Many provincial governments have developed programs to promote the assessment of foreign credentials and the integration of internationally trained workers into the workforce.
Click on the links below for more information on what provincial governments are doing in this area.
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Other provinces
The Alberta Ministry of Employment, Industry and Immigration has developed many resources and initiatives related to the integration of internationally trained workers in the workforce.
Other provincial initiatives of note are listed below.
The Apprenticeship and Industry Training Initiative
This initiative of the Alberta Ministry of Advanced Education and Technology assesses international credentials and formal training (certificates, work experience and training in the trades) to provide individuals with an opportunity to become certified Alberta tradespeople or to establish advanced standing in apprenticeship programs.
International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
This service in Alberta government provides an advisory educational assessment service which compares educational qualifications from other countries to provincial educational standards. Clients include individuals, employers, Canadian educational institutions, professional licensing bodies, organizations and other provinces.
The main departments and agencies involved in the integration of internationally trained workers in the workforce are listed below.
Ministry of the Attorney General—Multiculturalism and Immigration Branch
The branch provides policy and program development for multiculturalism and immigration. It also implements the Agreement for Canada-British Columbia Co-operation on Immigration, which includes ensuring immigrants have the opportunity to fully utilize their skills within the Canadian labour market as quickly as possible and developing strategies to address barriers to international qualification assessment and recognition.
Ministry of Economic Development—International Qualifications Unit
This unit provides leadership and support to employers, regulatory bodies, professional and trade associations, unions, post-secondary institutions, and community service agencies, to help fully utilize skilled immigrants in the B.C. labour market. It provides three core services: Capacity Building, Information Services, and Networking.
International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES)
The BC government provided start-up funding for this credential assessment service.
Manitoba Labour and Immigration—Settlement and Labour Market Services Branch has initiated a number of programs and services that assist internationally-trained workers to integrate into the labour force, as described on their website.
Provincial initiatives relating to credential recognition are listed below:
Academic Credentials Assessment Service (ACAS)
This service evaluates the education of individuals who obtained their education abroad and issues a report of comparison to educational standards in Manitoba. The Academic Credentials Report is advisory in nature and is designed to support and facilitate hiring or admission decisions made by employers, occupational regulatory bodies and educational institutions. Assessments are of formalized instruction only and do not encompass evaluations of competence, work experience or prior learning.
Credentials Recognition Program
This program assists immigrants with professional and/or technical backgrounds in gaining recognition for education and work experience obtained outside of Canada. The program offers assessment and wage assistance as well as counselling and referral services to eligible clients.
The provincial government has launched several initiatives in this area.
Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration—Working in Ontario
This website gives internationally trained individuals the information they need to understand how to get a job in the professions and trades.
Getting down to business
This is the employer section of the website. This section provides information to employers on how to access the talent of internationally trained professionals and tradespeople.
Access to Professions and Trades Initiative
This initiative undertakes to reduce/remove barriers to licensure and certification in the professions and trades.
The Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act 2006
The act applies to 34 regulated professions in Ontario, including physicians, accountants, lawyers, teachers, engineers and social workers. The bill was passed in December 2006 and is part of a comprehensive plan that includes internships in ministries and Crown agencies for internationally trained newcomer success.
Ontario Immigration Working Guide
This website provides information to internationally-trained individuals on working in Ontario.
World Education Services Canada (WES Canada) has received funding from the provincial Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and has been awarded a contract by the Ontario provincial government to perform evaluation services.
The Quebec provincial ministry for immigration has produced several resources related to FCR, as listed below.
Comparative evaluation for studies done outside Québec (Évaluation comparative des études effectuées hors du Québec)
This website provides information on how to obtain a comparative evaluation for studies done outside Québec, a document that indicates a correspondence to the Québec educational system and its main diplomas (or benchmarks) for studies completed outside Québec. The website also provides other useful links to related websites on working in Quebec.
Travailler au Québec
This website provides information about the job market in Quebec.
Office des professions du Québec Information
This website provides information on the professional system in Québec.
Since 1995, the Government of Saskatchewan has had an inter-provincial agreement with the Government of Alberta for International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) to conduct assessments of international credentials for Saskatchewan residents. The Government of Saskatchewan pays the base costs for the delivery of this service, and Saskatchewan residents pay the assessment costs directly to IQAS.
For credential evaluation services in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut or Yukon, immigrants must contact out-of-province FCR organizations. The Atlantic Provinces have expressed interest in developing an Atlantic Assessment Agency, but much work remains to be done.