Ontario and Alberta have partnered to facilitate international credential recognition and post-journeyperson certification, aiming to address skilled labour shortages and streamline the flow of skilled workers between the two provinces.
The initiative, announced in Calgary, focuses on reducing interprovincial barriers and simplifying the process for credential recognition.
David Piccini, Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, emphasized the critical need for skilled trades workers to support infrastructure projects across the province.
“Ontario needs hundreds of thousands of additional skilled trades workers over the next decade to build homes, hospitals, and highways,” said Piccini. He highlighted the collaboration with Alberta as a means to share expertise and remove obstacles for internationally trained workers.
Under the new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), both provinces will exchange information and develop a framework for international credential recognition. This framework aims to support worker mobility and allow more internationally trained workers with verified credentials to sit for certifying exams.
Alberta’s Minister of Advanced Education, Rajan Sawhney, noted the agreement’s significance in addressing the province’s skilled labour shortage.
“By expanding our international credential recognition and working with our partners in the Government of Ontario, we can welcome more talented individuals and ensure our economy remains competitive and dynamic,” Sawhney stated.
The partnership also seeks to expand post-journeyperson certifications, providing upgrading courses and credentials that meet the evolving needs of the Canadian economy. This initiative will support apprenticeship program graduates in furthering their careers and enhancing their skills.
In Ontario, Skilled Trades Ontario (STO), a government agency, is responsible for assessing whether an applicant’s experience and qualifications meet the requirements for an Ontario certificate of qualification. The STO’s Trade Equivalency Assessment is the initial step for experienced workers who have not completed an Ontario apprenticeship but possess equivalent skills and experience.
The Ontario government is also advancing new supports and protections for skilled trades. These measures include making the foreign credential system outcomes-oriented by requiring regulated professions to accept alternative documents when standard ones cannot be obtained due to circumstances like war or natural disasters.
Melissa Young, Registrar and CEO of Skilled Trades Ontario, underscored the importance of the MOU. “This MOU will allow Ontario and Alberta to better fill short- and long-term needs for skilled tradespeople. As a result, through rigorous credential assessment, we’ll have proactively identified pools of highly skilled tradespeople. We’re eager to enhance worker mobility and strategic recruitment for the benefit of both provinces.”
Dave Cassidy, Skilled Trades Special Advisor, highlighted the career opportunities in Ontario’s skilled trades and the benefits of streamlining international credential recognition. “With this MOU, Ontario and Alberta will work together to build a stronger skilled trades workforce for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”
The agreement will be reviewed in 18 months, with a focus on the effectiveness of the international credential recognition framework and its impact on the skilled labour market.