Why is Hiring Internationally Trained Professionals Beneficial?
As baby boomers retire and birth rates continue to decline in Canada, labour shortages may be experienced across many sectors. Hiring internationally trained professionals allows employers to access a new talent pool with skills that may not be available in the Canadian labour force. Internationally trained professionals may be immigrants, refugees, international students living in Canada, or citizens living in other countries who are willing and able to work in Canada.
Creating a diverse and culture-friendly workforce is extremely important in today's global economy. The international experiences and unique perspectives of skilled newcomers are beneficial in diverse local and international markets.
How do I Recruit and Hire Internationally Trained Professionals?
Most newcomers are "Permanent Residents" and will have a card to validate this status. There is no special process to follow when hiring a Permanent Resident, as they are legally entitled to work in Canada and have the same rights as a Canadian citizen.
There are many ways to recruit skilled newcomers:
- Expand your methods of recruitment by posting job openings with newcomer settlement organizations, employment agencies, and international job recruitment websites.
- Examine your hiring practices to ensure that you are not screening out candidates with international education and job experience.
- Develop new hiring strategies for finding and choosing the best newcomers for your company.
- Create a welcoming and diverse workplace environment to help attract and retain skilled newcomers.
Government Programs
The federal government’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program allows eligible foreign workers to work in Canada for an authorized period of time. Employers must demonstrate that they are unable to find suitable Canadians/permanent residents to fill the jobs and that the entry of these workers will not have a negative impact on the Canadian labour market. Employers from all types of businesses can recruit foreign workers with a wide range of skills to meet temporary labour shortages.
Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program is an immigration program through which Ontario nominates individuals and their families for permanent resident status based on a pre-approved job offer in the province. This program allows employers to apply for the approval of permanent, full-time positions to be filled by foreign nationals.
Job Connect is a program sponsored by the government of Ontario that is useful for employers. Employers that operate a business in Ontario and are ready to provide on-the-job training and/or are seeking workers may benefit from Job Connect.
Understanding Foreign Credentials
Understanding a potential employee's credentials is difficult when they were trained in another country. Credential assessment services can determine whether an international education is equivalent to a Canadian education.
World Education Services (WES) provides credential evaluation services to help employers understand the exact nature and Canadian equivalency of the educational background of prospective employees. The evaluation verifies the authenticity of credentials submitted.
The Access Centre for Regulated Employment assists employers with recruiting internationally trained individuals and understanding international credential equivalencies.
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Resources for Employers
Browse a list of resources for employers considering hiring internationally trained professionals. |