Government of Canada helps newcomers find jobs faster

TORONTO, Feb. 7, 2014 /CNW/ - The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, today announced close to $800,000 in funding to the National Association of Career Colleges (NACC) to help internationally trained workers who are unable to find work in their fields explore other occupations within or related to their areas of expertise.

By working in partnership with employers, immigrant-serving organizations and professional associations, NACC's Alternative Pathways for Newcomers project will help internationally trained workers choose a career path that suits their skills and experience.

Specifically, NACC will make information on alternative careers available to skilled newcomers, develop a website where they can access information online and create regional information centres where individuals and community organizations can access and share information, so they can put their talents to use in communities across Canada more quickly.

Quick facts

• The project is expected to serve up to 5 000 skilled newcomers and to involve 120 immigrant-serving organizations and 150 employers in its activities.
  
  
• The Government of Canada launched the Foreign Credential Recognition Loans pilot project in 2012. In partnership with nine community organizations across Canada, the project has delivered over 1 000 loans to date to internationally trained workers to help them cover the costs of having their credentials recognized, so they can find jobs that best suit their skills and experience.

Quotes

• "Our government's top priorities are creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity, and we recognize that skilled newcomers help fill shortages in key occupations and make an important contribution to Canada's economy. Through this project, the Government will help internationally trained workers apply their skills and experience in a field related to their training and find jobs faster."
• Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism
• "Thanks to the federal government's financial support to this initiative, the National Association of Career Colleges and our partners will be able to help newcomers to find employment in fields of work that they have experience in and passion for. This will enable Canada to gain from their experience."
• Serge Buy, Chief Executive Officer, NACC

Associated links

• Employment and Social Development Canada: Credential Recognition
• A Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Credentials
• Foreign Credentials Referral Office (Citizenship and Immigration Canada)
• National Association of Career Colleges

Backgrounder

Improving foreign credential recognition

Through Canada's Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada works with the provinces and territories and other stakeholders to improve foreign credential recognition. This partnership led to the development of a national framework that is streamlining foreign credential recognition for priority occupations, including architects, nurses and engineers.

Under the framework, internationally trained workers who submit an application to be licensed or registered to work in certain fields, along with all fees and relevant documents, will be advised within one year how their credentials compare to Canadian standards. They may also be advised of additional requirements or be directed to alternative occupations that would benefit from their skills and experience.

Service standards have been established so that internationally trained professionals in 14 priority occupations, many in healthcare, can have their credentials assessed within one year, anywhere in Canada.

Economic Action Plan 2013 reinforced the Government of Canada's commitment to further improve foreign credential recognition and continue to work in partnership with the provinces and territories to identify the next set of target occupations.

For more information, please consult http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/credential_recognition/docs/pcf.pdf.

Government of Canada foreign credential recognition programs and services

The Foreign Credential Recognition Program aims to improve the integration of internationally trained workers into the workforce. The program provides funding to and works with the provinces and territories and other stakeholders—including regulatory bodies, post-secondary institutions, sector councils and employers—to implement projects that facilitate the assessment and recognition of qualifications acquired in other countries.

The Foreign Credential Recognition Loans pilot project, delivered in cooperation with community organizations, helps internationally trained workers cover the costs of having their credentials recognized, so they can find jobs that best suit their skills and experience.

The Foreign Credentials Referral Office provides information, path-finding and referral services, both in Canada and overseas, to help internationally trained workers have their credentials assessed quickly so they can find work faster in the fields in which they have been trained.

The Internationally Educated Health Professionals Initiative works with provinces, territories and stakeholders to enable more internationally educated health professionals to put their skills to work in Canada's health system.

SOURCE: Employment and Social Development Canada