Government of Canada announces support for skilled newcomers to enter the job market

The pandemic has had a significant impact on the labour market causing worker shortages across many industries. To address the changing labour supply, the Government of Canada is investing in projects that will support the skills and employment needs of workers and employers by prioritizing underrepresented workers, to build a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Today, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, announced funding for 11 projects under the Foreign Credential Recognition Program. This investment will help improve foreign credential recognition and help skilled newcomers gain Canadian work experience in their own profession or field of study. Minister Qualtrough made the announcement during an event hosted by one of the funding recipients, Multi-lingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities (MOSAIC), in Vancouver, B.C.

MOSAIC is receiving funding for its Canadian Work Experience Internship Pilot Project. With this investment, MOSAIC will help newcomer professionals with international education and experience to obtain the necessary work experience to access opportunities in the labour market. It will also increase the number of newcomer professionals using their pre-arrival education and experience to contribute to skills shortages, while also creating internships that will provide the knowledge and skills that are valued by employers.

The Foreign Credential Recognition Program funds provinces and territories and regulatory bodies to enhance foreign credential recognition processes by reducing the number of steps to complete the process. The Program also funds organizations to provide loans and support services to help skilled newcomers with the cost and complexity of foreign credential recognition processes, and provides employment supports.

Quotes

“The work that organizations like MOSAIC do is not only incredibly impactful to the individuals who can then go on to achieve their own career goals; it’s a huge boost to our workforce that needs more skilled workers. Through the Foreign Credential Recognition Program, we’re excited to fund partners across the country who are assisting newcomers to navigate our credential systems, and helping Canada to build the strong, skilled workforce we need.”

– Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough

“Attracting and retaining skilled workers through immigration is essential to our economic recovery and helping businesses succeed. By improving our Foreign Credential Recognition Program, skilled newcomers will get hands-on work experience and internships while integrating into our society. It is vital that we accelerate the process for skilled workers to address our labour shortage, and build a prosperous future.”

– Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Sean Fraser

“MOSAIC is delighted to receive this funding, which will allow our organization to address a crucial barrier for immigrant professionals to access skills-commensurate jobs, and to utilize the wealth of expertise and experience that newcomers bring to Canada.”

– Olga Stachova, Chief Executive Officer, MOSAIC 

Quick facts

• First announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, the Government of Canada is investing $26.5 million, over three years, for 11 projects under the Foreign Credential Recognition Program. This funding will help scale up and expand existing supports with a focus on in-demand sectors, such as health, information technology and the skilled trades. Up to 7,000 skilled newcomers are expected to benefit from this investment.
• From this funding, MOSAIC will receive an investment of over $1.3 million for its Canadian Work Experience Internship Pilot Project.
• Half of newcomers to Canada have a bachelor’s degree or greater. Even with their educational achievements, skilled newcomers face a higher unemployment rate than that of people born in Canada and are less likely to work in the regulated occupations for which they have studied.
• With immigration expecting to reach record-high levels (431,645 in 2022), it is more important than ever to increase supports to skilled newcomers so that they can fully use their skills, experience and talents. 
• Recent immigrants (aged 25-54) have a lower employment rate (75.7%) than non-immigrants (83.9%) in 2021, according to the Labour Force Survey. 
• Visible minority newcomer women are more likely to be unemployed. The unemployment rate of visible minority newcomer women (8.6%) is higher than that of visible minority men (6.7%) and non-visible minority immigrant men (5.5%), based on the 2016 Census.