Toronto, Ontario, January 19, 2011 - The Government of Canada is working with the provinces and territories and regulatory authorities to help audiologists and speech pathologists work anywhere in Canada, wherever opportunities may exist.
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, announced support to the College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario to to establish entry-to-practice competency requirements for both Canadian and internationally trained practitioners. Based on these national standards, assessment tools will be developed so that once licensed, audiologists and speech pathologists will be able to work across Canada, without having to re-certify their credentials.
"Our government is taking concrete action to make full labour mobility a reality," said Minister Flaherty. "It benefits workers and employers alike; workers have a wider range of opportunities and employers have a larger and richer pool of qualified candidates."
The Government of Canada partners with the provinces and territories and key stakeholders to enhance labour mobility and improve foreign credential recognition in Canada. This is part of the government's strategy to address labour shortages and strengthen the Canadian economy.
Canada's Economic Action Plan built upon this strategy by providing additional support to help Canadians recover from the economic downturn and prepare for the economy of the future.
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 on request.
Michelle Bakos
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and
Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
The Agreement on Internal Trade, which was signed by all provinces and territories and the Government of Canada, came into effect in 1995 with the goal of facilitating the movement of people, investments and services across Canada. In August 2009, changes to Chapter 7 of the Agreement, which addressed inter-provincial mobility, were endorsed by all parties. These amendments ensure that any worker who is certified for a regulated occupation in one province or territory can be certified in any other province or territory.
Labour mobility refers to the freedom of workers to practice their occupation or trade wherever opportunities exist. While most Canadians can now benefit from full labour mobility, exceptions to full labour mobility exist in certain provinces and territories for some occupations. Information on exceptions is available on the Internal Trade Secretariat's Web site.
Under the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications, the Government of Canada is working with the provinces and territories and other partners to address barriers to foreign credential recognition. Once licensed in Canada, internationally trained professionals will also be able to move freely between provinces and territories without having to re-certify their credentials.
