VANCOUVER – Immigrants to B.C. seeking employment in regulated occupations will benefit from a new pan-Canadian framework to improve the recognition of foreign qualifications by ensuring that their education, skills, knowledge, and experience are fully utilized in the labour market sooner, announced Surrey-Tynehead MLA and Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism Dave Hayer on behalf of the Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development Moira Stilwell.
“More than 40,000 immigrants arrive in B.C. annually, most are highly educated and experienced, and are a vital part of British Columbia’s economic well-being and long-term growth,” said Stilwell. “British Columbia has been an active participant in the development of this new framework, and we will continue to lead efforts to streamline, simplify, and improve foreign qualifications assessment and recognition practices in Canada.”
Under the new Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications, the provinces have committed to a shared vision for making foreign qualifications recognition practices faster, fairer, more transparent, and consistent across the country.
This framework will result in a number of changes for immigrants, including better information to help immigrants prepare for their assessment requirements, more opportunities to begin the qualifications assessment process pre-arrival, assessment processes that are as timely and cost-effective as possible, opportunities for upgrading qualifications, and supports to both individuals and employers that will improve the workforce participation of immigrants across the province.
“As the Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism, I recognize the tremendous challenge that immigrants face in their efforts to establish themselves in their new communities across the province,” said Hayer. “We want immigrants to have every opportunity to use their previous education, skills, and experience here in their new home and this framework will help them do that.”
Other stakeholders will also benefit from this framework. Regulatory authorities will have increased opportunities to collaborate and share information across the country, and support to fairly and accurately assess the qualifications of immigrants so that they can be certified to work in regulated occupations. B.C. employers will also have support for recruiting and retaining immigrants in their workplaces.
In 2009-2010, the B.C. Government invested $4.7 million in initiatives to support improved foreign qualifications recognition in the province. Successes to date have included supports for B.C. regulatory authorities to strengthen their practices for assessing, recognizing and certifying internationally-trained applicants in the regulated occupations, the development of tools and resources to support B.C. employers, working with partners in the health sector to connect immigrants and employers, and pilot programs that provide workplace-focused language training for immigrants.
In addition, B.C. has assisted more than 5,500 immigrants connect to employment through the BC Skills Connect for Immigrants Program, recently investing $12 million in 2009-10 for continued delivery of the program.
Through this new framework, B.C. will build on the progress it has made, while also seeking out opportunities to initiate new collaborative relationships, make improvements to the foreign qualifications recognition practices, and bring about visible changes that will be sustainable into the future.
The Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications will be posted online at www.WelcomeBC.ca.
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