November 17, 2016 – Manitoba has joined the New West Partnership Trade Agreement, expanding the barrier-free interprovincial market which commits each jurisdiction to enhance trade, investment and labour mobility, and to remove barriers to the movement of goods, services, investment and people between the provinces.

Under NWPTA, the partner jurisdictions have agreed to reconcile or mutually recognize occupational standards so people can work in their occupation inter-provincially. So professionals and skilled tradespersons certified in one province will be recognized as qualified in all of them. Workers will not need to go through material examinations or training to practice their chosen occupation.

DOWNLOAD the PDF below “New West Partnership regulated occupations INFO” for a list of occupations for which one or more provinces require certification, licensing or registration. N.B. this list has not yet been updated to include Manitoba.

Some occupations are not regulated in all three provinces. For individuals moving to a province that regulates from a province that does not, the individual will have to meet the requirements of the regulatory authority to obtain a licence or certification to work in that province. Over time, reconciliation of all occupations should create full labour mobility for all occupations.

“Business owners, community leaders and chambers of commerce from across Manitoba have long called for our province to pursue new opportunities for growth and reduced trade barriers,” said Premier Brian Pallister.

The original New West Partnership Trade Agreement came into effect July 1, 2010, and has been fully implemented since July 1, 2013. With the inclusion of Manitoba, the partnership encompasses more than 11 million people with a combined GDP of more than $750 billion.