By Melanie Joy Douglas, Monster.ca
http://international.monster.ca/14961_en-CA_p1.asp

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% 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?

Here is a critical piece of advice: Find out what your international credentials are worth in Canada before moving.

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.”

Getting Certified Using WES

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. No documents are required. 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. If there is no Canadian equivalency for your credentials or the equivalent is lower than you expected, at least you will know as soon as possible, so that you’re able to take steps to upgrade your education. At minimum, as Owen notes, you will have realistic expectations about what kind of work you will be qualified for once in Canada.

If your credentials are equivalent, you can then go on to get an official evaluation of your credentials. The $15 you spent on the Preliminary Online Equivalency is applied toward your formal evaluation (which costs $115). For an official evaluation, you arrange for your institution to send your official transcripts or documents to WES. The required documents are different for each country. (The online form will specify exactly which documents are needed.) Within seven working days after receiving the documents from your institution, WES puts together an official report that shows exactly what your international education is equivalent to in Canadian terms. You can use this report to apply to Canadian post-secondary institutions for further training or to give to potential employers. Either way, there will be no question as to what your skills are worth. You may even request that WES send a copy of the report directly to an institution or employer.

“The idea is that if you know what your credentials are worth at the early stage, you’re better able to make informed decisions,” explains Owen. “This can all be done without leaving the country. There’s no reason to wait until you get here.”

Getting your credentials certified by an organization like WES takes the guess work out of your qualifications. “Most employers don’t have the background to know credential equivalency,” Owen continues. “If someone has a degree from an institution they haven’t heard of, they’re going to have questions in their mind.  We’re working with employers to help give them information to make better decisions as well. A lot of this is about being better informed – for the employer and the immigrant – to make decisions faster and more accurately.”

The Employer Perspective

WES's mandate is also to encourage employers to hire international candidates. Owen is optimistic about the progress his and other international organizations have made on this front, and also notes the government is helping to educate Canadians about the demographic challenges the country faces. “In the next few years, if we don’t make better use of the skills that immigrants bring, we’re not going to be able to expand our labour force,” he asserts. “We don’t have enough natural births to populate our industries. There are more people retiring than graduating from university in the next few years. Immigration is a source of skilled labour and it’s important for employers to be able to access it. ”

Employer education is key:  “Sometimes employers don’t necessarily appreciate that often immigrants have heard from their family or friends that their credentials have not been recognized in Canada,” he explains. “So, a lot of them are reluctant to tell an employer that they’ve got a master’s degree or an MBA from their home country because they feel that the employer won’t listen to them or care about their degree.”

Not only will some employers fail to recognize a university degree from another country, but they will also deem the candidate overqualified for an entry-level job. It’s no wonder many new immigrants stay quiet abour their education, pretending to be a trainee or entry-level employee.

“Employers should make it clear on their websites that they welcome international applicants as long as they can prove what their credentials are worth -- that they’ll accept their applications,” Owen says. “Employers should put out messages like this, so that we can change the mindset that many people come in with – that they’re just not going to get accepted. It’s really sad when individuals feel they shouldn’t even mention their education. We’re just wasting these much-needed skills.”

Here is where WES fills such an important spot in the immigration process: if people have their qualifications properly assessed, then they shouldn’t worry about being treated unfairly. They will get credit for the education and skills they’ve learned in their home countries.

“We really need to make individuals more aware of the importance of having something which demonstrates the value of their credentials,” Owen concludes. “We need to help employers understand that people coming to Canada are highly skilled and have degrees that are just as good as Canadian degrees, for the most part. The more we get this message out there, the better it will be both for employers and new immigrants.”