B.C. introduces legislation to fast-track accreditation for international workers
Facing a skilled labour shortage that is expected to worsen in the coming years, the province unveiled new laws Monday aimed at getting foreign-trained professionals to work in B.C. sooner.
“We have one million-plus jobs that will be opening in the next decade in this province, and we know we will not be successful filling those jobs unless at least a third of them are filled by newcomers to British Columbia,” said Premier David Eby Monday.
The proposed legislation applies to 29 occupations, including early childhood educators and teachers.
“The need couldn’t be more urgent, I mean you’re talking about a problem that impacts every district in the province in our opinion,” said Clint Johnston, the president of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation.
The list also includes engineers, landscape architects, social workers, veterinarians, architects, biologists, real estate brokers and lawyers.
Alice Wong is a social worker from Hong Kong. After a year of struggling to get credentialed, Tuesday will be her first day in B.C. working in her trained profession.
“I was fighting in a battle all alone, without support, without resources, so it kept me very frustrated in the process,” said Wong Monday, as she recalled the challenges she went through becoming credentialed in B.C.
The legislation aims to remove some of those hurdles—eliminating the need for Canadian work experience, removing redundant language tests, making credentialing assessment information available online and setting maximum time limits for processing credentials.
“I spoke to an internationally trained professional that told me they spent 18 to 24 months on a website, clicking refresh to see if their application has been accepted,” noted Andrew Mercier, the minister of state for workforce development.
Not on the list of professions being streamlined are nurses and doctors, professions the province says it’s already addressed—including by tripling the number of spots available to foreign-trained doctors through its Practice Ready Assessment program to a potential 96 in 2024, compared to 32 this year.
“We started with health care on this to speed up approvals with the professional colleges and to get this model right,” said Eby.
Vitaliaa Atamaniuk was trained as a general surgeon in Ukraine. She is struggling to be accredited in B.C. to work as a general surgeon and thinks the model is far from right.
“It’s very difficult, it’s very expensive,” she said Monday.
If passed, the new laws will take effect next summer.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian family stuck in Lebanon anxiously awaits flight options amid Israeli strikes
A Canadian man who is trapped in Lebanon with his family says they are anxiously waiting for seats on a flight out of the country, as a barrage of Israeli airstrikes continues.
Suspect in shooting of Toronto cop was out on bail
A 21-year-old man who was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a Toronto police officer this week was out on bail at the time of the alleged offence, court documents obtained by CTV News Toronto show.
Scientists looked at images from space to see how fast Antarctica is turning green. Here's what they found
Parts of icy Antarctica are turning green with plant life at an alarming rate as the region is gripped by extreme heat events, according to new research, sparking concerns about the changing landscape on this vast continent.
DEVELOPING 2 dead after fire rips through historic building in Old Montreal
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building near Montreal's City Hall, sources told Noovo Info.
Yazidi woman captured by ISIS rescued in Gaza after more than a decade in captivity
A 21-year-old Yazidi woman has been rescued from Gaza where she had been held captive by Hamas for years after being trafficked by ISIS.
A 6-year-old girl was kidnapped in Arkansas in 1995. Almost 30 years later, a suspect was identified
Nearly 30 years after a six-year-old girl disappeared in Western Arkansas, authorities have identified a suspect in her abduction through DNA evidence.
Dolphins 'smile' at each other when they play and to avoid misunderstanding, study finds
For humans, flashing a smile is an easy way to avoid misunderstanding. And, according to a new study, bottlenose dolphins may use a similar tactic while playing with each other.
Pit bulls in B.C. pet mauling tested positive for meth, cocaine, says city
Three pit bulls involved in a deadly attack on another dog last month in Kamloops, B.C., tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine, and the city is going to court to have them put down.
Tax rebate: Canadians with low to modest incomes to receive payment on Friday
Canadians who are eligible for a GST/HST tax credit can expect their final payment of the year on Friday.