North West Regional Immigrant Services (NWRIS) is a settlement agency funded by the federal and provincial governments to provide settlement and integration services to newcomers to Swan Valley and The Pas. The goal of the organization is to make sure newcomers have the help they need to integrate and stay in the community for the long term, which in turn helps the area deal with the ongoing labour shortage.
Gillian McGrath, executive director of NWRIS, said that every newcomer they've had recently is currently employed.
"We do have local employers who ask us if we know of anyone suitable for their workplace and we refer people where possible," McGrath said.
McGrath also said that they've had around 30 Ukrainians — adults and children — arrive recently and every single one of them that wanted to work is currently working, even if they don't speak English.
"We found them employment with employers that had staff that already speak Ukrainian and they were willing to pair them up to have an employee," she added.
More information on NWRIS and the services they provide can be found on their website.
