Manitoba Labour and Immigration Minister Jennifer Howard (centre)

 

According to Manitoba's Labour and Immigration Minister an independent study conducted by Dr. Tom Carter of the University of Winnipeg shows Manitoba's Provincial Nominee Program is a success.

Some of the main findings of the study show:

·         85 per cent of provincial nominees were working after three months and 89 per cent had permanent jobs;

·         83 per cent were working in their fields or in a related field over time;

·         after three to five years in Manitoba, 76 per cent of nominees were homeowners;

·         there is a high level of satisfaction with the type, nature and quality of settlement and language-training services available;

·         95 per cent of principal applicants do not plan on moving to another province over the next five years;

·         91 per cent of nominees can communicate easily in English over time; and

·         provincial nominees express high levels of satisfaction with their communities as a place to live and a growing proportion are engaging in community activities.  

Howard says the study shows that our programs are on the right track, however the number of newcomers who have difficulty getting their credentials recognized remains too high.
She says we must continue to build on programs to ensure newcomers get jobs that match their skills and experience.

The most recent information shows Manitoba attracted 13,500 newcomers in 2009, 75 per cent through the nominee program. Recently, the federal government has signalled that Manitoba's Provincial Nominee Program will be capped at 5,000 nominees this year and next year, said Howard.

The study was based on personal interviews with 100 principal applicants and 50 spouses who arrived under the program.