New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot: Who are the employers and what positions do they hire for?

In November of 2022, the New Brunswick provincial government instituted the New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot (NBCWP) to attract skilled foreign workers to settle in New Brunswick while filling key labour shortages in the province.

The NBCWP differs from many Canadian immigration pathways. The six participating employers support candidates throughout their immigration journeys, providing them with extensive settlement plans.

The following breaks down who these employers are, what business activities they pursue, what positions they hire for, and the settlement services they provide to NBCWP candidates.

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What is the NBCWP?

Set to last five years from its inception—the NBCWP is a special immigration pilot that seeks to connect immigration candidates with professional experience in key sectors of the New Brunswick economy, with six select employers who work in these industries and have excellent track records of hiring foreign workers in Canada.

As part of the program, candidates who are hired by one of these companies and arrive in Canada will receive settlement support from their employers, including but not limited to:

• Comprehensive plans for housing and transportation to ensure candidates can smoothly transition into their new jobs and communities, with a focus on long-term retention;
• Strategic human resources planning aimed at recruiting skilled international talent, as well as opportunities for on-the-job skills development and enhancement;
• Up to 200 hours of language training, if needed, to help candidates improve their communication skills; and
• Assistance and guidance for candidates interested in obtaining their Canadian secondary education equivalency.

Who are the employers?

Currently, the NBCWP works with six selected employers in the province, who not only have exemplary records of hiring newcomers but who are also business leaders in their industries.

These six employers are:

• Cooke Aquaculture Inc.;
• Groupe Savoie Inc.;
• Groupe Westco;
• Imperial Manufacturing;
• J.D. Irving Ltd.; and
• McCain Foods.

While the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) does not distinguish between occupations for candidate eligibility to the NBCWP, it is important to note that this pilot program is almost completely employer-driven. Interested candidates should consult the relevant employer to ensure that the position they are considering meets all eligibility requirements of the NBCWP. Applications for this pilot program are handled by the participating employer.

To be eligible for this stream, candidates must have a “genuine offer of full-time (indeterminate) employment from a participating employer”; and meet the base eligibility criteria of the NBPNP. To learn more, click here.

Note: Positions hired for by employers are provided to give readers a general idea of business activities, and are likely subject to change based on the varying needs of each employer at different times. To get the best idea of what jobs an employer is hiring for at a given time, it is recommended to visit their website or perform a web search.

Cooke Aquaculture Inc.

Cooke Aquaculture Inc. is a family-owned and managed company that has been operating a sustainable aquaculture business in Atlantic Canada for over 35 years. The company is a prominent part of the aquaculture industry, contributing to the economic development of rural coastal areas.

Cooke Aquaculture is a fully vertically integrated seafood producer, with business activities expanding into the following sectors:

• Salmon farming;
• Fish processing;
• Fish product manufacturing;
• Transportation;
• Distribution; and
• Sales and Marketing.

Positions Cooke Aquaculture may hire for:

• Aquaculture and Marine Operations:
  • Saltwater Aquaculture Worker
  • Hatchery Technician
  • Saltwater Marine Site Manager
  • Fish Health Manager
  • FW Lead Hand
  • Saltwater Marine Technician
  • Harvest Vessel Captain (Fishing Master III)
  • Oiler/Deckhand
  • Occupational Scuba Diver
  • Harvest Vessel Deckhand
• Processing and Plant Operations:
  • Fish Processor
  • Fish Processing Plant Worker
  • Quality Assurance Manager
  • Yield Check
  • Large Vessel Cook/Deckhand
• Maintenance and Technical Support:
  • Maintenance Mechanic Technician
  • Truck and Transport Technician
  • Maintenance Personnel
  • FW Maintenance Support
  • Marine Mechanic
  • Maintenance Vessel Captain
• Logistics and Transportation:
  • Truck Driver – Owner Operators
  • Local Truck Driver
  • Truck/Tractor Trailer Driver
  • Shunt Truck Driver
  • Dispatcher
  • Transportation Customer Service Representative

Groupe Savoie Inc.

Groupe Savoie Inc. is a hardwood processing company with decades of expertise in the industry. Founded in 1978 the company specializes in the production of high-quality hardwood products. Groupe Savoie is vertically integrated, meaning it manages every stage of the process—from wood harvesting and acquisition to the manufacturing of top-quality hardwood products for a wide range of applications.

The company’s product offerings include pallets and pallet components, cabinet and furniture components, hardwood lumber, tonewood components, ecological fuels, wood chips, and more.

Positions Groupe Savoie may hire for:

• Maintenance and Technical Roles:
  • Building Maintenance Technician
  • Welder / Assembler
  • PLC Programmer
  • Millwright
• Logistics and Contractual Roles:
  • Independent Contractor – Forestry Biomass Truck
• Production Roles:
  • Production Support

Groupe Westco

Groupe Westco is a poultry farming organization based in Saint-François de Madawaska, New Brunswick, near the Canada-U.S. border. The company has become one of Canada's largest poultry farming enterprises.

Groupe Westco's operations have expanded beyond poultry farming to include related activities such as:

• Food production;
• Organic fertilizer production;
• Transportation;
• Power generation;
• Forestry;
• Transportation and distribution; and
• Sustainable power generation.

Positions Groupe Westco may hire for:

• Poultry Farming and Production:
  • Hatchery Technicians
  • Poultry Farm Workers
  • Food Production Technicians (Table and Liquid Eggs)
  • Quality Control Inspectors
• Logistics and Transportation:
  • Transportation Coordinators
  • Truck Drivers
  • Distribution Network Managers
• Forestry and Resource Management:
  • Forestry Technicians
  • Logging Equipment Operators
  • Road Excavation Workers
  • Forest Harvesting Managers

Imperial Manufacturing Group (IMG)

IMG is a prominent air distribution and building product manufacturer for the North American heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and construction industries. Over the years, IMG has made significant expansions through acquisitions and new ventures, transforming into a producer of over 7,000 products ranging from flexible ducting and stove pipes to registers, steel studs, and air quality equipment.

Today, IMG operates 11 manufacturing facilities and distribution centers in both Canada and the United States, with over 1,000,000 sq. ft. of production space.

IMG has also been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies, achieving Platinum status for retaining this designation over seven consecutive years.

Positions IMG may hire for:

• Manufacturing and Production Roles:
  • Evening Production Supervisor
  • Welder / Assembler
  • Millwright
  • Production Support
• Technical and Engineering Roles:
  • PLC Programmer
  • Machinery Operators
• Logistics and Contractual Roles:
  • Independent Contractor – Forestry Biomass Truck
  • Transportation Coordinators and Truck Drivers
• Supervisory and Management Roles:
  • Evening Production Supervisor
  • Building Maintenance Technician

J.D. Irving, Limited

Founded in 1882, as a sawmill and lumber business, J.D. Irving, Limited (J.D. Irving) is one of the largest and most diversified privately held corporations in Canada, headquartered in Saint John, New Brunswick. Today the company employs more than 20,000 people in a multifaceted enterprise that includes agriculture, construction, shipbuilding, retail, and forestry, among other industries.

The company is one of Atlantic Canada’s largest employers.

Positions J.D. Irving may hire for:

• Manufacturing and Shipbuilding Roles:
  • Metal Fabricator (Red Seal)
  • Welder (Red Seal)
  • Chargehand, Metal Fabricator (AOPS)
  • Stage builders / Scaffolders
  • Production Supervisor, Mechanical Training and Coaching
  • Crane Operator
  • Labourer, Semi-Skilled Services
  • Welding Technician (Visual Robot Welding Portal)
  • Production Supervisor, Steel
  • Detail Planner
  • Dimensional Control Surveyor
• Logistics and Procurement Roles:
  • Associate Procurement Specialist, River Class Destroyer
  • Buyer
  • Intermediate Procurement Specialist
  • Material Management Specialist
  • Senior Procurement Specialist, River Class Destroyer
• Engineering and Technical Roles:
  • Engineer, Production Engineering (Design for Manufacture)
  • Engineer, Industrial Engineering
  • Structures Engineer
  • Level III Welding Inspector
  • Quality Control Inspector, Pipe
  • Operations Trainer, Safety
  • Health, Safety and Environment Specialist (2nd Shift)

McCain Foods

Founded in 1957 by the McCain brothers, McCain Foods has grown from a small frozen french fry production facility in Florenceville, New Brunswick, to the world's largest manufacturer of frozen french fries. Today the company is one of the largest in the frozen food industry, with products sold in over 160 countries and annual revenues exceeding $14 billion CAD.

McCain also operates several subsidiary brands in prepared potato and appetizer, potato farming, and transportation sectors—including:

• Van Geloven;
• Lutosa;
• Forno de Minas;
• Scelta Products; and
• Day & Ross.

Positions McCain Foods may hire for:

• Manufacturing and Production Roles:
  • Training Supervisor
  • Potato Receiver
  • Sanitation Labourer
  • Shift Clean Up
• Engineering and Technical Roles:
  • Complex Engineering Manager
  • Process Engineer
• Research and Development Roles:
  • Sensory Scientist
  • Process Engineer (R&D)
• Agricultural Roles:
  • Potato Truck Driver (Class 3)
• Corporate and Administrative Roles:
  • Manager, Human Resources Data Governance & Analytics
  • Deductions Intern

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