"T.O. Career Voice" - Chapter Newsletter

Letter from the Editor - Canada's Major Misuse of Talent: Internationally Educated Professionals

A year and a half-ago Statistics Canada documented many of the difficulties newcomers to Canada face in finding employment. Selected for their education, training and experience, we diminish their skills once they land.

The Canadian workforce is shrinking due to the declining birth rate and retirement of baby boomers, it is estimated that by 2011, 100% of Canada's net labour force growth will come from immigration.

Recent studies conducted by the Conference Board of Canada have indicated that between $4 billion and $6 billion is lost to the Canadian economy each year as a result of not taking full advantage of skilled immigrants in our labour force, due largely to unrecognized qualifications.

Too often we set the requirement of having “Canadian experience” to work here, when most of them have prospered in far more competitive environments globally and could bring an international perspective to a company looking to expand their markets. Sometimes it's as simple as the lack of job-specific language training that could ease their way into the labour market. As a result, 60% of newcomers end up having to switch their careers altogether after coming to this country.

Countless thousands become trapped in survival jobs - driving cabs, delivering pizzas, pouring coffee or doing security guard shifts. As Career Professionals we can understand the deep psychological effects of such a loss, impacting not only on the individual but his or her family.

Given that half of Toronto's workforce is foreign-born, it leads one to consider that one third of our workforce is not doing the work for which they invested years of education, training and experience. What a colossal waste and misuse of talent, encouraged to come her for a better future.

Lack of recognition of their credentials and qualifications and other systemic barriers hinder them from applying their extensive experience and skills in a Canadian workplace. According to columnist Carol Goar of the Toronto Star, “The primary offenders are the self governing professional bodies.”

Different levels of government are beginning to wake up to the seriousness of skills shortages and employers are beginning to realize that discrimination is hurting their businesses. But what is needed, according to Naomi Aloim of the School of Policy Studies at Queen's University, is “a co-ordinated approach”.

On April 25, The Globe and Mail reported “The Liberal government unveiled a multi-million-dollar package to help immigrants whose foreign credentials aren't recognized in Canada…about $319 million in both new and previously announced Federal dollars to help fund a host of programs over the next six years”.

Over the next six years the government has allocated $68-million towards a foreign credential recognition program and $75-million for programs to help 1,000 internationally trained doctors, 800 nurses and 500 health-care professionals find work in their field. The Ontario government has also allocated funds for the creation of programs to assist newcomer professionals.

The importance of addressing diversity in the workforce has been highlighted by the theme of this year's World conference in Chicago: Career Services Evolution: The Diversity Challenge.

To help our members understand some of the issues related to working with people from other cultures, this newsletter also reports on a dinner presentation by ACP Toronto Chapter member Rhonda Singer, The Complexity of Culture: Working with Internationally Educated Professionals.

If you have any comments, suggestions for articles, have an idea for an article, or want to volunteer to report on an event, please send an email to jackj@interlog.com

Jack Cunningham, Career Consulting

© 2005 Jack Cunningham, Toronto Career Voice
(Not for publication without written permission from the author.)