B.C. immigrant says the province can do better to incorporate newcomers into the workforce

This week, B.C.'s Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills released a new action plan that aims to help people gain skills for in-demand jobs. Part of the plan focuses on breaking down barriers that prevent those who are new to B.C. from finding a career in the field in which they are trained.

CTV News spoke to a Nepali immigrant who holds foreign credentials, who thinks the government can do better at incorporating newcomers' skillsets in the workforce.

Rajita Ojha came to B.C. in 2012. Before that, she was a practicing pharmacist in Nepal.

“Once I moved to Canada, I started applying in tons of pharmacies … but I didn’t get any response from any of the pharmacies,” she told CTV News in an audio message.

When Ojha moved here, she faced multiple barriers in getting her credentials certified.

“I decided to stop my plan to become a pharmacist," she said. "What I decided is it’s better to become a pharmacy technician, because to become a pharmacist it costs you tons of money.”

After giving up her dream of continuing as a pharmacist, she worked in different fields to make ends meet, such as working at Target.

It took Ojha six years to become a pharmacy assistant, and four extra years to become a full-fledged pharmacy technician. She got her licence in February of 2022, 10 years after immigrating to B.C.

It didn’t just cost Ojha time, but also lots of money. She stresses that the waitlists at public post-secondary institutions are way too long. When she applied at public schools, the waitlists were one to two years, so she resorted to a private school.

“I decided to go to a private school, where the fees were very high, but I could get admission immediately," said Ojha. “It was almost about $18,000 … and I spent another $7,000 to $8,000 to get the licence.”

The province’s new StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan is intended to help thousands of people get the skills they need to succeed in changing the economy, and help close the skills gap businesses are currently facing.

“Our economy is growing and innovating quickly,” said Premier David Eby in a statement earlier this week.

“Work is transforming, and we have more job openings than skilled people. That’s why we are taking action to make sure people are ready to seize new opportunities and build a good life here in B.C., and businesses are able find the people who drive our economy forward and deliver the services we all rely on.”

Although the government's news release states that the province will be “making it easier for newcomers to Canada to find a job in the field they are trained in," it doesn't include a timeframe. Nor does it elaborate on promised "faster assessment of internationally trained professionals."

Ojha says the government should do better by helping with the speed of training, crediting their foreign credentials and providing financial support.

“Mostly people like us, we try to earn money from here in Canada and try to pay our bills from money earned here … if we spend all of our money going (to) school for like one year, two years, life becomes difficult for us, so I think the government should encourage breezing courses for immigrants like us,” said Ojha.

Ojha thinks newcomers deserve a special pathway that helps them find jobs in their fields in a transparent manner.

Ojha took 10 years to become a pharmacy technician, having to redo her schooling and getting a new credential because there was no clear pathway presented to her when she landed as a newcomer to B.C. She is hopeful that this new action plan that the province has released will help new immigrants with their careers at a faster pace and in a cheaper manner.