"Immigration issues are a key concern for many Canadian communities and businesses, and Canada’s New Government is delivering on its commitment on foreign credentials recognition," said Ms. Yelich. "By creating a quicker, more responsive assessment model we will help strengthen the Canadian economy and improve the integration of skilled immigrants into the Canadian work force."
At the announcement Yelich went onto describe the project, "You don’t always see a good idea translated into a real thing. This program is unique and will put us on the map."
SIAST will receive funding for the project through our Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR) program. This project will help to facilitate faster credential recognition for skilled immigrants. It will be delivered overseas to ensure immigrants have the relevant skills and credentials to meet Canadian labour needs. Once established, the pilot project model will be made available to other jurisdictions.
"By joining forces with the educators and employers we are helping skilled immigrants integrate much faster into the Canadian workforce. This project is one piece of the foreign credential puzzle. We are filling in the gaps by breaking down mobility barriers. We are giving Canadian employers an edge in the global competition for skilled workers," Yelich explained.
"Saskatchewan is implementing a bold immigration strategy to attract 5,000 newcomers annually by 2008," said the Honourable Pat Atkinson, Minister Responsible for Immigration. "This project will complement the initiatives of our Saskatchewan immigration program by making it easier for employers to identify potential new employees worldwide that have the skills necessary to be successful in the Saskatchewan labour market."
"The SIAST foreign credential model will leverage our expertise in skills assessment and our international partnerships to give Canadian employers an edge in the competition for skilled immigrants," says SIAST president and CEO Dr. Robert G. McCulloch. "Our goal is to link employers with pre-screened applicants whose skills match their labour needs," said Dave Harvey SIAST’s Director of International Services.
The FCR Program has made significant progress in developing and strengthening Canada’s FCR infrastructure by focusing on FCR initiatives in the health professions and engineering, building FCR capacity overseas and helping employers in non-regulated occupations develop their own FCR processes.
Through the FCR program the Canada’s New Government is working closely with provincial/territorial governments, regulatory and educational bodies, professional associations and other stakeholders to ensure immigrants can make full use of their talents and experience to the benefit of Canada.
-30-
For more information please contact 613-995-5653
Additional Contacts For further information (media only):
Lesley Harmer, Director of Communications, Office of Minister Solberg, (819) 994-2482
Media Relations Office, Human Resources and Social Development Canada, (819) 994-5559
Patricia Gillies, Director of Communications Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, (306) 230-9233
Saskatoon — Parliamentary Secretary Lynne Yelich, on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development today announced $295,000 for the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) to improve foreign credential recognition by assessing immigrants’ competency and credentials before arriving in Canada.