AGRI - Annex B: National occupational classification skill levels - May 22, 2020

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is a framework used to classify and describe all occupations in Canada.
The last major revision occurred in 2001. The most recent revision in 2016 was minor as it resulted in changes to occupation names and adjustments to some duties.
The NOC is divided into five levels based on the amount of education and/or training required to enter an occupation (NOC 0, A, B, C and D).
IRCC relies on the NOC to manage many economic permanent resident programs and a few Temporary Worker programs (such as the priority processing for work permits under the Global Skills Strategy). The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations refer to the NOC several times in the minimum criteria for key economic programs (i.e. Federal Skilled Workers Program, Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program).
The NOC is defined in the regulations (R2) as a classification system developed by ESDC and Statistics Canada that is ‘amended from time to time’.

National occupational classification (NOC) skill levels

Typically senior or middle management occupations

E.g., Managers across all sectors such as transportation, construction, sales, health, manufacturing

Typically requires university level education

E.g., Physicians, applied scientists, engineers, teachers and instructors, accountants

Typically requires college, apprenticeship or combination of high school/on-the-job training/work experience

E.g., Medical technicians, police officers, electricians, carpenters, mechanics, chefs, cooks

Typically requires secondary education and on-the job training

E.g., Retail sale, occupations in food and beverage services, clerks, machine operators, security guards

Typically on-the-job training only, no formal education required

E.g., Food counter attendants, labourers, harvesters, cashiers, cleaners