NEW PROGRAM WILL HELP SKILLED IMMIGRANTS FIND JOBS

VANCOUVER – A new $14.5 million provincial program will help highly-skilled immigrants move more quickly into jobs that match their qualifications, supporting B.C.’s growing economy and helping to fill predicted labour shortages, said Premier Gordon Campbell.

“When we hear about skilled immigrants working in jobs that are unrelated to what they were trained to do, that's a waste of human potential, and it’s a waste for British Columbia because we can use their talents,” Campbell said. “If immigrants moved to B.C. to work in a field where there is a shortage – whether it’s in engineering or construction trades or nursing or pharmacy – then we should speed up the process of getting their training and credentials recognized in B.C.”

B.C. receives over 35,000 immigrants each year. About 64 per cent are between the ages of 20 and 59, many with skills required in the B.C. economy. The highest labour demands are in hospitality, business services, retail trade, healthcare, and construction.

The B.C. Skills Connect for Immigrants program will consist of career assessment and planning, workplace language upgrading and orientation, skill enhancements and mentorship. Many B.C. immigrants possess skills that are needed in these areas but face challenges in navigating a complex labour market entry system, language barriers, difficulty getting their credentials recognized, and lack of employment networks.

“For too long, many immigrants have been frustrated by long wait periods before they can work in the areas for which they are well-trained,” said Patrick Wong, minister of state for immigration and multicultural services. “Each individual will be able to follow the path that is best suited for them in order to maximize their potential and skills and enter into the right workplace.”

The new skills connect program is part of a larger strategy to meet the challenges of workplace integration of immigrants. A new Immigration Labour Market Partnership Branch will provide additional supports to employers, regulatory bodies and professional and trade associations to increase their ability to more quickly recognize and utilize the skills that immigrants bring.

These activities build on the work that the Province has been pursuing since 2001. Results of this work include:

A pre-residency orientation pilot project that introduces foreign-trained doctors to the B.C. medical system, helping them to be more successful in their residencies.
An assessment tool to help nurse practitioners from other countries demonstrate their skills and knowledge for employment in B.C.
A pilot project that saw the regulatory body for engineers introduce a new provisional membership category for foreign-trained engineers, allowing them to get the Canadian experience they need to become fully licensed in B.C.
Development of occupational fact sheets for foreign-trained nurses, teachers, engineers, and accountants.
The development of an online employer’s resource to assist in recruiting and retaining immigrant employees.

As part of the Agreement for Canada-B.C. Co-operation on Immigration, the Province is implementing a job-related language training and workplace practice program. In 2004-05, the federal government contributed $735,000 for this program. This is in addition to the $37 million provided for settlement services and English language training this year.

Funding for the skills connect program will be $4.8 million per year over the next three years. Program details are under development, and updated information will be provided shortly at: www.gov.bc.ca/mcaws online. The program will start this spring.

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Media contact:	Mike Morton Press Secretary Office of the Premier 250 213-8218	Marisa Adair Communications Director Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services 250 953-3677 Cell: 250 920-8500

Visit the Province's website at www.gov.bc.ca for online information and services.