The consultation will guide future legislation to better integrate internationally trained professionals in the province’s workforce, while the report highlights eight areas of focus, such as simplifying complex processes, increasing transparency, exploring alternate pathways for credential recognition, and strengthening inter-organizational collaboration.
The government of British Columbia in Canada has released the results of a comprehensive public engagement exercise aimed at improving the international credential recognition process. The feedback, gathered from more than 1,450 respondents, will be instrumental in shaping future legislation to enhance credential recognition for newcomers in the province.
The consultation process, initiated in the spring of 2023, encompassed a diverse group of participants, including internationally trained professionals, educational institutions, immigrant-serving organizations, and various professional bodies. They were invited to share their insights via roundtables and an online survey.
Andrew Mercier, the state minister for workforce development, expressed concerns regarding the current system’s effectiveness. He emphasized the necessity of fairness and efficient support for internationally trained professionals aiming to practice in British Columbia.
The extensive public engagement saw a large number of participants from across the province, with everyone providing their perspectives on how to improve and streamline the credential recognition process and dismantle unnecessary barriers for newcomers to Canada.
David Lee, the director of employment at Mosaic, an immigrant-serving organization, applauded the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills and Minister Mercier for directly engaging with immigrant professionals. He expressed optimism for potential improvements that could leverage the skills and experience of these newcomers.
The resulting report identified eight key themes for improvement, including simplifying complex processes, increasing the accessibility and transparency of licensure information, exploring alternative pathways for credential recognition, and enhancing the flexibility of language proficiency demonstrations. Other focuses included setting performance standards for data and reporting, augmenting financial support, and strengthening collaboration between regulatory authorities, educational institutions, employers, and immigrant-serving organizations.
The feedback collected will be a pivotal element in refining the international credential-recognition process and in drafting new legislation to foster better integration of internationally trained professionals in the workforce.
The report’s insights will guide future legislation and actions aimed at enhancing credential recognition in B.C. Feedback was received from 953 internationally trained professionals, 185 domestically trained professionals, 98 representatives for immigrant-serving organizations, and 108 other members of the public.
