HUMA Committee Report
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Mr.
Ed Komarnicki Dear Mr. Komarnicki: Pursuant to section 109 of the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, we are pleased to respond, on behalf of the Government of Canada, to the recommendations proposed by the Report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (the Committee), entitled A Framework for Success: Practical Recommendations to Further Shorten the Foreign Qualification Recognition Process, which was tabled in the House of Commons on March 28, 2012. The Government of Canada is working diligently with provinces, territories and stakeholders to further improve foreign qualification recognition (FQR) processes and has carefully reviewed the recommendations of the Standing Committee. The recommendations are timely and are aligned with current Government of Canada priorities and initiatives aimed at facilitating the labour market integration of internationally trained individuals (ITIs) into jobs that match their skills and experience levels. Economic Action Plan (EAP) 2012 reiterated the Government’s continued commitment to remove barriers to employment and work with partners to make FQR processes more fair, transparent, timely, and consistent. EAP 2012 also committed to modernizing the immigration system to become faster and more flexible to respond to Canada’s current and future labour market needs. Internationally Trained Individuals are Important to Canada’s Economic Prosperity As Canada recovers from the global recession, a shortage of skilled workers continues in many occupations, and this trend is likely to be accentuated in the near future. Canada’s aging society, combined with its low population growth, is creating labour market pressures that heighten the need for ITIs to integrate rapidly into the labour market and easily access job opportunities across Canada. ITIs are important to the Canadian economy but face labour market integration challenges such as limited language proficiency and knowledge of Canadian society and culture, lack of Canadian work experience, and costly, complex and lengthy FQR processes. In fact, a Statistics Canada analysis of 2006 census data showed that only 24% of employed and university-educated ITIs were working in a regulated occupation that matched their field of study, compared to 62% of their Canadian-born counterparts. As countries compete to attract skilled ITIs, beginning the FQR process as early as possible, including prior to immigration, is an important step in ensuring ITIs' skills and experience are put to work quickly in commensurate employment. As the Committee’s Report notes, the recognition of foreign qualifications in Canada is largely an area of provincial and territorial jurisdiction and involves multiple stakeholders: nearly 500 regulatory authorities; five provincially-mandated agencies that evaluate education qualifications; numerous professional associations; post-secondary and vocational institutions; and employers. Supporting Improved Approaches to FQR is a Priority for the Government of Canada In support of the complex nature of FQR, three federal departments exercise mutually reinforcing and complementary mandates – Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and Health Canada. The three departments work collaboratively with the provinces and territories, regulatory bodies and other partners to provide strategic leadership and foster the development of common approaches to FQR. Through its suite of programs, HRSDC provides expertise on labour market integration, promotes labour mobility across Canada, and provides labour market information to ITIs and employers. Additionally, HRSDC has funded provinces and territories to build their capacity to address FQR issues, and provided financial support to regulatory authorities to improve FQR processes and assist ITIs’ labour market integration. CIC is providing ITIs with essential information and services pre- and post-arrival to improve social and economic integration, including: information about immigration and the FQR process, connections to communities and employers; language training; work experience, mentoring; and, job search workshops. In collaboration with provincial and territorial health departments, Health Canada is working with health stakeholders to address health human resource needs by improving the assessment and recognition of internationally educated health professionals, who constitute a significant share of highly skilled ITIs. The three departments have mechanisms in place to coordinate FQR communications and facilitate the exchange of information, such as inter-departmental committees, reports and working groups, and will continue to strengthen interdepartmental coordination. A prime example of interdepartmental coordination that leads to effective partnerships is the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications (the Framework), a federal-provincial-territorial commitment to improve the integration of ITIs into the labour market. In 2009, the Forum of Labour Market Ministers launched the Framework to ensure that FQR processes are fair, transparent, timely, and consistent. Given the broad scope of the work, governments have focused their actions on 14 target occupations, over three years, including among others engineers, nurses and physicians. The Economic Action Plan 2009 provided $50M over two years to support Framework implementation, and an additional $25M is provided annually to improve the recognition of foreign qualifications. Government of Canada funding has supported projects for many occupations, including the 14 target occupations identified in the Framework, as well as funding agreements with all provincial and territorial governments. At present, all regulatory bodies for the first eight target occupations of the Framework are meeting the pan-Canadian commitment to timely service. This means that ITIs seeking licensure in these occupations are now informed, within one year, whether their qualifications will be recognized, if they need to meet additional educational or practical requirements necessary for registration, or whether related occupations better match their skills and experience. Action plans have been developed to ensure progress and continuous FQR process improvements within these occupations. Work is underway with the remaining six target occupations to confirm that they will meet the pan-Canadian commitment to timely service and develop action plans by December 2012. The Government of Canada is committed to reporting to Canadians on the progress made on FQR. Since 2008, an annual Progress Report highlighting Government of Canada FQR interventions, accomplishments and plans has been published. The latest Government of Canada Progress Report on foreign credential recognition, entitled Strengthening Canada’s Economy, was released in March 2012 and can be found at www.credentials.gc.ca. In addition to this, federal, provincial and territorial governments’ accomplishments in the recognition of foreign qualifications have been recently highlighted in the first joint Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications Progress Report, released in March 2012. Governments’ efforts on FQR have been complemented by domestic labour mobility initiatives, notably through the 2009 improvements to the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT). Chapter 7 on labour mobility of the AIT ensures that workers certified for a regulated occupation in one province or territory can, upon application, be certified for that occupation anywhere in Canada without any additional training, experience or assessments. As a result, qualified ITIs and Canadians have access to employment opportunities across the country, creating an open, efficient and stable labour market that is essential to Canada’s economic prosperity. The Government of Canada Provides Information and Services that Support the Successful Labour Market Integration of Internationally Trained Individuals Pre-Arrival Information and Supports The Government of Canada has developed products and tools and provided support to projects that help ITIs access quality and authoritative information about FQR processes before they arrive in Canada. For example, financial support is provided to the Association of Canadian Community Colleges to manage the Canadian Immigrant Integration Program that provides Federal Skilled Workers and Provincial Nominees, as well as their spouses and working-age dependents, in Canada’s top source countries for immigration with a free, two-day orientation session on the Canadian labour market and FQR processes. Participants in these sessions also receive individual counselling and develop action plans that prepare them for their settlement post-landing. Access to comprehensive, accurate and current labour market information is key to preparing ITIs for their arrival in Canada. The Working in Canada (WiC) website (www.workingincanada.gc.ca) is the Government of Canada’s online source for labour market information and is tailored to the needs of prospective immigrants and Canadians. The website provides a broad spectrum of free, useful and up-to-date information about the Canadian labour market and is customizable by occupation and location. Information on labour market forecasts, with a detailed outlook by industry, skill level and occupation, is also available to help potential immigrants, while still in their country of origin, prepare for the realities of the Canadian job market and make informed decisions about where to live and work. The site also provides detailed information on beginning the licensure process overseas and the required documents, fees, and potential timelines. The use of the WiC website is growing continuously. Since 2007, its usage has doubled every year, and in 2011 alone, the WiC website received over 4.7 million visits, and generated over 4.3 million occupational reports. Currently, the website receives over 450,000 visits per month, with about 40% of users located outside of Canada. Complementing the labour market information provided by the WiC website is the www.credentials.gc.ca website that provides information, path-finding and referral services for ITIs at the pre- and post-arrival phases. The website has received over two million visits and contains tools for prospective immigrants such as the Planning to Work in Canada Workbook, a step-by-step guide that helps ITIs gather information about living and working in Canada. Supplementing the Workbook are 24 Occupation Factsheets that were developed in partnership with Sector Councils and national professional associations and include information on health, business, finance and administration, natural and applied sciences and trades sectors. These brochures detail the general requirements to work in these professions or trades and the steps that can be undertaken to begin the recognition process overseas. Initiatives that Support the Labour Market Integration of Internationally Trained Individuals Although information is easily available to help ITIs understand the Canadian labour market and the FQR process, understanding of Canadian workplace culture and lack of Canadian work experience remain prominent barriers to integration. Additional Government supports, including job search workshops, labour market access programming, and employment counselling and coaching help ITIs find work that is commensurate with their skills and experience levels. As employers are responsible for accepting and recognizing qualifications in non-regulated occupations, the Government of Canada has been working to assist employers with their workforce planning strategies. For example, Government of Canada support enabled the Construction Sector Council to develop a website (www.internationallytrainedworkers.ca/en/itw) that provides resources to assist employers, industry organizations, employment agencies and counsellors in attracting, hiring and integrating ITIs into the construction workforce. Similarly, with Government of Canada funding, the Mining Industry Human Resources Council developed the Mining Immigration Reference Guide, which helps employers navigate and manage the immigration and recruitment process of foreign workers. The Employer’s Roadmap to Hiring and Retaining Internationally Trained Workers (Roadmap), developed by the Government of Canada and the Alliance of Sector Councils, also provides employers with information on the benefits of hiring ITIs, immigration information, ways to assess international qualifications, and tips to integrate and retain ITIs. Building on the success of the Roadmap, the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education created five videos in 2011, each designed to complement a section of the Employer’s Roadmap. These videos feature employers discussing their experiences in hiring ITIs and the benefits these workers bring to their organizations. In addition, to respond to the specific needs of employers, the Construction Sector Council developed a sector-specific roadmap that was launched in April 2011. The International Qualifications Network (IQN) is an additional tool that enables employers, as well as other stakeholders, including regulatory bodies and immigrant-serving organizations, to share FQR information and promising practices so that they can capitalize on each other’s investments by using these best practices. Currently, there are over 150 initiatives posted on the IQN, which is overseen by a 20 member advisory board. The Government of Canada has also taken a leadership role in providing skilled newcomers with Canadian work experience and mentorship opportunities. Launched as a pilot in 2008, the Federal Internship for Newcomers Program (FINP) provides skilled newcomers with work experience in federal government departments and has expanded to 20 federal departments and agencies. The Government of Canada is exploring additional public and private partnerships to diversify the range and duration of work experience offered to interns while providing employers with access to qualified ITIs with valuable Canadian work experience to help meet their needs. Similarly, the Public Service Mentoring Pilot, a partnership between the Government of Canada and immigrant-serving organizations, links public servants with newcomers in Ottawa, Toronto and Calgary to help develop professional networks and gain insight into Canadian workplace culture. Currently, the Government of Canada is exploring opportunities to continue to work with immigrant-serving organizations to deliver mentoring programs and partnerships among additional federal departments and agencies in these locations. Further efforts made by the federal government to improve FQR processes beginning overseas have enabled regulatory bodies for professions such as lawyers and physicians to begin the assessment of ITIs’ qualifications prior to arrival by offering exams in countries such as India, Australia and the United Kingdom. The Government of Canada will continue to encourage regulatory bodies to begin these assessment processes pre-arrival to help facilitate quicker labour market integration of ITIs once they arrive in Canada. The Government of Canada also supports other initiatives, such as Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs), which are international agreements that expedite foreign qualifications recognition by replacing laborious case-by-case evaluations of individual qualifications with an assessment of entire credential or licensure systems. The majority of the 14 target occupations identified in the Framework have MRAs in place with select countries. MRAs facilitate ITIs’ labour market integration because ITIs can access and understand the FQR process while still in their home countries. This early recognition of credentials translates into more rapid and easy integration into Canada’s labour force. The Government of Canada supports the development of MRAs through projects and other initiatives. For example, the Government is funding the Certified General Accountants (CGA) Association to develop new MRAs with foreign accounting bodies whose programs are closely aligned to the CGA Program. This will facilitate the integration of ITIs who are looking to enter the accounting profession within Canada and improve the ability of the accounting body to assess and recognize the credentials of ITIs. In addition, in February 2012, the Government sponsored a workshop with over 40 Canadian regulators and professional associations that demonstrated the benefits of MRAs, identified best practices, and encouraged representatives from all occupations to consider the development of additional MRAs. With nine of 14 target occupations under the Framework in the health sector, the Government of Canada continues to support the labour market integration of internationally trained health professionals, while respecting provincial and territorial jurisdiction over health human resources. For example, the Government of Canada is funding the Medical Council of Canada to support the development of a practise ready assessment program that will help to improve the process for the licensing of international medical graduates (IMGs). Continued Government of Canada support for the Physician Credential Repository will enable the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada and the Medical Council of Canada to develop a single entry point for physicians, including IMGs, to apply for a medical license in any of the 13 provincial or territorial medical regulatory authorities in Canada. The Government of Canada has also funded the College of Nurses of Ontario, on behalf of nursing regulatory bodies across Canada, to support the development and implementation of a pan-Canadian assessment service to increase the capacity of nursing regulators to provide timely and consistent assessments. The project will enable internationally educated nurses to start the application process and complete the educational review and validation step of the licensure process while still in their home country. International applicants who begin the assessment phase overseas will better understand the requirements to become a registered nurse and practise in Canada. The Government of Canada also provides financial support for bridging projects as they facilitate labour market integration and assist ITIs in making the transition to the Canadian workplace by providing sessions that are focused on profession-specific language, work experience, identification of skill gaps, and supports to fill those gaps. For example, in November 2011, the Government of Canada announced funding for an initiative with the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accounts that will create customized bridging programs to help internationally trained accountants complete any additional courses and exams they may need to become licensed in Canada. Another example is the Government of Canada’s support for the Canadian Association of Schools of Nurses to improve the quality and consistency of nursing bridging programs in Canada. The Government of Canada’s Family Medicine Residencies Initiative is working with provincial and territorial governments to create training opportunities for physicians, including IMGs, in family medicine. Pioneering projects are also underway in the health sector to collect, collate and disseminate information that benefits stakeholders and individuals. For example, the Government of Canada is funding the Association of Faculties of Medicine and the Canadian Post-M.D. Education Registry to develop and expand a pan-Canadian longitudinal database to track IMGs’ progress. The project will provide a complete picture of physicians who earned their medical degree outside Canada and their unique contribution to the Canadian physician workforce. Taken together, the Government of Canada programs, initiatives and projects described above are profoundly changing the regulatory landscape by replacing uneven practices across jurisdictions with new harmonized and pan-Canadian FQR processes. Continued Support for the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications and Ensuring the Immigration System is Responsive to Canada’s Labour Market Needs The Government of Canada will continue to work with provincial and territorial governments and other partners to support improvements and to speed up FQR processes and align the immigration system with labour market demands. The Government of Canada demonstrated its sustained commitment to improving the labour market outcomes of ITIs in Budgets 2011 and 2012, notably through the Foreign Credential Recognition Loans Pilot, a three-year, $18 million pilot project. Launched in February 2012, this pilot project includes funding for three community organizations to establish Foreign Credential Recognition Loans pilot sites in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario. These loans support ITIs in completing the FQR process and finding jobs that best suit their skills and experience. EAP 2012 also announced Government of Canada support to further advance the foundational work accomplished through the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. As outlined in the EAP, the Government will continue to work collaboratively with provinces and territories to identify the next set of target occupations for inclusion in the Framework beyond 2012. These Government of Canada commitments, in combination with recent accomplishments, support the development of an efficient and pan-Canadian labour market where ITIs and all Canadians can move freely across the country to fully utilize their skills and realize their potential. The Government of Canada also committed in the EAP 2012 to build on past achievements in the area of economic immigration and continue developing a fast and flexible immigration system that is focused on meeting Canada’s labour market needs. In 2008, the Government of Canada introduced the Action Plan for Faster Immigration, which included Ministerial Instructions to actively manage the volume and type of applications to be processed under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). Ministerial Instructions were issued in 2008, 2010 and 2011 and are designed to be a flexible tool that allows the Government to align the intake of applications for economic immigration with the number and types of jobs available in Canada, as well as reduce application backlogs and processing times. Under the Ministerial Instructions currently in effect, foreign nationals applying under the FSWP are eligible to have their application processed if they are found to meet the criteria in any one of three pre-processing eligibility streams. As such, adjustments to the eligible occupations list can be made to reflect new and emerging labour market needs which helps to support a flexible and responsive immigration system. As part of its current efforts to modernize the FSWP, an educational credential assessment is being proposed, allowing the Government to strengthen the authentication and assessment of the credentials of applicants before they arrive in Canada, and determine their comparability to a Canadian educational credential. This will alert applicants as to whether their educational credentials equate to Canadian credentials. If they do not, the applicant will not receive the higher points awarded for that level of qualification which may affect their overall point score and eligibility to be selected for immigration. The Government is committed to working with the provinces and territories and employers to explore options to develop a pool of skilled workers who are ready to transition into employment when they arrive in Canada and is studying Australia’s immigration system and foreign qualifications model to help inform the changes it is considering to modernize the FSWP. Australia’s immigration model offers best practices such as language and credential assessments that the Government will continue to consider. The Government is also examining best practices from other like-minded countries, such as New Zealand, as it works to modernize Canada’s immigration system. The skilled trades are also essential to building a highly skilled and mobile trade workforce to support Canada’s competitiveness. To this end, the Government of Canada recently announced its intention to introduce a new immigration stream to facilitate the entry of skilled tradespersons into Canada. To further assist in addressing labour shortages among trade occupations, initiatives are currently being considered in the 52 Red Seal trades, which represent a significant proportion of registered apprentices in Canada, to improve the assessment and recognition of the qualifications of international tradespeople. These include exploring additional pathways to Red Seal endorsement through the expansion of the range of methods used to assess tradespeople. This would be particularly beneficial to tradespeople whose skills were gained outside of a formal apprenticeship program, including internationally trained tradespeople. Furthermore, the Red Seal endorsement is an effective means of facilitating labour mobility across Canada as it ensures the automatic recognition of the qualifications of skilled trade workers, complementing the AIT and providing a standard of excellence for industry. The rapid integration of ITIs into Canada’s labour market is integral to addressing current and upcoming skilled labour shortages. The Government of Canada’s current range of programs and initiatives demonstrate its ongoing support and it will maintain this momentum. The three main federal departments involved in FQR – HRSDC, CIC and Health Canada – will continue to work together, exchange information and strengthen interdepartmental coordination and efficiencies. We trust that this Government Response will provide the Committee with the assurance that the Government of Canada has taken important steps and will continue to support improvements to FQR processes. We would like to commend efforts made by members of the Committee, and the many witnesses who appeared before it for their valuable perspectives and contributions. The Government of Canada remains fully committed to ongoing collaboration that builds upon successes and lessons learned as we continue to take concerted action with partners to facilitate the integration of ITIs into Canada’s labour market. Yours
sincerely, The
Honourable Diane Finley, P.C., M.P. The
Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P. The
Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, P.C., M.P. |