Working in Canada is an exciting and fantastic opportunity that is highly sought after. The Canadian economy is one of the best in the world, and its growth has been on the positive side, creating an enabling and conducive environment for employees to flourish and prosper.
The need for skilled man power, mainly foreigners, to fill in the ever growing labour market has always been in high demand over the past few years, this cannot be filled by the aging population hence the need for immigrants to come in fill in those spaces.
Currently, there are over a million vacancies/openings in Canada.
The majority of occupations in Canada have mouth-watering benefits they’re entitled to from the government, and the minimum salary is extremely high. These explain some of the reasons that make it easy to understand why so many job seekers worldwide are lining up to enter the Canadian labour market.
Even though Canada has been recognised for its appreciation for foreign immigrants and the upkeep of their cultures, once they settle there, there must always be a medium of education. Since English and French are Canada’s official languages and over 75% of Canadians speak English as their first language, most businesses only use English.
This has been a problem for many foreign immigrants, job seekers, and students because most of them have other languages as their native languages.
Most of them usually have very little or no understanding of the English language and can not comprehend the Canadian educational system and even the working environment. Many people have been asking a lot of questions as regards to this, the most asked are question is:
Can someone who doesn’t speak English work in Canada?
It’s simply No. It’s one of the most important criteria for working in Canada, or at least you should under French fluently, which is the second most popular language after English.
Working in Canada is almost impossible without knowing at least the basis of their official languages. You will be completely ineffective in the job market.
Nevertheless, they are still numerous openings and opportunities available to you in Canada if you understand French and speak well. It’s exciting to know that in Quebec, which is the main province for the French community in Canada, has a very concentrated labour market with numerous opportunities and openings.
Since English is the official language of the country, you will have an upper hand for the vast majority of employment prospects over there.
Determine What English Level Is Acceptable
What English proficiency is acceptable?
This depends heavily on your skills, your target position, and the type of work you do. A mechanism for classifying language abilities has been developed by the Canadian government to help address this issue. The name of the system is the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB).
What does Canadian Language Benchmark mean?
The language benchmark is a system that helps measure your ability to communicate with the Canadian government and also with your potential employers. It also enables them to measure your ability to manage certain circumstances.
To receive the Canadian Language Benchmark, you must pass the English or French test approved by the government.
How does your English language requirement change depending on the kind and amount of work you do?
Each job has its own specific prerequisites. While some call for frequent consumer contact, others are okay with considerable writing. This is just to mention only a few. Different jobs call for varying degrees of education and skill.
A system called The National Occupational Classification (NOC) system was developed by the Canadian government to identify jobs that require certain qualifications.
All occupations in the country are categorized using the NOC system and assigned an NOC skill level and an NOC code.
What CLB is required for my level of NOC skill?
For entry into one of Canada’s immigration programs, each NOC skill level must meet tight requirements for the CLB level. Employers in Canada frequently adhere to the same criteria since they must be able to communicate successfully with employees.
The criteria are as follows:
| CLB Level | |
| NOC 0 – Management Jobs | 7 |
| NOC A – Professional Jobs | 7 |
| NOC B – Trade Jobs | 5 |
| NOC C – Semi-skilled Jobs | 4 |
| NOC – Labour Jobs | 4 |
Evaluating Your Current English Abilities
If English is not your first language, knowing your Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) level is helpful. It helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses in English. This knowledge can improve your language skills, even if you have some understanding of English but can not fully comprehend or speak it.
To find out your current CLB level, you can take a practice test for Canadian English exams like IELTS or CELPIP.
These available practice tests closely match the actual exams. Since the IELTS test is the prevailing standard for assessing English internationally and illustrates your potential to work in Canada and other countries, we strongly recommend using the IELTS practice exams.
Building Your English Skills
Once you have identified your current CLB level, you need to bridge the gap between that level and the proficiency required to find employment in Canada. There are many ways to sharpen your English speaking and language abilities daily.
Here are a few examples:
Many expatriates prefer to immerse themselves in English media for several reasons.
You can have fun learning English by listening to dialogues and scenarios. This will help you understand spoken English, reading, and overall language comprehension. Aim to take in English media daily across a diverse range of formats, including movies, books, television programs, newspapers, and music.
Discussing Topics in English
You need to be able to effectively communicate in English and listen to as much of the language as possible. Frequent English conversations will enhance your abilities to listen, speak fluently, and fully participate in Canadian society.
Taking an English class helps you learn grammar, vocabulary, reading, and writing. Most IELTS preparation courses go beyond basics, enhancing exam performance and English mastery.
Journaling in English
Maintaining a daily journal written in English can assist in advancing your writing abilities. Document the events of each day in the journal using English. It can be as simple or complex as you prefer, but regular entries even briefly can make a significant difference in utilizing vocabulary, sentence structure, and confidence in writing in English.
Verifying Eligibility for Canadian Immigration
Creating an Effective Resume
One of the most critical steps is ensuring your resume is comprehensive and written in flawless English so that you come across as favourably as possible to potential employers.
Locating Employment Opportunities Online
Once your resume is prepared, utilizing a Canadian job search website such as the Government of Canada job bank, Indeed.ca, or Glassdoor.ca is the way to find work in Canada. Each site provides thousands of job postings along with estimated salary information for each role.