According to the Manitoba Business Leaders Index recently conducted by Probe Research, 70 per cent of surveyed Manitoba employers reported they are struggling to find employees, compared to just 52 per cent in 2019.
“Significant factors have created the perfect storm when it comes to recruitment, particularly in some key sectors,” says Yvonne Kinley, Director, Talent & Workforce Development with Economic Development Winnipeg, whose team administers the portal. “From an aging workforce and changing employee preferences to drastically reduced immigration and additional pandemic pressures, recruitment is a huge concern for Manitoba organizations.”
The Work in Manitoba job portal, launched by the Manitoba government at the end of 2022, is an attempt to help address these challenges.
“We have heard from employers across the province that they are facing recruitment challenges due to worldwide labour market shortages, and we’ve heard from job seekers struggling to find available jobs,” said Jeff Wharton, Minister for Economic Development, Investment and Trade. “…We are thrilled to have launched the Work in Manitoba job portal, which is helping match employers and job seekers to address labour market needs.”
The job portal is a one-stop platform that connects Manitoba employers with job seekers across Canada and worldwide based on qualifications and labour market needs.
About 15,000 candidates have registered on the platform already. Employers can post jobs at no cost and there are no fees for candidates to review or apply for jobs.
Job seekers can create profiles to capture their skills, experience, education and career preferences. When employers upload postings, candidates with relevant qualifications and professional goals receive a notification and may choose to apply.
The platform captures real-time province-wide labour market data, which can be used to develop tailored programs that respond to the needs of under-represented groups, support the growth of priority sectors, and inform immigration strategies.
Employers can post to Work in Manitoba through the domestic jobs portal to attract Manitobans and anyone eligible to work in Canada or through the international jobs section to advertise vacancies to international job seekers.
Almost 1,000 employers are already leveraging the portal to post vacancies, and efforts are underway to promote it to job seekers locally and around the world.
“When we embark on international talent attraction missions, we are selling Winnipeg and Manitoba to the world in support of key economic sectors, and we use the portal to capture candidate details,” says Kinley. “A significant number of employers have shared that they’ve achieved success in filling open positions using the portal, and we look forward to telling their stories to promote Work in Manitoba.”
Learn more and register here: https://workinmanitoba.ca/hire/
