’s economy. Within the 3,000, there will be no limit on 26
in-demand occupations, while 17 occupations will be subject to
sub-limits of 100 applications each. In total, there are 43
occupations eligible for the program.
Applications are expected to be processed within 12 months.

In addition to being qualified for an eligible
occupation, Federal Skilled Trades Program applicants must demonstrate
basic language proficiency in either English or French at the Canadian
Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 for speaking and listening, and CLB
4 for reading and writing. This is due to the overall importance of
language as a determinant of immigrant success and general health and
safety reasons. CLB 4 is considered basic proficiency while those with CLB 5 can more effectively participate in and understand routine conversations.

Other criteria include: a valid offer of employment in
Canada or a certificate of qualification from a province or territory
in a qualifying skilled trade; at least two years of work experience in
the occupation within the last five years; and meeting the employment
requirements set out in the National Occupational Classification
system, with the exception of licensing requirements, which are
addressed separately.

Application forms for the Federal Skilled Trades Program can be found on the CIC website.