By:Jennifer Kavur
05.02.2010 kl 20:29 | IDG News Service
The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) recently launched a new online self-assessment tool that helps technology professionals from foreign countries determine whether or not they have what it takes to secure employment in Canada.
The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) recently launched a new online self-assessment tool that helps technology professionals from foreign countries determine whether or not they have what it takes to secure employment in Canada.
Unveiled at ICTC's 2010 Immigration Initiatives Partnership Celebration in Ottawa, the Canada Readiness Tool includes three modules to evaluate culture, communications and competencies for those considering the move to Canada as well as those already in the country seeking work.
Internationally educated professionals (IEPs) are very strong in their technical abilities, but very weak when it comes to cultural differences, communication skills and understanding what their competencies are, said Paul Swinwood, president of ICTC.
ICTC has identified competencies for 36 different occupations in the IT sector in Canada and the tool checks against these competencies to give IEPs an idea of what occupations they would more likely fit into and where their strengths and weaknesses are, he said.
The tool also intends to fill some gaps indicated by IEPs, such as the lack of information about the labour market, how and where to find employment and what it actually takes to work at a Canadian company, Swinwood added.
It also includes guides on how to build a resume, how to interview for a position, and labour market intelligence to help job seekers determine not only where jobs are located, but which companies hire for positions that match their skill set.
Roughly 80 per cent of immigrants end up in Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver, but that's not necessarily where the work might be for their skill sets, Swinwood pointed out.
In partnership with the Government of Canada and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges, ICTC validated the effectiveness of the tool in India, China and the Philippines prior to its launch. Pilots were also conducted in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa.
The feedback provided a few "fantastic examples of people getting involved with this at the beginning of their quest to come to Canada right through to employment here in Canada," he said.
Funded by the Government of Canada's Foreign Credential Recognition Program, the tool is available free of charge in English and French to anyone interested in taking it.
The Canada Readiness Tool is one part of the larger Internationally Educated Professionals Integration Initiative, an ICTC-led project involving numerous programs, resources and tools created in partnership with government, industry and immigrant settlement agencies.
"We would not be successful without our partners," said Swinwood.
The tool is "another step in our approach to integrating internationally educated professionals," he said. "We see a lot more to be done across Canada ... we want to make sure that as part of Canada's competitiveness, we do everything we can to keep this valuable resource here and make sure that our companies have these people."
ICTC forecasts roughly 170,000 people will be needed in the ICT sector by 2015 and up to 30 per cent of that demand will come from IEPs. "Unfortunately, we are seeing a decline in the number of people actually applying to immigrate to Canada as an ICT professional," said Swinwood.
Jennifer Cowland, director of technology services for Robert Half Technology Vancouver, provided a few tips to help immigrants find work in the IT field as quickly as possible.
"The job market is the toughest it's been in decades and that's especially true for immigrants who are now competing with an even larger pool of candidates than they would in a stronger economy," said Cowland.
It's "imperative to stay in a very positive mindset," she said. This includes remaining flexible on relocating within Canada, exploring new ways to apply your expertise, highlighting your transferable skills and being willing to compromise on contracts.
One big challenge immigrant IT workers face, according to Cowland, is a lack of Canadian work experience. "I strongly suggest that any individual hearing that looks into temporary contract roles and/or volunteering for a not-for-profit organization," she said.
It's also very important to have a strong command of local customs, soft skills and the English language, she noted. She also suggested networking, reaching out to a specialized IT recruiter such as Robert Half and finding one or two mentors.
There are two types of mentors you can tap into, said Cowland. The first is a professional mentor who has already been through the same situation as you and can help you learn local business customs and broaden your network; the second is a mentor working specifically in your field within a company you'd like to work for, she said.
Certifications are also "incredibly valuable and incredibly important," said Cowland. The value of certifications greatly depends on the needs of each IT department and they often have to be coupled with relevant experience, but there are a few that are in very strong demand, she said.
These include the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS), the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and the Project Management Professional (PMP), she said.
The good news is that the unemployment rate for IT pros is "significantly lower than the national average," said Cowland.
According to Statistics Canada, the unadjusted unemployment rate for the Computer and Telecommunication industries was 5.4 per cent in December 2009. The national unemployment rate was 7.8 per cent that same month.
Montreal-based recruitment agency Kovasys Inc. recently reported "a large influx of foreign IT specialists working in the U.S. on H-1B visas relocating and settling in Canada."
"We have found almost a threefold increase of U.S. applicants wanting to come and work in Canada," said Alex Kovalenko, director of operations for Kovasys.
In 2008, Kovasys found 0.6 per cent of screened applicants from the U.S. applying to work in Canada. The percentage increased to 1.6 per cent in 2009, reflecting an increase of 260 per cent in one year, reports the firm.
"The number could also be higher," Kovalenko noted. Some applicants indicate Toronto and/or Montreal as their main residence even if they are still residing and working in the U.S. on an H-1B visa, he said.
Motivating factors for moving north, according to Kovasys, include Canada's high standard of living, free health care, less stringent visa restrictions and even exchange rate with the U.S. dollar.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa granting specialists temporary work in the U.S. under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Follow me on Twitter @jenniferkavur.
Canada Ranks 2nd out of 16 Peer Countries in Education and Skills Performance
By:Kathleen Legris
Canada earned top marks for its Education and Skills performance, according to the Conference Board of Canada’s How Canada Performs comparison with 16 other developed countries.
How Canada Performs: A Report Card on Canada is the Conference Board’s annual benchmarking analysis, which the Board has conducted since 1996. The assessment measures Canada’s performance against leading countries in the domains of Economy, Health, Society, Innovation, Environment, and Education and Skills.
Canada did exceptionally well in Education, even outperforming its largest trading partner, the U.S., by a sizable margin. The latest Education and Skills rankings give the country an “A” grade, an improvement from last year’s “B” result. Canada remains second to Finland in overall Education and Skills outcomes followed by Japan, Switzerland, Sweden Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, U.K., Denmark, Austria, Ireland, France, Norway, U.S. and Italy. Canada closed the gap on Finland by improving substantially on two key indicators:
* The proportion of working-age population that graduated from high school increased by a full percentage to 86.6%.
* Canada’s proportion of graduates from science, math, computer science and engineering disciplines improved significantly.
Canada’s strength is in delivering a high-quality education to people between the ages of 5 and 25 with comparatively modest spending. The country obtained “A” or “B” grades on 13 of the 15 Education and Skills indicators. Some weaknesses were illustrated in the results. Canada received a “D” grade on the indicator measuring Ph.D. graduates, and its performance on this indicator has deteriorated significantly over time. The leading country on this indicator, Sweden, has three and a half times Canada’s Ph.D. graduation rate. This poor ranking has implications for the country’s ability to improve innovation, productivity, and competitiveness.
How Canada Performs: A Report Card on Canada measures how well Canada is meeting its fundamental goal of creating a high and sustainable quality of life for all Canadians. The majority of the data used for this benchmarking report is supplied by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The rest comes from other reliable sources, such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy. The most recent year of data is used for each indicator. In some cases, such as literacy skills, the data is taken from surveys that were conducted several years ago.
Canada earned top marks for its Education and Skills performance, according to the Conference Board of Canada’s How Canada Performs comparison with 16 other developed countries.
How Canada Performs: A Report Card on Canada is the Conference Board’s annual benchmarking analysis, which the Board has conducted since 1996. The assessment measures Canada’s performance against leading countries in the domains of Economy, Health, Society, Innovation, Environment, and Education and Skills.
Canada did exceptionally well in Education, even outperforming its largest trading partner, the U.S., by a sizable margin. The latest Education and Skills rankings give the country an “A” grade, an improvement from last year’s “B” result. Canada remains second to Finland in overall Education and Skills outcomes followed by Japan, Switzerland, Sweden Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, U.K., Denmark, Austria, Ireland, France, Norway, U.S. and Italy. Canada closed the gap on Finland by improving substantially on two key indicators:
* The proportion of working-age population that graduated from high school increased by a full percentage to 86.6%.
* Canada’s proportion of graduates from science, math, computer science and engineering disciplines improved significantly.
Canada’s strength is in delivering a high-quality education to people between the ages of 5 and 25 with comparatively modest spending. The country obtained “A” or “B” grades on 13 of the 15 Education and Skills indicators. Some weaknesses were illustrated in the results. Canada received a “D” grade on the indicator measuring Ph.D. graduates, and its performance on this indicator has deteriorated significantly over time. The leading country on this indicator, Sweden, has three and a half times Canada’s Ph.D. graduation rate. This poor ranking has implications for the country’s ability to improve innovation, productivity, and competitiveness.
How Canada Performs: A Report Card on Canada measures how well Canada is meeting its fundamental goal of creating a high and sustainable quality of life for all Canadians. The majority of the data used for this benchmarking report is supplied by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The rest comes from other reliable sources, such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy. The most recent year of data is used for each indicator. In some cases, such as literacy skills, the data is taken from surveys that were conducted several years ago.
Earn While You Learn: International Students Work in Canada from Arrival through Post-Graduation
By:Kathleen Legris
International students are permitted to work in Canada from the point of arrival through post-graduation. In most cases, students will need to apply for a Work Permit to participate in a co-op/internship placement, work off campus, or apply for jobs after graduation. A Work Permit is not required for on-campus employment.
Working On Campus
International students do not need to apply for or hold a Work Permit in order to work on campus. Students may work on campus immediately upon arrival in Canada if they are:
* Enrolled full-time in a designated post-secondary; and
* Have a valid study permit.
Working Off Campus
The Off-Campus Work Permit Program allows certain international students to work off campus while completing their studies. To qualify, students must be enrolled in a participating post-secondary educational institution and meet the guidelines set out by that institution. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) publishes a complete list of eligible institutions, by province on their website.
Students are not eligible to apply for an Off-Campus Work Permit immediately upon arrival in Canada. Instead, they must have been enrolled full-time at least 6 of the previous 12 months and meet the academic requirements set out by their university or college to be eligible.
Co-op and Internship Programs
For some academic programs, work experience is part of the curriculum. In these cases, an open Work Permit can be issued with the institution listed as the employer. If several work periods are required throughout the program, the Work Permit can be issued for the same period as the Study Permit.
International students, scholars, and scientists may also obtain Work Permits for work related to a research, educational or training program.
Post-Graduation Employment Program
The Post-Graduate Employment Program is designed to provide graduating students with Canadian work experience. Students may work in Canada for up to three years after graduation. The duration of the permit is based upon the length of study in Canada. Students who have completed less than 8 months of study are not eligible.
An application guide and forms to apply for an Off-Campus Work Permit, Co-op Work Permit, and Post Graduate Employment can be found on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website. International Student Advisors in university Student Services offices can also provide advice and information on these processes.
International students are permitted to work in Canada from the point of arrival through post-graduation. In most cases, students will need to apply for a Work Permit to participate in a co-op/internship placement, work off campus, or apply for jobs after graduation. A Work Permit is not required for on-campus employment.
Working On Campus
International students do not need to apply for or hold a Work Permit in order to work on campus. Students may work on campus immediately upon arrival in Canada if they are:
* Enrolled full-time in a designated post-secondary; and
* Have a valid study permit.
Working Off Campus
The Off-Campus Work Permit Program allows certain international students to work off campus while completing their studies. To qualify, students must be enrolled in a participating post-secondary educational institution and meet the guidelines set out by that institution. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) publishes a complete list of eligible institutions, by province on their website.
Students are not eligible to apply for an Off-Campus Work Permit immediately upon arrival in Canada. Instead, they must have been enrolled full-time at least 6 of the previous 12 months and meet the academic requirements set out by their university or college to be eligible.
Co-op and Internship Programs
For some academic programs, work experience is part of the curriculum. In these cases, an open Work Permit can be issued with the institution listed as the employer. If several work periods are required throughout the program, the Work Permit can be issued for the same period as the Study Permit.
International students, scholars, and scientists may also obtain Work Permits for work related to a research, educational or training program.
Post-Graduation Employment Program
The Post-Graduate Employment Program is designed to provide graduating students with Canadian work experience. Students may work in Canada for up to three years after graduation. The duration of the permit is based upon the length of study in Canada. Students who have completed less than 8 months of study are not eligible.
An application guide and forms to apply for an Off-Campus Work Permit, Co-op Work Permit, and Post Graduate Employment can be found on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website. International Student Advisors in university Student Services offices can also provide advice and information on these processes.
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