Premier Brad Wall and Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister Rob Norris will participate in a labour recruitment mission to Ireland in March 2012. The delegation will be comprised of Saskatchewan employers and supported by the Government of Saskatchewan.
Immigration staff will support employers who are actively making job offers in Ireland at career fairs in Dublin (March 3-4) and Cork (March 7) where more than 9,000 qualified candidates in fields including trades and construction, engineering and health sciences are expected to attend.
"The New Saskatchewan offers jobs, a high quality of life, and a welcoming environment to newcomers," Wall said. "We look forward to telling our story in Ireland. Immigration is helping sustain our economic momentum and enriching our cultural diversity."
"There is a tremendous pool of qualified people in Ireland who are actively seeking opportunities abroad," Norris said. "The Irish Economic and Social Research Institute estimates 75,000 Irish are expected to emigrate in 2012 as unemployment in the country continues to rise. This mission will connect Saskatchewan employers with qualified candidates who are seeking to emigrate."
Twenty-two employers have committed to participating in the mission with more than 275 vacancies on offer. Candidates who receive an offer of employment will work with immigration officers to apply to the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).
"With a record of economic growth, and one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada, Saskatchewan is a place of opportunity," Norris said.
"And we welcome these newcomers to discover the Saskatchewan advantage."