The new tool connects local employers with international candidates
A new employment platform has been launched in Manitoba connecting jobseekers with employers following anxieties around talent shortages. Cliff Cullen, minister for economic development, investment, and trade, said the Work in Manitoba website will "enable employers to efficiently connect" with local, national, and international jobseekers.
"We have heard from Manitoba employers that they are struggling to recruit the talent they need to grow their businesses and we are taking concrete action to help them overcome this barrier," Cullen said.
The platform is free to use for both employers and candidates alike. Employers can publish their job postings there and the website will notify jobseekers with the relevant qualifications and goals.
"Create job postings that instantly match to qualified candidates," details the website. "When posting jobs, select both the Work in Manitoba Community and Magnet Network to access a wider pool of candidates."
The portal will also include jobs from third-party sites, according to Cullen, and integrate post-secondary career centres to minimise duplication. The platform builds on the existing job connections website used by Economic Development Winnipeg.
"The Work in Manitoba job portal is a powerful tool Manitoba employers can use to connect with job seekers not just from Manitoba, but from across Canada and around the world," said Dayna Spiring, president and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg.
The government said the portal is their latest effort to accelerate post-pandemic recovery. Early this year, it expanded its YES! Winnipeg International Job Connections Portal to accommodate Ukrainian refugees looking for a new employer in Manitoba.
The province added 4,600 jobs between September and October 2022, according to figures from Statistics Canada, while unemployment rate was at 4.6%.
"In October 2022, Manitoba's employment level increased from the previous month and remained above the February 2020 level (i.e., pre-pandemic)," Manitoba's labour bulletin said. "The employment trend began improving in June 2020 after experiencing a sharp drop in April-May 2020. With several ups and downs since February 2020, employment finally climbed to the pre-pandemic level in December 2021."