Find TEER and National Occupation Classification: NOC Code Canada

The Government of Canada has developed a national system that describes jobs with a specific five-digit number. This system is known as the National Occupational Classification (NOC). These jobs are grouped into the Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category. In this guide, we will explore the NOC and TEER System and the importance of the TEER NOC Code while applying for Canadian immigration programs and Temporary Work Permits.

National Occupation Classification (NOC)

The National Occupation Classification – NOC categorizes a complete range of occupations in Canada to collect, analyze, and distribute the data associated with the occupation for employment market information and job-related program management. The Government of Canada updates the NOC list every after five years, and the last version came out in 2021. NOC Code Canada helps to understand the employment market and occupations, forecast future skills needs, and create policies to promote equal employment opportunities in Canada.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses the National Occupational Classification (NOC) platform to match prospective immigrants’ occupations with the right immigration program.

• TEER Categories
• TEER NOC Hierarchy and Structure
• How to Find your TEER NOC Code (Step-by-Step)

What is a TEER Category?

The Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) is a six-category system that helps to classify occupations based on job duties and work of a person. It has replaced the former 5-Category Skill Level System.

TEER NOC Hierarchy and Structure

The New TEER NOC gives a standardized way of defining and understanding the nature of employment for each occupation in Canada. Here are the steps for finding the TEER Category and NOC Code Canada if one intends to use it.

First Digit: Broad Occupational Category

The TEER NOC system classifies occupations based on their broad occupational category and skill level. As stated earlier, NOC is a five-digit code representing a unit group that recognizes the occupation. The NOC 2021 update consists of 516 unit groups with 16 new occupations added.

The first digit signifies the Broad Occupational Category (BOC). For instance, management-related jobs will start with digit 0, and manufacturing jobs will start with the digit 9. The ten general professional categories (0-9 digits) represent the first digit in the NOC code.

• BOC 0 – Legislative and senior management occupations
• BOC 1 – Business, finance and administration occupations
• BOC 2 – Natural and applied sciences and related occupations
• BOC 3 – Health occupations
• BOC 4 – Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services
• BOC 5 – Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport
• BOC 6 – Sales and service occupations
• BOC 7 – Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations
• BOC 8 – Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations
• BOC 9 – Occupations in manufacturing and utilities

Second Digit: TEER Category

The occupation’s required Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities are reflected in the TEER Category, which is the second digit of the categorization. In general, the more formal education and training, prior experience, on-the-job training, and in some instances, responsibility needed to properly perform the set of activities for that occupation, the higher the range and complexity of occupational duties. In NOC 2021 Version 1.0, there are 6 TEER categories as follows:

• TEER 0 – Management – TEER
• TEER 1 – Completion of a graduate-level degree programme (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate); or Prior experience and subject-matter competence from a relevant job listed in TEER 2. (if applicable).
• TEER 2 – completion of a two- to three-year post-secondary education programme at a community college, institute of technology, or CÉGEP; completion of a two- to a five-year apprenticeship training programme; occupations with supervisory or significant safety responsibilities (such as police officers and firefighters); or several years of experience in a related occupation from TEER 3. (if applicable).
• TEER 3 – More than six months of on-the-job training, training courses, or specific work experience with some secondary school education; or Several years of experience in a related occupation from TEER 4; or Completion of a post-secondary education programme of fewer than two years at a community college, institute of technology, or CÉGEP; (if applicable).
• TEER 4 – Secondary school graduation; several weeks of on-the-job training combined with some secondary schooling; or work experience in a relevant field from TEER 5 (if applicable).
• TEER 5 – Short work demonstration and no formal educational requirements

First Two Digits: Major Group

The Broad Occupational Categorization (first digit) and TEER Categorization (second digit) together make up the Major Group (first and second digits) of the classification. The two-digit NOC code is a major group, including several sub-major groups. The first version of NOC 2021 has 45 major groups.

Three Digits Combination: Sub-Major Groups

The three-digit code used by the NOC is represented by the Sub-major Group (3-digit) of the categorization, which aggregates a number of minor groups. In NOC 2021 Version 1.0, 89 sub-major groups are present.

Four Digits Combination: Minor Groups

The classification’s Minor Group (4-digit) denotes the industry in which a given occupation is practised (occupational domain). This combination of numerous unit groups represents the four-digit code used by the NOC. In TEER NOC 2021 Version 1.0, 162 minor groups are present.

Five Digits Combination: Unit Groups

The Unit Group (5-digit) classification level is the most in-depth and designates one or more integrated occupations within the NOC. In NOC 2021 Version 1.0, there are 516 unit groups.