by Carrie Brunet
A centralized information portal that will give potential immigrants all the information they need to succeed once they have arrived in Canada is a no-brainer, said MP Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina), who put forward a proposal last week on recognizing the credentials of foreign-trained individuals. "It's one tragic story after another," said Chow, who has worked with local agencies such as University Settlement House and Access Alliance, during her previous position as city councillor. "Immigrants feel they have been lied to." The immigration process which assesses individuals on criteria such as training and work experience creates an expectation that such training will be accepted here in Canada, said Chow. "This isn't rocket science," said Chow. "We need to create bridging programs and mentorship programs from existing successful models." For instance, the Toronto Regional Immigrant Employment Council already has existing mentorship programs with major employers like the TTC, the city of Toronto, Ontario Power Generation and others. Unemployment or underemployment leads to "family breakdown and depression," said Chow.
Chow's proposal to the government includes seven recommendations. They include: a clear and accessible Internet portal and toll-free hotline where potential immigrants could gather information about assessment criteria, educational institutions, licensing bodies and mentorship and bridging programs; a public campaign regarding the recognition of foreign credentials and the local labour market; permanent training and mentorship programs, derived from current pilot projects; a database for information sharing between the licensing and educational institutions and the federal government; clear information dissemination between the federal and provincial governments on accreditation and licensing; a cohesive national plan that recognizes credentials from coast to coast setting a clear standard; special programs to expedite professionals in sectors facing labour shortages. The report issued by Chow also recommend targeting those countries that are the top 10 feeder countries for Canada as listed by Citizen and Immigration Canada: China, India, the Philippines, Pakistan, United States, South Korea, Iran, Romania, United Kingdom, and Sri Lanka. "There is a lot being done at the grassroots level, but the agencies are underfunded," said Chow. "The government needs to do more. It's fragmented." She suggested a system that would let new immigrants hit the ground running once they come to Canada. "The application process is long," said Chow. "Let's give them the information they need so they can begin the certification process before they arrive." Moreover, Canada stands to benefit financially by making sure its citizens are maximizing their potential, said Chow, pointing to a study by the Conference Board of Canada which states that immigrants could earn an extra $5 billion in salaries which would be pumped into the economy if they were working in positions that reflected their experience. "(New immigrants) are seeing their own self-worth slipping through their hands," said Chow. "They are given promises, but not given the details."
A centralized information portal that will give potential immigrants all the information they need to succeed once they have arrived in Canada is a no-brainer, said MP Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina), who put forward a proposal last week on recognizing the credentials of foreign-trained individuals. "It's one tragic story after another," said Chow, who has worked with local agencies such as University Settlement House and Access Alliance, during her previous position as city councillor. "Immigrants feel they have been lied to." The immigration process which assesses individuals on criteria such as training and work experience creates an expectation that such training will be accepted here in Canada, said Chow. "This isn't rocket science," said Chow. "We need to create bridging programs and mentorship programs from existing successful models." For instance, the Toronto Regional Immigrant Employment Council already has existing mentorship programs with major employers like the TTC, the city of Toronto, Ontario Power Generation and others. Unemployment or underemployment leads to "family breakdown and depression," said Chow.
Chow's proposal to the government includes seven recommendations. They include: a clear and accessible Internet portal and toll-free hotline where potential immigrants could gather information about assessment criteria, educational institutions, licensing bodies and mentorship and bridging programs; a public campaign regarding the recognition of foreign credentials and the local labour market; permanent training and mentorship programs, derived from current pilot projects; a database for information sharing between the licensing and educational institutions and the federal government; clear information dissemination between the federal and provincial governments on accreditation and licensing; a cohesive national plan that recognizes credentials from coast to coast setting a clear standard; special programs to expedite professionals in sectors facing labour shortages. The report issued by Chow also recommend targeting those countries that are the top 10 feeder countries for Canada as listed by Citizen and Immigration Canada: China, India, the Philippines, Pakistan, United States, South Korea, Iran, Romania, United Kingdom, and Sri Lanka. "There is a lot being done at the grassroots level, but the agencies are underfunded," said Chow. "The government needs to do more. It's fragmented." She suggested a system that would let new immigrants hit the ground running once they come to Canada. "The application process is long," said Chow. "Let's give them the information they need so they can begin the certification process before they arrive." Moreover, Canada stands to benefit financially by making sure its citizens are maximizing their potential, said Chow, pointing to a study by the Conference Board of Canada which states that immigrants could earn an extra $5 billion in salaries which would be pumped into the economy if they were working in positions that reflected their experience. "(New immigrants) are seeing their own self-worth slipping through their hands," said Chow. "They are given promises, but not given the details."
No comments:
Post a Comment