WRITING A DISCUSSION/POLICY PAPER

4) CURRENT POLICY AND NEW DIRECTIONS

I. DESCRIBE THE GENERAL TRENDS IN APPROACHES TAKEN TO FOREIGN CREDENTIALS {INTEGRATING IMMIGRANTS WITH FOREIGN-ACADEMIC DEGREES IN CANADA};

II. DESCRIBE CANADA'S CURRENT POLICIES REGARDING FOREIGN CREDENTIALS AND IMMIGRATION;

III. DESCRIBE SOME OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION AND POLICY THAT MAY AFFECT NEW IMMIGRANTS

IV. EVALUATES CANADA'S CURRENT AND PROPOSED POLICIES REGARDING IMMIGRATION AND FOREIGN CREDENTIALS

IMMIGRANT SKILLS AND THE ONTARIO ECONOMY

EX: POLICY PAPER ON == BARRIERS TO ACCREDITATION AND EMPLOYMENT FOR FOREIGN-TRAINED PROFESSIONALS AND TRADES PEOPLE

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{{[1] AIMS TO IDENTIFY KEY POLICY ISSUES;

[2] APPLY THE BEST AND MOST UP-TO-DATE RESEARCH TO HELP UNDERSTAND THESE ISSUES; AND TO

[3] EXPLORE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS RESEARCH FOR THE DESIGN AND CONDUCT OF POLICY}}

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ISSUE:

(1) IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS CANADA NEEDS ONE MILLION SKILLED WORKERS.

(2) {YET} MANY FOREIGN-TRAINED PROFESSIONALS ARE HERE AND CANNOT WORK IN THEIR FIELDS.

(3) WHILE CANADA'S IMMIGRATION POLICY HAS FOCUSED ON ATTRACTING A HIGHLY SKILLED IMMIGRANT WORKFORCE === SIX OF TEN IMMIGRANTS ARE MOVING INTO EMPLOYMENT THAT REPRESENTS A DOWNWARD SHIFT IN CAREER MOBILITY.

(4) THIS IS PARTICULARLY PROBLEMATIC IS VERY SIGNIFICANT IN ONTARIO, WHICH ATTRACTS THE MAJORITY (60 PERCENT) OF IMMIGRANTS TO CANADA. OF THESE ONTARIO-BOUND IMMIGRANTS MOST ARE DESTINED FOR TORONTO. MEANWHILE, RECENT STUDIES AND STATISTICS SHOW THAT IMMIGRANTS ARE EXPERIENCING INCREASING UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDER-EMPLOYMENT, WITH IMMIGRANTS PARTICULARLY FROM RACIALIZED COMMUNITIES FACING HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY.

(5) STUDIES COLLECTED BY THE WORLD EDUCATION SERVICES (WES) SHOW UNDEREMPLOYED IMMIGRANTS IN CANADA ARE LOSING $5 BILLION IN ANNUAL INCOME, WHICH WOULD GENERATE $1.5 BILLION IN INCOME TAXES, ASSUMING A 30% TAX RATE. MOREOVER, WES – WHICH IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT PRODUCES EVALUATIONS OF FOREIGN DEGREES AND DIPLOMAS – DETERMINED MORE THAN 75% OF FOREIGN CREDENTIALS IT EVALUATED LAST YEAR IN ENGINEERING, HEALTH CARE AND IT MATCHED OR EXCEEDED CANADIAN STANDARDS.

=== ERGO ===

SOCIOLOGICAL CONCLUSION: THE EMPIRICAL DISPARITY(IES) SUPPORTS THE CONTENTION {FROM THE “SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE”}THAT BARRIERS IN CANADA INHIBITING FOREIGN-TRAINED INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT ONLY A ABOMINABLE WASTE OF TALENT, BUT ARE ALSO STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY VARIABLES OF ETHNIC ORIGIN, ANCESTRY, RACE, COLOUR AND/OR GENDER; AND SO, CONSTITUTE SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION. SUCH DISCRIMINATION IS NOT ONLY UNLAWFUL UNDER BOTH THE GOVERNING PROVINCIAL/TERRITORIAL/FEDERAL HUMAN RIGHT LEGISLATION AND UNDER SECTION 15(1) OF THE CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHT AND FREEDOMS, BUT ALSO LEADS TO DEBILITATING SOCIAL COSTS OF BOTH AN ECONOMIC AND NON-ECONOMIC NATURE, SUCH AS: 1) SLOWER MOVEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, 2) COMMUNITY FRUSTRATION , 3) WEAKER IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION, 4) RACE RELATIONS TENSIONS, 5) HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLAINTS AND 6) MACRO-ECONOMIC COSTS. ALL OF THESE SOCIETAL COSTS HAVE DIRECT IMPACTS ON PRODUCTIVITY LEVELS AS WELL AS ON SOCIETAL COHESION.

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NGO’S POSITION ON ISSUE:

(1) BARRIERS TO ACCREDITATION AND EMPLOYMENT FOR FOREIGN-TRAINED PROFESSIONALS AND TRADES PEOPLE IS A LONG-STANDING CONCERN FOR OCASI MEMBERS, AND THE IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE-SERVING SECTOR IN ONTARIO AND ELSEWHERE IN CANADA.

(A) OVERCOMING BARRIERS THAT DISCRIMINATE [INVOLVING STAKE-HOLDERS —[1] GOVERNMENT, [2] REGULATORS, [3] CREDENTIAL ASSESSORS, [4] EMPLOYERS AND [5] LABOUR].

(B) GIVE EMPLOYERS THE “PROXY” [KNOWLEDGE THAT GIVES THE GO-AHEAD TO HIRE],

C) PARADIGM SHIFT {FROM FOCUS ON COMPETENCE TO EQUITY}— “EQUITY FIX” — BY EXPEDITING “CREDENTIAL ASSESSMENTS” AND FACILITATING “TRAINING UPGRADES” =====> ISSUE OF ACCREDITATION OUGHT TO BE ABOUT THE PRINCIPLES OF EQUITY AND FAIR PRACTICE AS WELL AS ASSESSMENT AND REGULATION.

THE MAYTREE TEN POINT PLAN

THE MAYTREE FOUNDATION RECENTLY RELEASED (NOVEMBER 2003 ) A PLAN TO INTEGRATE IMMIGRANT SKILLS INTO THE ONTARIO ECONOMY, ENTITLED "INTEGRATING IMMIGRANT SKILLS IN THE ONTARIO ECONOMY - A TEN POINT PLAN".

[[THE POLICY PAPER WAS DEVELOPED FOR THE FOUNDATION BY NAOMI ALBOIM, A FELLOW AND ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT THE SCHOOL OF POLICY STUDIES AT QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, AND A PUBLIC POLICY CONSULTANT.]]

THE PLAN NOTES {FROM THE “IMMIGRANT PERSPECTIVE”} THAT SKILLED IMMIGRANTS ATTEMPTING TO ENTER THE LABOUR MARKET IN THEIR OCCUPATIONS FACE HAVE TO DEAL WITH BARRIERS SUCH AS == LACK OF INFORMATION {?}, INADEQUATE ASSESSMENT AND RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS ACHIEVED ABROAD {?}, LACK OF UPGRADING OPPORTUNITIES {?}, LACK OF OCCUPATIONAL SPECIFIC LANGUAGE TRAINING {?}, AND LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES TO GAIN CANADIAN WORK EXPERIENCE.

THE PLAN IDENTIFIES TEN CONCRETE INITIATIVES THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED BY THE NEW ONTARIO GOVERNMENT, AS WELL AS BY GOVERNMENTS IN OTHER CANADIAN PROVINCES, THAT WILL ALLOW THESE JURISDICTIONS TO BENEFIT FROM IMMIGRANT SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE.

{{THIS POLICY PAPER PRESENTS A SET OF “TEN” POINT PLAN FOR INTEGRATING IMMIGRANT SKILLS IN THE ONTARIO ECONOMY. IT IS HOPED THAT ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WILL BECOME INVOLVED IN THIS IMPORTANT EFFORT AT SOME LEVEL, (1) WHETHER IT BE SUPPORTING AND/OR ENDORSING THE POLICY PAPER, (2) ADOPTING THE USE OF THE SET OF CRITERIA, (3) JOINING THE IMMIGRATION/REFUGEE SERVING SECTOR, OR (4) EDUCATING OTHERS ON THIS TOPIC.}}

THE INITIATIVES ARE AS FOLLOWS :

1. CREATE AN ONTARIO INTERNET PORTAL TO INFORM SKILLED IMMIGRANTS.

2. IMPROVE COLLABORATION ON THE ASSESSMENT OF ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS TO INCREASE EMPLOYER CONFIDENCE {?}.

3. PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND LICENSING BODIES TO DEVELOP COMPETENCY BASED ASSESSMENT TOOLS.

4. REVIEW POST SECONDARY FUNDING FORMULAS AND THE STATUTORY FRAMEWORK SO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE BRIDGING PROGRAMS AS PART OF THEIR "MAINSTREAM" SERVICES.

5. WORK WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO EXPAND STUDENT LOAN PROGRAMS.

6. FUND LABOUR MARKET LANGUAGE TRAINING TO BE DELIVERED BY EMPLOYERS AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

7. PROVIDE INCENTIVES TO EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYER ASSOCIATIONS, AND LABOUR TO BECOME MORE ACTIVE IN THE INTEGRATION OF IMMIGRANT SKILLS.

8. SUSTAIN THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF ONTARIO SELF-REGULATED PROFESSIONS TO IMPROVE ACCESS FOR INTERNATIONAL CANDIDATES.

9. INITIATE MULTI-LATERAL DISCUSSIONS TO CREATE 5-PARTY AGREEMENTS ON THE LABOUR MARKET INTEGRATION OF IMMIGRANTS.

10. SUPPORT LOCAL INITIATIVES TO INTEGRATE IMMIGRANT SKILLS.