FOREIGN CREDENTIAL ASSESSMENT AND RECOGNITION (2005 – Revised 2006)
The BC Chamber undertook a project called the “Skill Shortage Initiative” to identify challenges in this area and possible solutions. The project resulted in a report that was published in 2002, entitled “Closing the Skills Gap”. The report correctly pointed out that the “quality and creativity of the workforce has become the single most competitive factor in the industrialized nations. The degree to which skill shortages are averted by stakeholders will be a large determinant of BC’s economic prosperity and social health.”
One of the many recommendations in the report was the need to develop a fast-track foreign credential assessment and recognition service in BC. As the Canadian Chamber stated in its most recent Policy Resolutions report, the “best and brightest” of the world are increasingly mobile. While we must ensure that we keep our home grown talent, it is equally important that our immigration system enhances our chances of attracting individuals with the skill sets Canadian industries require. At issue is the nature of our future population demographic, and our ability to improve productivity relative to other modern economies. By 2015 it is estimated that 100% of the growth in our labour force will be derived through immigration. A recent study by Statistics Canada revealed that by 2017, around 50% of the population in our three major urban centres will consist of visible minorities, many of who will be newly settled immigrants.
Immigration of foreign and inter-provincial skills, limitations have been identified to include:
• Professional Associations not recognizing or appropriately testing externally trained skills.
• The lack of collaboration between Professional Associations and Education institutes to provide testing and skills upgrade where needed
• Lack of collaboration between Immigration Canada and Professional Associations
• Professional Associations limiting the workforce to maintain higher demand and wages for members beyond economic reasonable limits.
Many skilled immigrants that come to BC are finding it difficult to obtain employment in the profession or trade in which they hold foreign credentials because such credentials are not recognized by Canadian employers and/or professional associations. This presents a significant obstacle to attracting skilled immigrants and undermines our competitiveness. Furthermore, faced with having to incur costs to repeat their studies or undertake additional training, some simply give up, resulting in productivity loss to our province.
According to a study by the Conference Board of Canada, an estimated 500,000 Canadians were under-employed and could earn an additional $5 billion per year, and could contribute to the economy if their education and skills were formally recognized. Another study by Jeffrey Reitz of the University of Toronto found that the under utilization of immigrant skills represents an earnings deficit of $15 billion in 1996 dollars.
THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS
That the Federal Government:
1. immediately initiate the development of a fast-track foreign credential assessment and recognition service;
2. work with provinces and territories, professional and trade associations, educators, and immigrant service organizations to implement the service;
3. ensures professional associations are assessing and suggesting credential upgrades to balance the need for highly skilled workers with the need to fill skills needs in Canada;
4. work with provinces and territories to require Professional Associations and education institutes to ensure skills upgrade courses are available as needed and testing of skills is available in a timely fashion at a local facility;
5. work with provinces and territories to study the inter-provincial as well as immigration limitations and proposes or legislate necessary changes to streamline processes and eliminate unnecessary red tape; and
6. review mandate of all professional and trades associations to ensure there are no systemic impediments to fulfilling skills needs while maintaining the highest standards of safety and competency.
The BC Chamber undertook a project called the “Skill Shortage Initiative” to identify challenges in this area and possible solutions. The project resulted in a report that was published in 2002, entitled “Closing the Skills Gap”. The report correctly pointed out that the “quality and creativity of the workforce has become the single most competitive factor in the industrialized nations. The degree to which skill shortages are averted by stakeholders will be a large determinant of BC’s economic prosperity and social health.”
One of the many recommendations in the report was the need to develop a fast-track foreign credential assessment and recognition service in BC. As the Canadian Chamber stated in its most recent Policy Resolutions report, the “best and brightest” of the world are increasingly mobile. While we must ensure that we keep our home grown talent, it is equally important that our immigration system enhances our chances of attracting individuals with the skill sets Canadian industries require. At issue is the nature of our future population demographic, and our ability to improve productivity relative to other modern economies. By 2015 it is estimated that 100% of the growth in our labour force will be derived through immigration. A recent study by Statistics Canada revealed that by 2017, around 50% of the population in our three major urban centres will consist of visible minorities, many of who will be newly settled immigrants.
Immigration of foreign and inter-provincial skills, limitations have been identified to include:
• Professional Associations not recognizing or appropriately testing externally trained skills.
• The lack of collaboration between Professional Associations and Education institutes to provide testing and skills upgrade where needed
• Lack of collaboration between Immigration Canada and Professional Associations
• Professional Associations limiting the workforce to maintain higher demand and wages for members beyond economic reasonable limits.
Many skilled immigrants that come to BC are finding it difficult to obtain employment in the profession or trade in which they hold foreign credentials because such credentials are not recognized by Canadian employers and/or professional associations. This presents a significant obstacle to attracting skilled immigrants and undermines our competitiveness. Furthermore, faced with having to incur costs to repeat their studies or undertake additional training, some simply give up, resulting in productivity loss to our province.
According to a study by the Conference Board of Canada, an estimated 500,000 Canadians were under-employed and could earn an additional $5 billion per year, and could contribute to the economy if their education and skills were formally recognized. Another study by Jeffrey Reitz of the University of Toronto found that the under utilization of immigrant skills represents an earnings deficit of $15 billion in 1996 dollars.
THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS
That the Federal Government:
1. immediately initiate the development of a fast-track foreign credential assessment and recognition service;
2. work with provinces and territories, professional and trade associations, educators, and immigrant service organizations to implement the service;
3. ensures professional associations are assessing and suggesting credential upgrades to balance the need for highly skilled workers with the need to fill skills needs in Canada;
4. work with provinces and territories to require Professional Associations and education institutes to ensure skills upgrade courses are available as needed and testing of skills is available in a timely fashion at a local facility;
5. work with provinces and territories to study the inter-provincial as well as immigration limitations and proposes or legislate necessary changes to streamline processes and eliminate unnecessary red tape; and
6. review mandate of all professional and trades associations to ensure there are no systemic impediments to fulfilling skills needs while maintaining the highest standards of safety and competency.
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