Canada pledges a $90m investment to address historic labor shortages in the healthcare sector by removing the barriers to foreign credential recognition.
Hon minister for immigration, Mr. Sean Fraser, announced an aid of $90 million for projects under the Foreign Credential Recognition Program (FCRP) that will deal with skilled newcomers’ overqualification issues.
Immigrants with foreign qualifications are more likely to work for a job for which they are overqualified. It is because their foreign credentials match with lower Canadian degrees. A Canadian working for the same position would have a lower education than their foreign counterpart.
Addressing this over-qualification issue is key to dealing with labor shortages and optimizing the talent of internationally qualified immigrants.
Highlights of FRCP
The Foreign Credential Recognition Program (FCRP) aims to target Internationally Educated Healthcare Professionals (IEHPs). The federal government may extend the accreditation innovation to more sectors facing skills gaps among employees.
The project will provide funding for projects supporting foreign credential recognition. These projects will aim to provide any of the following services:
- Improve the recognition process by removing obstacles to the foreign credential recognition of foreign-educated healthcare professionals
- Supporting immigrant healthcare professionals by providing Canadian work experience in their field of employment, besides coaching, mentoring, and bearing the transportation and childcare costs
- Streamlining labor mobility across Canadian provinces and territories to remove structural and administrative barriers
The projects under the Foreign Credential Recognition Program will provide job placements, mentorship, and wage subsidies to immigrant health workers. It will help them integrate into Canada’s labor market smoothly.
