Neepawa Chamber Explores Immigration Solutions for Workforce Growth
By [Author Name]

The Neepawa Chamber of Commerce hosted an informative session on March 26, 2025, featuring a presentation from the Brandon Economic Development Office on Immigration and Workforce Development. The discussion centered around how immigration-focused initiatives—like those already implemented in Brandon—could benefit businesses in Neepawa facing ongoing labour challenges.

Samuel Solomon, Immigration & Workforce Development Specialist, led the session and provided an overview of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program (RNIP) along with other immigration pathways. He explained that the RNIP allowed employers in Brandon to recruit talent from outside Canada, with 48% of successful hires coming from international candidates and 52% from within the country. The program has been widely considered a success, helping businesses fill labour gaps and encouraging many temporary workers to settle in the community long-term.

“Manitoba is the first province to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the federal government to access the Express Entry Program,” Solomon explained. “Under the Provincial Nominee Program, we have the Brandon Initiative, where we partner with the Province. If a foreign worker is endorsed by Brandon and the Province agrees they’re a good fit, they’ll nominate them to the federal government for final approval.”

The session also included remarks from Marilyn Crewe, Neepawa’s Economic Development Officer, who emphasized the need to gauge local interest. If Neepawa businesses see value in a similar initiative, the next steps would involve laying the groundwork for implementation—including securing funding and administrative support.

The goal of the meeting was to assess whether local employers in Neepawa recognize a demand for such a workforce development strategy—and whether the town is ready to take the first steps toward launching a program of its own.