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How Many STEM Workers Does Canada Need For Its Express Entry Targeted Occupations?

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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) employment is one of five categories of vocations that Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) intends to prioritize through Express Entry category-based draws in 2023.

Express Entry category-based draws began earlier this year. Express Entry picks immigrants who have specific qualities, such as education, work experience, or language abilities, to meet stated economic requirements and goals.

After receiving views and proposals from a wide range of stakeholders and the general public, the federal government identified five priority occupational categories with labor market gaps: healthcare, STEM, transportation, trades, and agriculture/agri-food.

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Category-based draws differ from conventional Express Entry drawings in that they stress and prioritize candidates with specialized work experience, whereas standard Express Entry draws primarily use a candidate’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

Why was STEM selected as a targeted Express Entry category?

Statistics Canada released a report at the end of 2022, claiming that there is a skills gap in Canada’s STEM labor force. This disparity is primarily caused by increasing retirement rates, as well as advancing technology and automation in business and everyday life.

Canada’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector is quickly expanding, increasing the demand for tech workers. The worldwide AI Index ranks Canada fourth for worldwide competitiveness in innovation, implementation, and investment.

How many STEM workers does Canada really need?

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) runs a tool known as the Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS). COPS provides information on the occupational outlook for various professions and predicts the number of predicted employment opportunities in a certain profession from 2022 to 2031.

Some STEM profession outlooks include:

  • Software engineers and designers
  • Computer programmers and interactive media developers
  • Civil engineering
  • Mechanical engineering
  • Industrial and manufacturing engineering
  • Electrical and electronics engineering
  • Mathematicians, statisticians, and actuaries
  • Technical occupations in physical sciences

These numbers indicate that Canada will need hundreds of thousands of new qualified STEM professionals to meet upcoming job opportunities and address labor shortages.

What opportunities does this provide for prospective immigrants to Canada?

According to the 2022 year-end Express Entry report, the top three primary jobs among 2022 invitation to apply (ITA) winners were all in the technology sector. The most prevalent vocations among individuals invited to apply via Express Entry in 2022 were software engineers and designers, information system professionals, and computer system developers and programmers.

As a result, competent STEM workers who wish to immigrate to Canada may be qualified to do so through category-based Express Entry lotteries. These skilled workers will help address labor market gaps and strengthen the Canadian economy’s STEM sector while pursuing meaningful professions in Canada.

History of STEM Express Entry Draws to Date

So far, IRCC has issued one round of invitations to talented candidates in STEM occupations.

The draw took place on July 5th, and 500 immigrants with STEM employment experience were asked to apply for permanent residency in Canada. Candidates for this draw had to have a CRS score of at least 486.