Manitoba made history last week when the province elected Canada’s First Nations premier, promising more healthcare workers in future.
Wab Kinew, leader of Manitoba’s NDP, was elected on October 3 & will replace Conservative Premier Healthcare Stefanson. He is a former rapper, journalist, author, & the first director of indigenous inclusion at the University of Winnipeg. He was the leader of Manitoba NDP in 2017.
Despite the historic significance of his First Nations premier election, Kinew won the election because of certain promises to improve the provincial healthcare system.
In order to follow through on these promises, the province will likely need more immigrants to fill vacant positions.
For instance, Kinew has promised to hire over 300 nurses & 400 physicians over four years & establish a task force to lead a recruitment campaign.
In addition, he has also promised to hire 200 paramedics by the end of his first term. This sped up the accreditation process for internationally educated health professionals & restored health coverage for international post-secondary students.
Manitoba Recruiting From Abroad
In response to the First Nations premier, the number of healthcare professionals Kinew has promised to hire aligns with a report released by Doctors Manitoba. The report states that apart from hiring from overseas, the province must also consider healthcare professionals from the US.
Moreover, the province is presently leading a recruitment effort for nurses from the Philippines. In addition, the province says it will assist nurses living in the Philippines in navigating the immigration process & provide paid licensing and bridging the education wherever necessary.
Furthermore, it will also provide paid travel to Manitoba, accommodation allowance, workplace orientation, mentorship, & one-to-one support.
In an announcement last July, Manitoba said that more than 300 internationally educated nurses from the Philippines had accepted offers of employment to work at numerous sites.
Immigrate To Manitoba
Manitoba has historically been a leader in Canadian immigration strategy. In 1998, the province launched the first Provincial Nominee Program in Canada.
PNP is an economic immigration program managed by each Canadian province & territory, except for Quebec & Nunavut.
In addition, the program allows provincial governments to select immigration applicants who will help fill labor gaps & strengthen the local economy.
In its initial year, the MPNP welcomed over 418 new immigrants. This year, Manitoba had an allocation of 9,500 nominations.
Moreover, the program was so successful that other provinces adopted PNPs. Well, it is presently the most prominent alternative for economic immigration to Canada. The Immigration Levels Plan for 2023-25 demonstrates that by the end of 2025, over 117,500 immigrants will arrive in Canada annually via the PNP.
Throughout 2023, Manitoba has been increasing the number of PNP draws that select applicants in specific in-demand professions, like healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, transportation, & much more.
In addition, the province has also introduced a Strategic Recruitment Initiative for employers in Manitoba who are facing a shortage of skilled workers. Through this initiative, Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program had its largest PNP draw of the year on September 28, wherein 1,072 applicants were issued Letters of Advice to Apply.
Furthermore, the initiative works similarly to the federal TFWP, i.e., the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. If an employer can demonstrate an urgent need for skilled professionals, which the local workforce cannot fill, they might be eligible to hire applicants from the Manitoba Skilled Worker Overseas stream of the MPNP.
Indigenous Population In Canada
Statistics Canada data from Census 2021 demonstrates that there are over 1.8 million indigenous people in Canada, which accounts for around 5% of the overall population.
Over 55% of them live in Western Canada. Kinew’s election is a vital milestone in representation for First Nations people in Canada.
In addition, the census found that there are 90,090 Indigenous people in Winnipeg, showcasing the highest number of Indigenous people in any city in the country. There are 63 First Nations in Manitoba, including 6 of the 20 largest bands in Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement congratulating Kinew on his historic win & spoke to him the following day about improving healthcare, housing, & advancing reconciliation with indigenous people.
Lastly, the nation has recently begun taking steps towards reconciliation with indigenous people throughout the country for racially motivated abuse they have endured since European settlers first colonized the nation.