Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador take action to help newcomers get jobs in their fields

ST. JOHN'S, July 22, 2016 /CNW/ - Foreign-trained workers in Newfoundland and Labrador will get help to have their foreign credentials recognized, allowing them to get good jobs in their fields, under an agreement signed today between the Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, and the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Newfoundland and Labrador's Minister of Advanced Education and Skills.

Through the agreement, the Government of Canada will invest $800,000 to enable the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to share best practices and create partnerships among key stakeholders. Internationally trained professionals will get access to occupation-specific information, online tools and programs to prepare for their licensure exams. Workers in targeted professions such as nursing and engineering will benefit from opportunities such as bridge-to-work, mentorship and internship programs. The project will also help internationally trained skilled trades workers obtain certification and employment.

This initiative supports the Atlantic Growth Strategy's immigration pilot project, which aims to bring thousands of immigrants to the region.

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 the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications, a national framework that is streamlining foreign credential recognition for priority occupations, including doctors, dentists and nurses.

Quotes

"Canada is at its best and most prosperous when all Canadians have a real and fair chance at success. This is why we are taking concrete action with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to help internationally trained workers get their foreign credentials recognized, so they can obtain jobs and contribute to our labour market."
– The Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

"The talents and skills of newcomers are playing a crucial role in diversifying our economy and strengthening our labour market. Today's agreement with the Government of Canada will improve the recognition of foreign qualifications and support new Canadians in this province by overcoming barriers and helping them find work in their fields more quickly."
– The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

"This federal–provincial partnership initiative will have a significant impact on the assessment and recognition processes for foreign credentials in Newfoundland and Labrador. Through this collaborative action, internationally trained workers will be able to access additional programs and services to find employment in their field of expertise and accelerate their successful integration into the Newfoundland and Labrador workforce."
 – Eileen Kelly-Freake, AXIS Career Services, Association for New Canadians

Quick Facts

• Newfoundland and Labrador is experiencing significant labour market pressures as a result of modest economic growth and the demographic challenges of an aging workforce and declining birth rate.
• Though many immigrants have higher-than-average education, many find it hard to find jobs that match their education levels and their areas of expertise. According to a Statistics Canada study, only 24 percent of newcomers who have studied abroad in a field leading to a regulated profession were employed in their chosen field. In comparison, 62 percent of those born in Canada were employed in regulated occupations that matched their education and training.
• As part of the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications, service standards have been established so that internationally trained professionals in 14 priority occupations can have their credentials assessed within one year, anywhere in Canada. Another set of 10 priority occupations will soon be able to benefit from this service standard.
• Federal, provincial and territorial governments have given priority to 24 target occupations, including five trades, to assist with the integration of immigrants into the Canadian labour market. Currently there are bilateral agreements established with Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Yukon.

Associated Links

Budget 2016 
Employment and Social Development Canada: Credential Recognition
A Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications 
Federal Skilled Trades Program 
Express Entry 
Job Bank

Backgrounder

Government of Canada foreign credential recognition programs and services

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

The Integration–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.

Improving foreign credential recognition

The Government of Canada works with the provinces and territories and other stakeholders to improve foreign credential recognition through the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

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 of 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.

These service standards apply to the first set of 14 priority occupations identified under the Framework. These include: architects, engineers, engineering technicians, accountants, medical lab technicians, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, registered nurses, practical nurses, dentists, medical radiation technologists, physicians and teachers. An additional set of 10 priority occupations that includes geoscientists, carpenters, electricians, heavy-duty equipment technicians, heavy equipment operators, welders, audiologists and speech–language pathologists, midwives, psychologists and lawyers will also soon benefit from this service standard.

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

John O'Leary, Director of Communications, Office of the Hon. MaryAnn Mihychuk, P.C., M.P., Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, 819-654-5611; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]; John Tompkins, Director of Communications, Department of Advanced Education and Skills, 709-729-0753, 728-7762, [email protected]