Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies 8 th Biennial Settlement Conference The Future of Labour Market Integration Gosia Cichy-Weclaw Alberta Job, Skills, Training and Labour October 23, 2015

Building and Educating Tomorrow’s Workforce Alberta has workplaces with the people with the right skills in the right place and at the right time that contributes to the province’s economic success

Foreign Qualifications Recognition Foreign Qualifications Recognition (FQR) is the process of verifying that the education, skills and experience obtained in another country meet the standards establish for Canadian workers FQR challenges for internationally trained individuals: –Complex and frustrating system –Often unable to find work in an occupation that recognizes their qualifications FQR system challenges: –Range of FQR decision makers –Increasing volume and diversity of applications –Improving transparency and accountability in assessment processes

A Foreign Qualification Recognition Plan for Alberta (FQR Plan) First FQR Plan in Canada Launched in November 2008 To ensure immigrants have the opportunity to fully use their education, skills and work experience for the benefit of themselves and the Alberta economy

FQR Innovation Fund A key mechanism to support positive and significant systemic change in FQR practices Since 2009, over $5.6 million in funding for innovative projects serving to develop: – Streamlined pathways to certification – Self-assessment tools – Bridge to licensure programs – Intercultural competency tools

Example:

Engagement with Partners Government is not a FQR decision maker but plays a leadership role and provides support in: –Promoting coordination, collaboration and information exchange within and between partners –Sharing best practices and ensuring accountability in improving FQR practices –Helping partners innovate and develop new projects –Supporting evidence-based decision making, allowing for better targeted FQR funding –Raising awareness of IQAS and other information resources

Engagement with Partners (Continued) Industry associations, employers, professional regulatory organizations (PROs), post-secondary institutions and immigrant serving organizations In the last year: 3 forums, 360 participants –All stakeholder forum –Targeted engagement with employers & PROs Ongoing engagement: work with PROs to identify significant barriers to FQR Workshops, presentations

Recent FQR Accomplishments Increased awareness of FQR and access to information Innovative projects focus on two key priority areas as identified by our partners: –Bridging programs: bridge-to-licensure programs help ensure that ITIs are able to acquire relevant knowledge and competencies with minimal repetition of previously acquired training –Recognizing core competencies / prior learning assessments

Recent FQR Accomplishments More information on achievements and funded projects under the Innovation Fund in Progress Report: – report-2013-fqr-for-Alberta.pdfhttps://work.alberta.ca/documents/progress- report-2013-fqr-for-Alberta.pdf

International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) IQAS is a national and global leader in credential assessment In 2014/2015, IQAS issued 9,566 assessments to individuals with international education In August 2015, IQAS expanded services to provide educational credential assessments for immigration purposes –Opportunity to deliver pre-arrival services and information to attract international talent to Alberta IQAS also provides expertise and advice to partners to promote accurate and fair recognition

Support for Newcomers: Pre-and Post-Arrival The Immigrate to Alberta Information Service (I2A) provides: –Information on credential recognition and regulatory organizations –Advice on pathways to permanent residence Settlement supports and language assessment programs Websites: – – OCCInfowww.alis.alberta.ca

Opportunities Ahead Continue to develop pre-arrival resources and supports Leverage relationships between PROs and post- secondary institutions to develop accessible and sustainable bridging programs Build employer capacity to better recognize newcomers’ qualifications –Support the development of recruitment and retention tools Develop alternate career pathways to help ITIs transition into related occupations

Thank You! Questions? Gosia Cichy-Weclaw (780)