Morden's employers have continued to benefit from Morden's Community Driven Immigration Initiative (MCDII).

Friday, Morden & District Chamber Of Commerce invited Morden's Immigration Coordinator Shelly Voth to speak to their members about the various programs that bring workers to help build and grow their businesses.

Shelly Voth.

The program has been incredibly successful says Voth and began because of the desire for it in the community.

"Our employers were asking for something like that, employers weren't able to expand or maintain their business because of the fact they couldn't get workers."

Since the inception of the program in 2012, according to Voth, several hundred workers have come through the program, filling the vacancies in Morden's workforce.

MCDII's Skilled Worker Program is a support program for those who will apply for permanent residence in Morden through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.

Approximately 50 families a year are chosen to be supported through the program, which is about five percent of applications received.

Voth says MCDII puts preference on applicants with experience in high-demand jobs, which currently includes welders, carpenters, cooks, plumbers/pipefitters.

Once workers land they're not on their own says Voth, MCDII works with other organizations to provide additional services and assistance.

"Regional Connections is great; it's an office that's apart from ours, but we work very closely together with them. We're also very careful that whatever is in that first couple of weeks is positive, so that includes the airport pickups and transition apartments."

Voth says this adds to their retention rate, where approximately 80 percent of workers stay in the area. Another reason is due to their application process, looking for people they feel are employable, people who want to be a part of a small city, and they feel would be great citizens.

More details on the MCDII program can be found here.