Wed, 09/24/2008 - 14:15 — admin
Stories of new Canadian immigrants unable to find work in their field are all too familiar.
With a growing labour shortage, Canada must find a way to maximize the training and talents of a very skilled immigrant workforce. To this end, World Education Services (WES) has created an online credential equivalency tool that assesses foreign qualifications of immigrants and provides their Canadian equivalents, so new immigrants and employers alike know exactly what an international education means by Canadian standards.
According to Tim Owen, Director of WES, there are many ways in which potential new Canadian immigrants, waiting for their final immigration papers, can and should prepare themselves before leaving their home countries.
Currently, only about 10 per cent of people using the WES credential service actually apply from outside of Canada, a number Owen feels is far too low.
“So many things are easier to do and better to learn while you’re still in your home country,” he says.
Think about it. Why arrive in Canada without knowing what your international education is worth?
Very often, new immigrants are surprised to learn that the bachelor’s degree they earned in India, for example, is not equivalent to a Canadian bachelor’s degree.
After all, when international individuals apply for Canadian immigration, they have to get a certain number of points, some of which are given for the level of education they’ve achieved.
However, as Owen points out, “the assessment the federal government does for that purpose isn’t valid as an assessment for when they come into Canada. A lot of people think that it is. They say — well, I was given 20 points for my bachelor’s degree. My bachelor’s degree must be valid in Canada because the Canadian government gave me points for it. But that’s not what happens.
“The Canadian government does not have that kind of authority in Canada. Institutions, licensing bodies, and employers make those decisions, and they’ll want to see something more official than a person’s immigrant status.”
WES’s Preliminary Online Equivalency is an online tool that allows you, as a prospective immigrant, to find out what your credentials are going to be worth in Canada, without having to set foot on Canadian soil.
If, for any reason, your degree or certifications are not recognized in Canada, you will know immediately.
At a cost of only $15, the tool consists of a series of drop-down menus in which you find the name of your institution and your degree, and it will calculate your Canadian equivalency.
By Melanie Joy Douglas
watch
The executive mansion was torched by British troops in 1814, during the War of 1812. omega watchThe structural damage caused by the fire was repaired but the exterior sandstone walls were still black with fire damage. replica omega watchesThe walls were then painted white, giving birth to the nick name "The White House". An act of Congress made this the official name in 1902.
Write comment