The Town of Rocky Mountain House has officially been designated as a community under the Rural Renewal Stream program, a provincial initiative aimed at helping local businesses fill hard-to-staff positions.
The program, which was advocated for by the local business community and supported by town council, will allow businesses to recruit employees from abroad with the added benefit of a letter of endorsement from the town, potentially giving them a “leg up” in the immigration application process.
Starting Jan. 7, 2025, businesses in Rocky Mountain House will be able to apply for the program, which offers foreign workers a competitive advantage in their immigration process. While the town will not directly approve job applicants or immigration decisions, the endorsement letter provides businesses with a valuable tool to attract global talent.
Laura Button, communications coordinator with the Town of Rocky Mountain House, expressed excitement about the new development: “The town of Rocky Mountain House is really pleased to get the news that we are now a designated community under the Rural Renewal stream program. This is something our business community was asking for and council supported by investing some staff in getting this program up and running.”
Earlier this year, council approved funding for a half-time position dedicated to overseeing the program. Button says the economic development coordinator, hired in October 2024, has been working diligently to prepare the town for the upcoming launch.
With this initiative, the town aims to address ongoing labor shortages and provide a boost to the local economy by supporting businesses in their hiring efforts, Button adds.
According to the Alberta government, once communities are designated for the program, they will then work with employers to attract, recruit and retain newcomers by sharing information on settlement supports. This may also include accommodation, education, health care and services such as language training.
Types of job vacancies identified by the local business community in a recent survey included bakery manager, cashier, registered midwife, commercial cleaner, quick-service restaurant manager, cooks, motorcycle mechanic, and retail store manager, among others.
You can read more about the Rural Renewal Stream here.
SOURCE: Town of Rocky Mountain House
Results from a survey of local business owners. (Town of Rocky Mountain House)
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