Canada: in the Northwest Territories, urgent recruitment in the land of the Northern Lights

This article is taken from the special issue of Le Figaro “D’Est en Ouest – Vivre au Canada”, available on the Figaro Store.

Choosing to settle in the NWT means opting for real business and advancement opportunities, a dynamic living environment that promotes multiculturalism and breathtaking nature. We can dread the length and rigor of its winters, but the warm welcome that we are sure to find there and appropriate clothing compensate for the difficulty.

At the start of 2023, 133 civil servant positions were available in the NWT government alone. The territory is still in the process of massive recruitment, three to four times more than elsewhere in Canada. Civil service, tourism, health, education: workers are needed in all areas. “A large number of companies have at least one or two positions to fill,” explains Ghyslain Letourneau, originally from Angers and Immigration, Recruitment and Employability Officer at the Northwest Territories Economic Development Council (CDÉTNO).

The NWT has a specificity: immigration programs require candidates to have a job offer. This organization therefore helps employers recruit them both in Canada and internationally using a job forum on which positions are posted. It also makes it easier to understand how to obtain a work permit from IRCC for candidates from abroad.

In September 2022, the NWT government introduced a Francophone component to its Territorial Nominee Program, a first in Canada. Under this program, they can respond to a job offer and obtain a temporary work permit, while awaiting permanent residency. “This Francophone component is a procedure that facilitates the recruitment of French-speaking immigration candidates,” insists Antoine Gagnon, manager of government labor market programs.