QUALIFICATION RECOGNITION AND ENHANCEMENT

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Pre-Summit Task Group Written by Immigrant Skills

1 QUALIFICATION RECOGNITION AND ENHANCEMENT A DISCUSSION PAPER of the Qualification Recognition and Enhancement Pre-Summit Task Group Written by Immigrant Skills Summit Waterloo Region April 28, 2005 /skills-summit.html

2 QUALIFICATION RECOGNITION AND ENHANCEMENT PRE-SUMMIT TASK GROUP MEMBERS Elisabeth Adrian University of Waterloo Paul Burgener Industrial Research Assistance Program Christine Buuck Conestoga College Javed Chaudry Cambridge YMCA Immigrant Services Ewa Dabrowska Wilfrid Laurier University Stelian George-Cosh Conestoga College Natalie Gibbons Kitchener Public Library Susan Horton Wilfrid Laurier University Peter Kerr Kitchener Public Library Catherine Moloney Waterloo Catholic District School Board Heather Montgomery United Way Hulene Montgomery University of Waterloo Tim Owen World Education Services Lars Pastrik Grand River Hospital Carol Simpson Waterloo Wellington Training and Adjustment Board Dave Thomas The Working Centre Sam Veniez Andrew Telegdi, MP, Constituency Office (Placement Student) SUMMIT LEAD ORGANIZATION Centre for Research and Education in Human Services Rich Janzen Joanna Ochocka Maria Hatzipantelis Kathy Hogarth

3 QUALIFICATION RECOGNITION AND ENHANCEMENT SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED ACTION PLAN Qualification Recognition 1. Create greater awareness of available qualification assessment services 2. Advocate for credential assessment as part of the immigrant selection process Qualification Enhancement 3. Expand and increase access to programs and courses for internationally trained professionals and trades people in Waterloo Region 4. Enhance language training programs for immigrants 5. Encourage and facilitate the retention of international students 6. Advocate for a review and updating of the current occupational classification system

4 DRAFT Page 1 Qualification Recognition and Enhancement A Discussion Paper This discussion paper is one of five papers to be presented at the upcoming Immigrant Skills Summit. Focusing on qualification recognition and enhancement, the purpose of this paper is to stimulate dialogue on steps to be taken to ensure that the prior learning and credentials of immigrants are recognized and enhanced to the benefit of Waterloo Region. In this discussion paper you will find an introduction to the Immigrant Skills Summit, an overview of the national/provincial context, and a recommended action plan for recognizing and enhancing the qualifications of immigrants to Waterloo Region. Introduction to the Immigrant Skills Summit On April 28, 2005 Waterloo Region will be holding an Immigrant Skills Summit. The purpose of this Summit is to gain cross-sectoral input and commitment to a comprehensive regional strategy for attracting and integrating immigrant skills into the labour market. These action plans will form the basis for launching a Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Council. The Immigrant Employment Council will serve to strengthen our Region at three levels: 1) promote immigrant well-being, 2) contribute to a prosperous regional economy, and 3) build healthy, vibrant and inclusive communities. In preparation for the Immigrant Skills Summit, a series of five task groups were held. Each task group considered one aspect of attracting and integrating immigrant skills into Waterloo Region s labour market. Each task group met twice prior to the Summit and produced a discussion paper. The five task groups are listed below. 1. Employer Initiatives 2. Qualification Recognition and Enhancement 3. Immigrant Support 4. Immigrant Attraction 5. Foundations for a Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Council The task groups were guided by a set of common principles. These included: Build upon existing initiatives in Waterloo Region Promote equity in all forms (e.g., gender, ethno-racial, age, etc.) Ensure the participation of all pertinent stakeholders Consider the provincial and national contexts Tailor solutions to Waterloo Region s reality

5 DRAFT Page 2 The National/Provincial Context Selection of Canada s growing economic class of immigrants is based on a point system that favours applicants with higher education and skills. Consequently immigrants are increasingly bringing high levels of skill and training. On average, immigrants today have higher education levels than Ontarians. 1 Yet often the skills of immigrants are underutilized. One gap is in the adequate recognition of immigrants previous work experience, language abilities and credentials (qualification recognition). Another gap is in creating opportunities to enhance immigrant skills to meet the expectations of the Canadian labour market (qualification enhancement). Regarding qualification recognition, there is acknowledgement by the federal government that more needs to be done in relation to credential assessment of foreigntrained professionals. Currently there is no overall cohesive qualification recognition strategy across Canada. However, the Canadian government is just beginning to implement the Foreign Credential Recognition program. This program will provide financial and strategic support in developing a Pan-Canadian approach to assessing and recognizing foreign credentials in targeted occupations and sectors of the economy. The aim is to facilitate entry into and mobility within the Canadian labour market. 2 Currently there are many players who provide academic-credential assessment serving different end-users such as employers, educational institutions and regulatory bodies. World Education Services (WES) is the only provincially mandated service for Ontario and was designed to serve broad stakeholder groups. However this has not brought cohesiveness or reduced the complexity of assessment services. WES does not assess occupational competency but only educational qualification. This leaves a gap for users of the service who need assessment for multiple purposes. In addition, some regulatory bodies provide their own assessment or contract others to determine whether to issue licenses to practice. Most post-secondary institutions conduct their own assessments of foreign credentials in determining acceptance or advance standing of incoming students. The fee structure for assessment services also vary widely and can sometimes cost hundreds of dollars. This inconsistency and diffusion of services diminishes the value of the evaluation in terms of final use. 3 Added to this mix is the fact that qualifications are not transferable interprovincially in many cases (let alone internationally). Regarding qualification enhancement, there has been some important developments in recent years with the advent of the provincial government s bridging programs. These programs seek to provide educational upgrading and Canadian work experience to facilitate the licensing of internationally educated professionals. While the Ontario s government commitment to $19 million of funding for bridge training programs over a fouryear period is a step in the right direction it is still minimal, targeting only certain cities and a few professions. The 2004 Ontario Budget provided additional new investments of $9.5 million in 2004/05, growing to $12.5 million annually by 2005/06. Taken in context 1 Anderssen, Erin & Alphonso, Caroline. (2003, March 12). Immigrants losing ground on income. The Globe and Mail. p A6 2 e.asp 3 Alboim, N., Finnie, R., and Meng, R. (2005) The discounting of immigrants skills in Canada: Evidence and policy recommendations. IRPP Choices,11,(2)

6 DRAFT Page 3 however, these advances are relatively small, being aimed at only about 1,400 new immigrants of the over 100,000 who arrive in Ontario each year. One of the barriers new immigrants face when trying to access educational programs designed for filling skills gaps is the current policy on student loans. Permanent residents are eligible for student loans only after they have been in Canada for 12 months. Additionally, students are only eligible for student loans if they are enrolled in courses of study leading to a certificate, diploma or degree in a recognized educational institution. Bridging programs do not meet the specification of the current policy and therefore recently arrived foreign-trained professionals do not qualify for student aid. A Recommended Action Plan for Waterloo Region The task of recognizing and further enhancing the qualifications of immigrants to our Region must be done in tandem with provincial and national players and consider both regulated and non regulated professions and trades. In Waterloo Region, stakeholders have suggested the following local and external action steps: Qualification Recognition 1. Create greater awareness of available qualification assessment services Too often employers are not aware of the high qualifications of immigrants. In addition, given the present patchwork of credential assessment services in Ontario, employers and employment recruitment agencies often lack awareness of the services are available to help them assess the qualifications of applicants. This is particularly true of employers hiring immigrants from non-regulated professions who do not benefit from the assessments done by occupational regulatory bodies. In addition, immigrants themselves often lack awareness of credential assessment services available and so do not receive due recognition of their qualifications. To increase awareness of available services, one strategy could be to design and distribute a resource manual aimed at both employers and immigrants clearly outlining the type of services available, how they can be used and their cost. 2. Advocate for credential assessment as part of the immigrant selection process Presently many highly skilled immigrants come to Canada with the expectation of immediately using their skills. This expectation was nurtured by the Canadian immigration point system granting points for levels of education and skill. Once in Canada, too often these expectations are not met, causing significant distress and disillusionment. Linking credential assessment to the immigrant selection process has been suggested as one strategy to address this problem. For example, points awarded for education could be linked directly to its equivalent in Canada. Credential assessment overseas would also serve to create more realistic expectations about employment prospects prior to immigration. Waterloo Region can add its voice to those calling for reform of the immigrant selection process. Qualification Enhancement 3. Expand and increase access to programs and courses for internationally trained professionals and trades people in Waterloo Region

7 DRAFT Page 4 Waterloo Region has some of the country s leading universities and colleges. These institutions are well poised to provide immigrants with the additional skills needed to become Canadian labour market ready. In part this could be done by offering a range of new courses aimed specifically at internationally educated professionals and trades people. To be cost-effective for educational institutions, this would require the provincial government to alter its educational funding formula and provide funds to universities and colleges for courses offered rather than for degree/diploma programs. Developing additional bridging programs is another strategy. Currently local bridging programs exist or are planned in the fields of pharmacy, optometry and engineering. Local universities and colleges could collaborate in identifying and pursing new bridging programs in regulated professions and trades. Ideally both bridging programs and additionally offered courses would be linked to the skills demands of our community and would include internships with employers and job readiness programs. Increasing access to students loans for immigrants is also needed. One strategy would be to work with local banks to waive the 12 month residency criteria for loans to immigrants. 4. Enhance language training programs for immigrants Many immigrants require language and workplace culture training to make them Canadian labour market ready. Presently most English as a Second Language (ESL) training stops at the intermediate level (insufficient for many workplaces) and language training is typically not profession specific. While some advanced language training is being planned for local immigrants, Waterloo Region could support the efforts of those advocating for a comprehensive strategy of advanced level and profession specific English language training. 5. Encourage and facilitate the retention of international students Universities and colleges are increasingly enrolling international students. Although Canadian educated, many international leave Canada once their studies are completed. Immigration policy makes it difficult for foreign students to apply for landed immigrant status, with students eligible to work only one year after graduation. Many of these students have established roots while in our community and are poised to make a long term contribution to our labour market. Our region could advocate for changes in immigration policy that would make it easier for international students to become immigrants and to work while in Canada. Another step could be to advocate for the expansion of existing co-op programs to allow international students to work under this umbrella. A further possibility could be to advocate for a local pilot program allowing students to work off-campus during and after their studies (plans are already underway for such a pilot). Another strategy would be to raise employer awareness about the employability of international students and the need to adopt more inclusive hiring practices. 6. Advocate for a review and updating of the current occupational classification system Presently Canada classifies occupations according to HRSDC s National Occupational Classification system. These classifications are not always relevant to the range of skills brought by immigrants. Without an appropriate designated classification, immigrants are at a disadvantage in receiving support to enhance their skills. Waterloo Region could

8 DRAFT Page 5 advocate for changes that would make the classification system more updated to the range of immigrant skills that we presently have in our Region. It could also promote HRSDC s essential skills framework as another means of assisting employers to understand the skills sets that immigrants posses. A Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Council would greatly assist in the development, coordination, execution and achievement of these recommended actions.

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