November 29, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TORONTO, ONTARIO - The Honourable Joe Volpe, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today announced funding of over $2.4 million for two projects that will help foreign trained workers to access the Canadian labour market. The Prior Learning and Foreign Credential Assessment project will improve the recognition of foreign credentials obtained by technicians in the aviation maintenance industry. This project, which is being funded by the Government of Canada's Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR) Program, will support the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council (CAMC) in developing a national system to assess the skills of foreign-trained aviation workers seeking Canadian industry credentials and experience. "More than ever, Canada requires a skilled work force to sustain our competitive advantage, and remain at the forefront of innovation in today's increasingly knowledge-based economy," said Minister Volpe. "Too often, when foreign-trained workers arrive in Canada, they cannot get their credentials and skills formally recognized. This project, and the Foreign Credential Recognition Program in general, are significant steps forward in addressing this problem." "The Canadian aviation and aerospace industry is forecasting a shortage of skilled workers within the next seven years. We need to ensure that the work force remains strong, stable and highly skilled to remain a global leader," said Steve Dick, CEO of the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council. "With so many skilled aviation and aerospace technicians worldwide wanting to work in our industry, there is a definite need for an effective skills assessment and credentialing system to facilitate the influx of this valuable work force resource. CAMC and HRSDC both know that the creation of industry-specific Prior Learning and Foreign Credential Assessment and Recognition (PLFCAR) systems is key to achieving this critical objective." The CAMC is an all-stakeholder, not-for-profit organization responsible for the human resources strategy for aviation maintenance and aerospace manufacturing in Canada. Minister Volpe made the announcement while attending the annual meeting of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC). At the event, he also announced funding of nearly $900,000 to support TRIEC's "Mentoring Partnership" project to develop a culture of occupation-specific mentoring throughout Toronto. Through this project, funding will be provided to the Maytree Foundation under the Government's Labour Market Partnership Program and to community partners in Peel and Toronto through Employment Assistance Services. Foreign credential recognition is the process of verifying that the education and job experience immigrants have obtained in another country are equal to the standards established for Canadian professionals, and then recognizing those credentials so that the individuals have the opportunities to do the work for which they're qualified. The FCR program is a key element of the Government's strategy to promote a strong economy, while at the same time improving the health of Canadians and supporting the economic growth and prosperity of Canada's cities and communities. Human Resources and Skills Development Canada is working closely with colleagues in other federal departments, including Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Health Canada, to make progress in this area. Today's announcement is linked to Canada's Workplace Skills Strategy, aimed at helping Canadians acquire the skills needed for meaningful and productive jobs. The Government of Canada recognizes that Canada's future competitiveness depends on a highly skilled work force and on high-performance workplaces that focus on skills development. It will work with business, unions, other levels of government, sector councils and workers to ensure that all Canadians have the opportunity to develop their skills and succeed, and that employers' needs are met. SUMMARY OF PROJECT FUNDING 1) Prior Learning and Foreign Credential Assessment project by the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Sector Council: - Foreign Credential Recognition Program funding: $1,606,200 2) TRIEC "Mentoring Partnership" project: - Employment Assistance Services funding: $551,517 - Labour Market Partnerships Program funding: $317,213 Total Government of Canada funding announced today: $2,474,930 - 30 - For more information: Stephen Heckbert Director of Communications Office of the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development (819) 994-2482 Media Relations Office Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (819) 994-5559
