Steinbach MLA and Education and Training Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced that the Manitoba government has updated requirements for the recruitment of international long-haul truck drivers to ensure the safety of Manitobans and the integrity of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP).
“Our government is committed to ensuring the safety of all Manitobans while protecting the integrity of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program,” said Goertzen. “The improved requirements will ensure that any long-haul truck drivers recruited in this province meet not only the new Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) standards for licensing, but have the verifiable experience and safety records required to drive on Manitoba’s highways. We also want to ensure that all international worker recruitment is consistent with the laws of Manitoba including verification of employment offers.”
The improved guidelines follow a review of requests from Manitoba trucking companies to recruit truck drivers from overseas. On Sept. 11, 22 companies were notified the province would be pausing the processing of their requests pending the outcome of this review.
The MPNP’s updated guidelines for international truck driver recruitment are available online at www.immigratemanitoba.com. Trucking companies who have expressed an interest in recruiting international truck drivers through the MPNP will be notified directly whether or not their requests have been determined to meet the updated guidelines. Those companies who are not approved to recruit directly through the MPNP will still have the option to apply to Service Canada for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), allowing them to recruit under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program if they can meet federal recruitment requirements.
“We continue to ensure that measures are taken at every step to protect the safety of Manitobans and all Canadians driving on our highways,” said Goertzen.
