Foreign workers to get quicker credentials OK


Certain groups of foreign-trained workers will know within a year of applying for certification whether their training will allow them to work in Canada, the federal government said Monday.

Beginning in December 2010, foreign-trained architects, engineers, financial auditors and accountants, pharmacists and registered nurses will be among the groups that fall under the new framework, Minister of Human Resources Diane Finley said in Toronto.

"We recognize how important it is for newcomers to put their training and their knowledge to work here in Canada," Finley said. "It's vital for them, and it's vital for their families and it's vital for our economy."

The move is meant to deal with the problem of professionals who received their training outside Canada working at jobs that don't make use of their skills.

Media reports have long highlighted the problem of doctors working as pizza makers or cab drivers, for example. Many provinces and territories are struggling to make do with too few physicians, especially family doctors.

Doctors are among the second group of professionals that will be covered under the one-year timetable by the end of 2012.

The new system is a joint effort of federal, provincial and territorial governments, which will work in concert with professional regulatory bodies, colleges and universities to ensure certification, said Finley.

The 2009 federal budget set aside $50 million over two years to work with other levels of government to address barriers to foreign credential recognition in Canada.