Local business owners in Altona and Rhineland Municipality now know a little more about a project that will help address the labour shortage in this region.

Details of the Northern and Rural Immigration Pilot were released at a luncheon in Altona on Thursday to about 50 area business leaders hosted by S.E.E.D.

The program will help expedite the process of bringing immigrant families to live and work in our local communities, but they need to first receive an offer of employment before they are able to immigrate.

Vaughn Stephenson, president of Conquest Manufacturing, says he's encouraged by what he heard.

"We're always looking for good quality people and we need people, so this will make it a lot easier to recruit from the outside. From what we heard today, it can reduce it from a two-year plan to a six-month plan, which is really important, because our business can fluctuate when it comes to employment at certain times of the year. If you can speed these things up, that will really help."

The workforce in many parts of rural Canada is seeing a decline in workers because of an ageing population and declining birth rates. The pilot project is aimed at growing the economy in these communities and supporting the middle-class job sector.

Sandy Loewen with K&S Tiling thinks the program will work well in the region and likes the fact that successful applicants can immediately bring their spouse and children instead of leaving them behind for several years.

"Especially for a small community where we're all about family. That's a very big part of our culture, as it is in many cultures, and I think that will be a great asset to Altona and the RM."

Federal government officials will work with local communities to help them find candidates, but the communities are responsible for recruitment and endorsement of permanent residence.

The program will officially start on November 1. Newcomers under this pilot are expected to begin arriving in 2020.