The province has launched a new immigration stream to help employers hire continuing care assistants and early childhood educators.
The International Graduates in Demand stream started as a pilot program in April. Those hired must be international graduates of eligible programs offered by Nova Scotia's private career and public universities and Nova Scotia Community College.
"We are listening to employers and Nova Scotians to create new immigration pathways which will respond to the needs of our economy," said Jill Balser, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration and Population Growth. "By working together, we are removing red tape and barriers to immigration. Providing employers with a streamlined process to hire international graduates from both private and public institutions in these identified professions in a streamlined manner will not only allow us to address the employment needs in the continuing care and early childhood education sectors but also to help Nova Scotia grow."
The first approved applicant under the new stream, Yasmin Abdelmagid, is a recent graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Early Childhood Education. She has been hired by an employer in the Halifax area.
Previous to the launch of this new stream, international graduates had to have one year of work experience in Nova Scotia in their field of study before they could apply to the program. This new stream allows employers to hire and retain international graduates from both private and public institutions in these identified professions in a streamlined manner and will help Nova Scotia address employment needs in the continuing care and early childhood education sectors.
With a renewed mandate to be innovative and responsive to current and emerging labour market needs and Immigration and Population Growth continues to be innovative and responsive to current and emerging labour market needs. The department works closely with employers, industry partners and stakeholders to ensure Nova Scotia has immigration programs that meet the needs of the province.
Quick Facts:
- the number of international graduate approvals in Nova Scotia has increased from 35 in 2014 to 1,000 in 2020 – a 2,757 per cent increase. This is due to the efforts of government, post-secondary institutions, international students, graduates and stakeholders to keep this upward trend
- Nova Scotia's population reached an all-time high of 982,326 on April 1, 2021, growth largely due to increased immigration
- one in 10 Nova Scotians is an immigrant – the highest proportion of immigrants in the province since prior to April 1, 2021, 5,696 people moved to Nova Scotia from other countries and territories, the highest number of immigrants in the first quarter since 1971
- before the pandemic impacted borders and travel, Nova Scotia had a record year for immigration – in 2019, the province welcomed 7,580 newcomers, up from 5,970 in 2018; the province added 3,505 newcomers
- Nova Scotia's current immigrant retention rate is 71 per cent, the highest in Atlantic Canada
Additional Resources:
For more information on the International Graduates in Demand Stream, visit: https://novascotiaimmigration.com/move-here/international-graduates-in-demand/
Quotes:
"As an institution of higher learning, we can attest to the tremendous advantage of welcoming international voices and perspectives into our classrooms and campus. And as an educator and employer of early childhood professionals, we have seen firsthand the importance of this effort by the Nova Scotia government to both seek to meet the significant demand for qualified early childhood educators and at the same time draw an important diversity of voices to these roles."
– Ramona Lumpkin, interim president and vice-chancellor, Mount Saint Vincent University
"Our college is committed to providing students with a quality education – one that provides the skills and training that employers in Nova Scotia need. The new International Graduates in Demand stream gives our international students the opportunity to stay in the province, graduate and lay down roots. With the help of this new immigration stream, we can more efficiently connect employers with our Early Childhood Education graduates whose expertise will be in great demand as we work towards a national early learning and childcare program."
– Joe Molek, executive director, Nova Scotia College of Early Childhood Education