SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN, February 12, 2010—The Government of Canada is helping newcomers better integrate into the Canadian workforce through a new initiative. The Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification) and Member of Parliament for Blackstrap, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.
The Government of Saskatchewan will receive over $1.6 million in funding from the Government of Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition Program to support its Competency Recognition project.
“Our government is committed to helping newcomers succeed in Canada,” said Minister of State Yelich. “That’s why we’re taking action to improve foreign qualification recognition so that newcomers can maximize their talents right here in Saskatchewan. I’m pleased to support Saskatchewan’s Competency Recognition project, because we know that attracting the best international talent is important to Canada’s long-term economic success.”
The funding will enable the Province, in collaboration with various stakeholders, to work towards developing new approaches and practices to foreign credential recognition.
“Thanks to our partnership with the federal government, we are working toward our goal of helping newcomers enter Saskatchewan’s labour force more quickly and in their preferred occupation,” said the Honourable Rob Norris, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Advanced Education, Employment and Labour and Minister Responsible for Immigration. “To achieve that goal, we are working with our partners and stakeholders to develop new practices and approaches to foreign credential recognition in the province.”
Canada’s Economic Action Plan invested $50 million to work with the provinces and territories and other partners, such as employers, to address barriers to foreign credential recognition in Canada. This investment directly contributed to the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications, which was announced last November.
Saskatchewan is developing a provincial plan to implement the Framework and is already working with a number of the regulatory authorities for occupations on the Framework’s short- and medium-term lists. In addition, Saskatchewan is currently reviewing proposals for its new Bridge to Licensing Program to identify projects that support the Framework’s vision and goals.
Under the Framework, foreign-trained workers who submit an application to be licensed or registered to work in certain fields will be advised within one year whether their qualifications will be recognized. The Framework is part of the Government of Canada’s strategy to have the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world.
With this $50-million investment, the Government will:
- develop the principles that will guide the process of foreign credential recognition;
- develop standards for the timely handling of requests;
- identify key occupations that will be the priority for developing recognition standards; and
- help people who want to come to Canada understand what they need to know before they arrive.
The Foreign Credential Recognition Program and the Foreign Credentials Referral Office are the key federal initiatives in place to support pan-Canadian implementation of the Framework.
To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
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This news release is available in alternative formats upon request.
For further information (media only):
Michelle Bakos
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
To help internationally trained workers find jobs in their career of choice, Canada’s Economic Action Plan is investing $50 million over two years to make the process of assessing and recognizing foreign qualifications more efficient.
The objective of the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications is to articulate a new joint national vision, guiding principles and desired outcomes for improving the assessment and recognition of newcomers’ qualifications.
The Foreign Credential Recognition Program aims to improve the integration of internationally trained workers into the workforce. The Program provides funding to and works with the provinces and territories and stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, post‑secondary institutions, sector councils and employers, to implement projects that facilitate the assessment and recognition of qualifications acquired in other countries.
The Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) was established in May 2007 to help internationally trained workers receive the information, path-finding and referral services, in Canada and overseas, to have their credentials assessed quickly so they can find work faster in the fields for which they have been trained. The FCRO works with federal, provincial and territorial partners, and foreign credential assessment and recognition bodies, to strengthen foreign credential recognition processes across the country. Internet services for internationally trained workers can be found on the FCRO Web site at the following address: www.credentials.gc.ca.
