On January 15th, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault, unveiled a $86 million funding initiative benefiting 15 organizations nationwide.
This financial support is aimed at accelerating the accreditation process for internationally educated health professionals (IEHP), addressing prevalent issues such as prolonged wait times and challenges in finding family physicians across the country.
The funding is expected to enhance the capacity for recognizing foreign credentials for approximately 6600 IEHPs, ensuring that educated and skilled immigrants receive due recognition for their international qualifications.
The 15 funded projects across Canada aim to:
- Reduce barriers to foreign credential recognition for IEHPs by streamlining recognition processes, simplifying credential recognition steps, and enhancing access to field practice.
- Provide IEHPs with relevant Canadian work experience in their intended fields, incorporating additional supports such as childcare, transportation, mentoring, and coaching.
- Facilitate labor mobility between jurisdictions in Canada for health professionals and IEHPs, thereby lowering barriers for those wishing to work in different regions of the country.
This announcement follows a commitment made in October 2023 at the Health
Minister’s Meeting, where the Canadian government pledged to take concrete actions to address challenges faced by the healthcare workforce in Canada.
The funding will primarily support key healthcare occupations, including nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, laboratory technicians, and respiratory therapy.
Randy Boissonnault emphasized the importance of recognizing newcomers’ professional credentials as a compassionate and effective means of expanding Canada’s workforce. Acknowledging the credentials of 6600 individuals is not only the right thing to do but also a significant step toward filling labor gaps, strengthening the healthcare system, and fostering economic growth.
In light of Canada’s increasing immigration levels, with record highs expected in the coming years, the focus on enabling newcomers to fully utilize their skills, experience, and talents is paramount. Last year, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) prioritized healthcare occupations through Express Entry draws, addressing the persistent shortage of healthcare workers.
The healthcare sector continues to grapple with high job vacancies, with 90,000 positions remaining unfilled in healthcare occupations during the second quarter of 2023. Notably, 36% of physicians and 25% of registered nurses in Canada were born outside the country, facing challenges in obtaining proper licensing.
Budget 2022 announced $115 million over five years starting in 2022-2023 and $30 million ongoing for the Foreign Credential Recognition Program, aligning with the government’s commitment to efficient and faster credential recognition.
These investments complement other government funding for newcomers, such as the Settlement Program managed by IRCC, which assists newcomers in settling and adapting to life in Canada, including support for foreign credential recognition.
