Work: How to Learn About Your Occupation in Canada

By Efim Cheinis

The majority of Canadian immigrants are university, college or trade school graduates and have years of work experience. Is it necessary to start your professional career in Canada from the very beginning? Not at all!

Many newcomers may continue working in their trades in Canada. But, to do so successfully you have to be prepared and do your homework. What does this mean? First of all you need to carefully learn about the Canadian job market and find out how your occupation is classified. You also have to research educational and employment requirements needed to continue your career in Canada.

The best way to gather all of this information is by getting acquainted with the official Canadian trade directory – National Occupational Classification (NOC). Ask for NOC in libraries or at Employment Resource Centers and you will get 2 books. The first is called “National Occupational Classification. Index of Titles”. There are almost 40,000 Canadian jobs, listed alphabetically, in this small book. Each occupation is followed by a unique four-digit code. Look for your job title if you know it, and you will find your occupational code. Then, take the second book, “National Occupational Classification. Occupational Description” and using the code from the Index of Titles, find your occupational description, which includes:

• industries and workplaces where the occupation is found,
• examples of titles which are commonly used within the group,
• the most significant duties of this occupation,
• educational and employment requirements.

If you do not know exactly what your job title is, look in the second book. You will find 10 types of skills:

0. Management occupations
1. Business, finance and administration (such as accountants, secretaries, office clerks)
2. Natural and applied sciences (engineers, technicians, technologists, etc.)
3. Health (physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dentists)
4. Social science, education, government service and religion (lawyers, teachers, social workers, ministers of religion, paralegals)
5. Art, culture, recreation and sport (Librarians, Journalists, Musicians, Graphic Designers, Coaches)
6. Sales and service (Retail and Wholesale People, Insurance and Real Estate Representatives, Cooks, Barbers, Cashiers, Cleaners, Babysitters)
7. Trades, transport and equipment operators (Machinists, Tool and Die Makers, Electricians, Plumbers, Carpenters, Mechanics, Drivers)
8. Occupations unique to primary industry (Farmers, Oil, Gas and Mine Workers)
9. Occupations unique to processing, manufacturing and utilities (Machine Operators, Assemblers, Laborers)

Read more at the source at http://www.cnmag.ca/work-how-to-learn-about-your-occupation-in-canada/

Pre-arrival recommendations for newcomers to Canada

How to check if a Canadian Employers are non compliant for TFW

Jobs: ICTC Gets the Wheels Rolling in the IT Sector

by Alessandra Cayley

Mauricio Pereira de Oliveira is from Brazil. Daniel Sun is from China. They may have nothing in common when it comes to culture, but when the subject is jobs within Canada their similarities start to grow.

The two immigrated to Canada in the midst of the latest recession. Both are IT (Information and Technology) professionals and have families to support. It was no surprise that both needed a job as quickly as possible.

Employment agencies helped to translate their résumés – descriptions of over ten years of experience each – into Canadian standards. But after months of searching, they still had difficulties finding jobs that matched their level of expertise.

Blame it on the recession? Not in this case. Projections show that Canada’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector will need between 126,400 to 178,800 workers over the period of 2008-2015, an average of 15,795 to 22,345 new jobs annually.

Consisting of approximately 31,500 companies across the country (82 percent being small businesses with less than 10 employees), the sector was considered a “key driver of national growth” for the Canadian government in 2008, when it contributed to an increase of 2.7 percent in GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

What happened with Mauricio and Daniel is the well-known problem of lack of “cultural intelligence” or Canadian workplace experience, a factor that delays newcomers’ integration into the labour market, and causes a ripple effect in some areas of the economy, like the ICT segment.

The sector is already facing two distinctive shortages: a labour shortage and a skill shortage (lack of workers with the right “package” of skills, which can vary from company to company and region to region, such as: core technical skills, experience with specific applications or business processes, and even communications skills).

Read more at the source article at http://www.cnmag.ca/jobs-ictc-gets-the-wheels-rolling-in-the-it-sector/

Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP)

Employment: Bridging Programs in Western Canada

Canada is internationally known as a country with excellent immigration programs for skilled workers and qualified professionals. It is important to know the rules and regulations of the province or territory you want to call home – only the right preparation and proper licensing will ensure a chance to put your expertise to work.

Engineering, health care, and a variety of other professions are regulated; and in order to be able to work in a regulated occupation, you must perform two steps – credentials assessment and proper licensing. There are many programs available in Western Canada to accomplish those steps, and they differ from province to province.

British Columbia

In British Columbia, the ICES (International Credential Evaluation Service – www.bcit.ca/ices) will assess international credentials for a fee, something you can do before you come to Canada. Another option is the Skills Connect Program (www.skillsconnect.ca), which is available to immigrants with a Permanent Resident (PR) card, and is administered in various locations throughout the Metro Vancouver area. For a full list of criteria and locations please check the FAQ section of the Skills Connect website.

The program is funded by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia, and is free of charge. Once registered, you’ll receive a full assessment of your language skills and international credentials, as well as skills upgrading and job placement counselling. A separate part of the program offers similar services for health care professionals, but does not include the cost for required training and courses. Some of these costs can be offset by obtaining government grants, and Skills Connect Health will provide grant application assistance.

BC is the only Western province with a central access point for immigrants; other provinces offer similar possibilities, though you’ll have to deal with a number of different authorities and agencies if you apply.

 Please read more at the source article at http://www.cnmag.ca/employment-bridging-programs-in-western-canada/

Job Boards for Medical Professionals

These Canadian job boards, with listings of available positions, can help you find employment in your branch of medicine. Some of the job boards are completely healthcare-oriented; others have sections with jobs in the medical field. If you find any others, please tell us now.

PeopleMenders.com

Canadian Association of Community Health Centres

en français: L’Association canadienne des centres de santé communautaire

CanAm Physician Recruiting Inc.

HealthcareJob.ca

Workopolis – Healthcare Section

Indeed.ca

Monster Canada

Locums Canada

Select Medical Connections

Canada Job Directory – Healthcare Section

CanadaJobs.com – Healthcare Section

Yukon Work InfoNet – Healthcare Section

Global Medics – Canadian Section

McGill University – Division of Experimental Medicine

Alberta Health Services Job Board

AllCanadianJobs.com

CanJobs.com

Medi-Office Services Inc.

BCJobs.ca

Health E Careers Network

Service Canada Job Bank

CareerAim.com – Healthcare Section

CanadianListed.com

Health Care Jobs Board

CareerJet – Healthcare Section

Read more from the source article at http://www.cnmag.ca/job-boards-for-medical-professionals/

Connecting Talent with Opportunities

The PAIE Program is an innovative, employer-led Ontario bridge training program that connects highly skilled Internationally-Trained Engineers and Geoscientists with employers seeking qualified talent. PAIE is developed and led by Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA) in collaboration with Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) and the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (APGO), funded by the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada. This program links employers in TRCA’s network with highly skilled candidates to fulfill hiring needs in the environmental sector,while helping newcomers to obtain valuable Canadian experience and obtain a professional license as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) or Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) through a 12-month paid work placement.

PAIE works directly with a rapidly growing network of over 50 like-minded employers in both the public and private sectors including York Region, Cole Engineering, and Dillon Consulting. Through leveraging TRCA’s vast employer network, PAIE has achieved an employment success rate of over 90% for their participants, who are working in their professional field, earning an average of $55,000 annually.

This program is a highly specialized service designed for Engineers and Geoscientists working in the areas of Environment, Water Resources, Water/Wastewater, Transportation, Municipal, Civil, Geotechnical, Hydrogeology, Mining and Exploration, Solid Waste, Air/Emissions, and Renewable Energy.

Read more at the source at http://www.cnmag.ca/connecting-talent-with-opportunities/

A Range of Employment Resources

New immigrants to Canada can count on a number of programs to help them to find their first job here. “Immigrants alone do not have all the tools to market themselves. The requirements are different even according to the sector or the employer,” says Irene Sihvonen, director of Services of Acces Employment Services.

The first step for the newcomer is to look for the nearest employment resource centre. These agencies provide a shortcut to understand the local job market, to validate foreign credentials and experience, to learn how to show your skills properly and to find and connect successfully to employers. There you will find training programs, resources, information, contacts in the community and people who can help in your job search.

Job search workshops

Among the most popular programs offered, job search workshops teach effective job search practices and techniques to immigrants. Newcomers obtain orientation about the Canadian labour market. You can learn how to assess your own skills, how to write effective résumés and cover letters, how to fill out employment application forms, and how to network with employers. You will also learn successful interview techniques and workers’ rights and employment standards. After the workshop, participants can count on support, job leads, free access to computers, internet, printers, telephones, faxes, photocopiers, networking and childcare.

Programs are offered to landed immigrants, convention refugees and live-in caregivers with intermediate level of English. To find the nearest job search workshop, visit www.jswontario.org or call 1-800-813-2614.
Skills for Change is just one of the many agencies offering job search workshops. More information can be obtained by calling (416) 658-3101 ext. 234 or by e-mailing jsw@skillsforchange.org.
Windsor Employment Resource Centre offers assistance in Windsor. They can be reach at 400 City Hall Square East. Their phone number is (519) 253-4544 and their website www.citywindsor.ca/000581.asp
Job finding clubs

Read more at the source at http://www.cnmag.ca/a-range-of-employment-resources/