Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada picked Pictou County as the lone Atlantic Canada location for a Rural Community Immigration Pilot program. The Pictou County Partnership will deliver the pilot, which was developed for economic development groups to aid in rural workforce growth.
Wade Tibbo, CEO for the Pictou County Partnership, said the pilot was created because of the success of a similar pilot for remote and northern communities.
A release from the partnership stated the pilot will provide local employers with hard to fill job vacancies with an additional attraction and retention program. The release states the employers will need to demonstrate they have been unable to fill the jobs locally first.
Tibbo said they will have an allotment of up to 60 candidates in 2025, adding they will take a strategic approach around what positions need to be filled. He said they are still working with the IRCC through some training, with more details to come in March on the specifics of occupations and timelines