Support for Skilled Workers

Employers and our provincial and federal governments are committed to encouraging skilled and semi-skilled workers to bring their talents and experience to BC where they can thrive. This commitment is why you’ll find a growing number of programs designed to help workers find employment in a technical trade or other occupation, learn more about their new home and get settled in the province as a permanent resident.

Skills Immigration Programs

To encourage skilled workers to live and work in the province, the provincial government offers a number of Skills Immigration Programs. These programs are set up as an easy way for workers in a professional, management, technical, trade, or other skilled occupation to gain permanent residence in the province.

Career Path for Skilled Immigrants Program

The Career Path for Skilled Immigrants Program is offered through WorkBC and helps professionals use their skills, training, and foreign qualifications to find work in BC. It also assists workers to find jobs that match their experience and background through a wide range of financial, communication and career planning supports. On the WorkBC website, you’ll find more information about eligibility for the program, the types of occupations included as part of the program and how you can find resources to help you get the support you need.

Provincial Nominee Program

The government also offers a program designed to encourage workers of specific high-priority occupation types to come to BC as part of a Provincial Nominee Program (PN).

Among these in-demand occupations are a number of aerospace roles:

  • Mechanical engineers
  • Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
  • Other professional engineers
  • Information systems specialists
  • Computer and information systems managers

If you are nominated through the PN program, you and your family can apply to become permanent residents of Canada.

Helping aerospace workers find the right place

The Canadian government also provides regular census data that can help someone interested in immigrating to Canada learn more about BC communities, including their local population and any growth trends they’ve been experiencing over the last decade.

You can also find useful information about each of the regions across BC, including descriptions of the top industries and sectors operating in each region.

Some of the key BC regions for aerospace companies include:

National program helps skilled workers find employers

The FAST (Facilitating Access to Skilled Talent) Program is a national program designed to help Canadian employers find skilled talent and to help immigrants launch their careers in Canada. A number of aerospace skilled trades are identified including:

  • Aircraft Mechanics & Aircraft Inspectors

  • Metal Fabricators

BC Newcomers’ Guide

WelcomeBC also provides a BC Newcomers’ Guide that covers a wide range of basics. It’s available in more than a dozen languages and includes easily accessible videos to make things easier to understand.