July 2007

Engineers Canada Welcomes Creation of Foreign Credential Referral Office

Marie, P.Eng., Chief Executive Officer, CCPE

Engineers Canada welcomes the Government of Canada's commitment to improving employment outcomes for foreign trained professionals through the creation of the new Foreign Credential Referral Office.

"We are ready to work with the federal government to help make the new office successful as we have found through our research that complete, accurate and early information and referrals are key to successful settlement," says Marie Lemay, P.Eng., Chief Executive Officer of Engineers Canada. "A single, central source of information is crucial to an immigrant's success."

Engineers Canada and its members have significant experience working with international engineering graduates (IEGs). In 2001, of the 44 percent of skilled workers who identified an intended occupation at the time of immigration, 63 percent indicated engineering.

Engineers Canada and its provincial and territorial licensing bodies have made substantial progress in helping integrate IEGs through the licensing process. The effort began with From Consideration to Integration (FC2I), a three-phase HRSDC-funded initiative designed to integrate IEGs into the Canadian profession and workforce without compromising public safety or lowering professional standards. Engineers Canada and the provincial and territorial licensing bodies are now implementing FC2I's recommendations.

© Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland and Labrador