New site builds on changes to Canada's immigration system to help international engineering graduates begin their career in Canada more quickly and efficiently
OTTAWA, Jan. 31, 2013 /CNW/ - A new website launched by Engineers Canada and funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada provides international engineering graduates with a single, comprehensive source of high-quality information about how to become a licensed engineer in Canada. The website was designed with extensive input and support from the 12 provincial and territorial regulators of the engineering profession.
"Employers in the engineering field say we need good, skilled workers," says Marcia Friesen, Director of the Internationally Educated Engineers Qualification Program at the University of Manitoba. "It just makes good business sense to do everything we can to bring international engineering graduates here and integrate them into our communities."
The website, accessible at http://newcomers.engineerscanada.ca was created to help international engineering graduates overcome common obstacles to integration. In many cases, newcomers are poorly informed of the licensure process in Canada, unaware of how long it takes or that requirements can differ from province to province. Many newcomers also lack the communication skills needed to successfully pursue an engineering career in Canada.
Written in clear, plain language for people whose first language may not be English or French, Engineers Canada's website will help users make more informed career decisions. It offers practical information on topics such as getting licensed, finding suitable employment and integrating into the Canadian engineering profession, as well as guidance on the immigration process and adapting to Canadian culture.
Visitors to the website also have access to the new Academic Information Tool, which they can use to compare their undergraduate education to Canadian engineering programs to help them understand how their academic credentials are likely to be received in this country.
With Canada in need of more engineers with practical experience and specialized skills, ensuring the smooth and rapid integration of international engineering graduates is crucial to our economic growth and prosperity. The launch of this new website coincides with recent changes made to the Government of Canada's Federal Skilled Worker Program that will make it easier for international engineering graduates to become 'licence-ready' before coming to Canada. (For example, the program now places greater emphasis on language proficiency and awards points based on the 'true value' of a person's international education.) Through Engineers Canada's site, potential newcomers can get a better idea of what exactly they should know and do ahead of time so they can make it through the Federal Skilled Worker Program selection system quickly and efficiently.
"In so many cases, people don't know what they're actually getting into when they come here," says Kate MacLachlan, Director of Academic Review for the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan. "With this site, we're looking to make sure international engineering graduates are as prepared as possible."
Engineers Canada is the national organization of the 12 provincial and territorial associations that regulate the practice of engineering in Canada and license the country's more than 250,000 members of the engineering profession. It serves the associations, which are its constituent and sole members, by delivering national programs that ensure the highest standards of engineering education, professional qualifications and professional practice. Learn more at www.engineerscanada.ca.
SOURCE: Engineers Canada
Alana Lavoie
Manager, Government Relations
Engineers Canada
Email: [email protected]
Tel.: 613-302-8011
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