New Initiatives to Help Foreign-Trained Professionals Work in their Fields

The Provincial Government have announced funding for four new initiatives to help foreign-trained professionals, including newcomers to the province, get their credentials recognized and work locally in their fields.

The agreement is supported by $800,000 in federal funding.

The four initiatives approved are:

• Approximately $49,000 for College of the North Atlantic to develop a 10-week Foreign Occupational Readiness Training Program for internationally-trained Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. This training will focus on job search and employability skills;

• $49,000 for the Association for New Canadians to expand its Workplace Communications and Integration Training Program. This phase will include the development of an employer-focused unit as well as a series of employer testimonial videos;

• Approximately $42,000 for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development to develop an international teacher application process and assessment procedures, as well as an international institution database. These measures will reduce application barriers to certification as well as assessment wait times; and,

• Approximately $36,000 for Chartered Professional Accountants Newfoundland and Labrador to develop an outline of the internal processes involved in obtaining designation for internationally-trained professionals. Once collected, this useful information will ensure international applicants know everything required to attain designation in Newfoundland and Labrador.