I am a professional or skilled tradesperson with a degree, diploma, certificate or license.  How can I determine whether or not my educational credentials compare with Canadian educational standards?

There are resources available for foreign trained professionals and trades people who are interested in pursuing their careers in Canada. Visit WES (World Educational Services) and explore their services such as Evaluate My Credentials, Required Documents and Give Me Instructions . WES is working to standardize the evaluation process of foreign trained professionals and trades people.



You can also visit APT (Access to Professions and Trades). The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities provides this information which will be useful if you are considering migrating to Ontario. They have detailed Fact Sheets of educational requirements for many professions and trades in Canada . APT offers a wealth of information for the foreign trained, including a list of colleges  in Ontario that offer Prior Learning Assessment.



You can also visit CICIC (Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials). CICIC will also link you to additional helpful resources. Foreign trained professionals and trades people will be especially interested in the professions section that lists all regulated professions and trades and their associated information resources.

Once I upgrade my education and achieve a degree, diploma, certificate or license that meets Canadian Standards, will I be guaranteed a job?

Achieving educational credentials does not guarantee that you will find a job in your field right away. It is a step in the right direction, but there are many variables that need to be considered. Generally speaking, employers in Canada give preference to professionals and trades people who have working experience AND education. There is also preference given to individuals who have experience working in Canada. In addition, many jobs require strong communication skills in order to be successful. If you are interested in improving your communication (language skills) APT (Access to Professions and Trades) has links to ESL/FSL (English as a second language/French as a second language) resources.



Although some newcomers are able to find jobs that are equivalent to their previous jobs, many have to start at a more junior level until they can prove their abilities and knowledge of the Canadian market to their employers.



Networking can help you overcome the misconception that newcomers do not understand the Canadian marketplace. Building up your professional contacts and taking time to read and educate yourself about Canadian market trends also demonstrates your dedication and enthusiasm to potential employers.

To find out more about LMI (Labour Market Information) for your profession or trade, visit the Job Futures website check under Outlooks By Occupation and Outlooks By Field Of Study. Job Futures is part of HRDC (Human Resources Development Canada). SkillNet.ca also offers valuable LMI in the form of an online daily newsletter.

“…My husband and me have been living in Spain 10 years now.  Two years ago I graduated from the Dental School in the Complutense University in Madrid, being awarded the prize and diploma as number 1 among the graduates of my year.  Nevertheless, it was impossible for me to get accepted for postgraduate dental training…

I would be grateful to receive from you any hint about where to search for support in the matter…”

"…Are you planning to move to Canada? If so, it is important that you have your credentials evaluated in order to determine if you are able to practice in Canada right away and, if not, what you are required to do to upgrade your credentials. The following website will provide you with some information concerning coming to Canada to practice dentistry: www.settlement.org .



Keep in mind that many of the licensing bodies that regulate professions and trades in Canada are provincially based. If you are interested in pursuing dentistry in Ontario, you can visit APT (Access to Professions and Trades). They have a Dental Technologist Fact Sheet online at their website and I believe if you request one specifically for Dentists, they will send you one.



I also found something interesting at the University of Western (this is an Ontario University located in London Ontario-2-3hrs drive west of Toronto). They have a Dental Qualifying Program that lasts for 2 years and is designed to help graduates of non-accredited dental programs. After you take this course, you still have to pass your NDEB (National Dental Examining Board) examination before you can practice dentistry. Although the University of Western does not guarantee that you will pass the NDEB examination after taking their course, they claim that everyone who has taken their Dental Qualifying Program has gone on to pass their NDEB exam.



The University of Toronto also has a school of dentistry and offers a Qualifying Program in Dentistry for Foreign Trained Dentists .



You can also visit the NDEB website for more information. They have a list of all the different schools in Canada that offer a qualifying program. Plus, they outline what is required of you to become a dentist in Canada."

 

“…I am an Israeli lawyer (got my LL.B degree from the Tel-Aviv University in Israel 11 years ago) practicing Law in Israel for the past 10 years, 8 of them running my own private Law office.

My wife is a social worker (got her B.A. degree from the University of Haifa).

In this stage, I need your consultation and aid, regarding the above mentioned issue, including the very important matter of working in Canada…for me and my wife – maybe in Jewish community…”

 

“…The best and easiest way to get information is through the web.  Here are some sites that will help you:

http://www.settlement.org -- It is very important that you get your academic credentials assessed and recognized for the purpose of employment in Canada.  Often Newcomers can’t practice their professions because they can’t/haven’t gone through the licensing process.  Many professions are regulated by the government (see assessment services in Canada) and the regulations may vary from province to province.  This site has links to the Canadian Certification for International Professions and to your Licensing Body – The Law Society of Upper Canada.

You will also find a link to The Canadian Association of Social Workers. For information about Toronto, look at http://www.communityinfotoronto.org.  It is a detailed site that covers health, education, legal rights, housing and employment.

For information on the Jewish community in Toronto, you can visit JIAS (Jewish Immigrant Aid Services) or http://www.feduja.org (United Jewish Federation)…”  

“My family and I are interested in emigrating to Canada to live in the city of Toronto…[I am] a Civil Engineer, self-employed in construction and my wife is an [Information Technology] professional.  We have two children…

I have asked the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario about employment…”

 

Visit the HRDC Ontario Job Futures site and check out the information they have on Civil Engineering in Ontario including an outline of basic duties, average salary expectations and job prospects.  In addition they provide links to the Association of Professional Engineers Ontario, Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada, Canadian Council of Professional Engineers and Ontario Municipal Engineers Association.

I think that there is fair opportunity for you to either find work for an employer as a civil engineer, OR become self-employed in this field.  However, like anything worth doing, it will take some research, time and hard work on your part. 

Use these and any other Internet resources you can find to help you prepare.  There are government programs in Canada for people who want to start their own business, but I would recommend that you first learn more about civil engineering in Canada and build up a professional network.  If you visit the Association of Consulting Engineers, they probably have some useful information about becoming an independent contractor in this industry.  Plus, their extensive links section has suggested resources for training and employment in Canada.

Please be advised that you should find out what, if any, credentials you require in order to practice your trade in Canada.  Visit www.settlement.org and research the educational requirements for becoming a civil engineer in Ontario.  There are some services that will assess your current credentials in order to help you determine what is required for you to work in your field in Canada.  Settlement.org refers you to WES (World Education Services), ACES (Academic Credentials Evaluation Services) at York University, CES (Comparative Education Services) at the University of Toronto and ICAS (International Credentials Assessment Service) of Canada.

 

“…I am an Israeli lawyer (got my LL.B degree from the Tel-Aviv University in Israel 11 years ago) practicing Law in Israel for the past 10 years, 8 of them running my own private Law office.

My wife is a social worker (got her B.A. degree from the University of Haifa).

In this stage, I need your consultation and aid, regarding the above mentioned issue, including the very important matter of working in Canada…for me and my wife – maybe in Jewish community…”

“…The best and easiest way to get information is through the web.  Here are some sites that will help you:

http://www.settlement.org -- It is very important that you get your academic credentials assessed and recognized for the purpose of employment in Canada.  Often Newcomers can’t practice their professions because they can’t/haven’t gone through the licensing process.  Many professions are regulated by the government (see assessment services in Canada) and the regulations may vary from province to province.  This site has links to the Canadian Certification for International Professions and to your Licensing Body – The Law Society of Upper Canada.

You will also find a link to The Canadian Association of Social Workers. For information about Toronto, look at http://www.communityinfotoronto.org.  It is a detailed site that covers health, education, legal rights, housing and employment.

For information on the Jewish community in Toronto, you can visit JIAS (Jewish Immigrant Aid Services) or http://www.feduja.org (United Jewish Federation)…”  

I have young children and would like to know more about the school system in Canada.

I have young children and would like to know more about the school system in Canada.

A: There isn’t a federal government controlled or funded state school system in Canada. State-funded provincial schools are called public or separate schools (which are Roman Catholic public schools), and although anyone can attend either, they are generally split along religious denomination lines.

Public schools are the responsibility of individual provincial departments of education and funded mainly from local and provincial taxes, with some federal funds. Practices and policies regarding education (public and private) vary depending on the province.

For your convenience, here are links to information on the provincial education systems:

Alberta British Columbia BC Post Secondary Education Manitoba New Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Saskatchewan