The NBCWP attracts skilled foreign workers to settle in the province. The program differs from many Canadian immigration pathways. Participating employers support applicants throughout their immigration journeys, offering them extensive settlement plans and assistance from six select companies. This blog covers the employers of the New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot and the positions they hire for, along with the settlement services they offer to the NBCWP applicants. So, let us begin!

What Is The NBCWP? 

Set to last five years, the NBCWP is an exceptional immigration pilot that seeks to connect immigration applicants with professional experience in key sectors of the province’s economy with six select employers who work in these industries and have excellent track records of recruiting foreign workers in Canada. 

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

  • Comprehensive plans for housing and transportation to ensure applicants 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 required, to help applicants improve their communication skills 
  • Assistance and guidance for applicants interested in obtaining their Canadian secondary education equivalency

Who Are The Employers?

Presently, 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. 

Below are the top employers of the New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot: 

  • Cooke Aquaculture Inc.
  • Groupe Savoie Inc.
  • Groupe Westco
  • JD Irving Ltd.
  • McCain Foods
  • Imperial Manufacturing

While the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program does not distinguish between professions for applicant eligibility to the NBCWP, it is significant to note that this pilot program is almost completely employer-driven. Interested applicants should consult the relevant employer to ensure that the position they are considering meets all eligibility requirements of the NBCWP. The participating employer handles applications for this pilot program. 

In order to be eligible for this stream, applicants should have a ‘genuine offer of full-time employment from a participating employer’ and meet the base eligibility criteria of the NBPNP. 

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. 

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

  • Salmon Farming
  • Fish Processing
  • Transportation
  • Distribution
  • Fish Product Manufacturing
  • Sales and Marketing

Positions Cooke Aquaculture Hires 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. 

Another one of the top employers of the New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot is Groupe Savoie Inc. The company is a hardwood processing company with decades of expertise in the industry. 

Founded in 1978, it specializes in the production of high-quality hardwood products. Groupe Savoie is vertically integrated, implying that 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 fields, and wood chips. 

Positions Groupe Savoie Hires 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-US border. The company has become one of Canada’s largest Poultry farming enterprises. 

The company’s operations have expanded beyond poultry farming to include related activities like: 

  • Food Production
  • Organic Fertilizer Production
  • Transportation
  • Power Generation
  • Forestry
  • Sustainable Power Generation
  • Transportation and Distribution 

Positions Groupe Westco Hires 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 

Another one of the top employers of the New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot is Imperial Manufacturing Group. The company is a prominent manufacturer of air distribution and building products for the North American heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and construction industries. Over the years, the company has made significant expansions through acquisitions and new ventures, transforming into a producer of around 7,000 products ranging from flexible ducting and stove pipes to registers, steel studs, and air quality equipment.

Presently, IMG operates 11 manufacturing facilities and distribution centers in both Canada and the United States, with over 1,000,000 square feet of production space. 

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

Positions IMG Hires 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 is one of Canada’s largest and most diversified privately held corporations, headquartered in St. John, New Brunswick. Today, the company employs more than 20,000 people in a multifaceted enterprise that includes agriculture, shipbuilding, construction, retail, and forestry, among other industries. 

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

Positions J.D. Irving 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 

The last but one of the best employers of the New Brunswick Critical Worker Pilot includes McCain Foods.

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

McCain also operated numerous subsidiary brands in prepared potato and appetizers, potato farming, and transportation sectors, including: 

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

Positions McCain Foods 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 (RandD)

  • Agricultural Roles:

– Potato Truck Driver (Class 3)

  • Corporate and Administrative Roles:

– Manager, Human Resources Data Governance and Analytics

– Deductions Intern

If you seek information on how to begin your Canada immigration application process, you can talk to our NavaImmigration experts at 1800-918-8490, or you can drop us an email at [email protected].