Criticized for many years, the process of recognizing the diplomas and skills of immigrants should become more effective with the injection of $ 130 million by the Legault government. Labor Minister Jean Boulet announced his action plan on Tuesday.
“It has been too many years that professional immigrants have encountered obstacles for the recognition of their competence and they have had difficulty in exercising their profession while they are in fields where the needs are particularly glaring” explained the Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Solidarity, Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration, Jean Boulet during a press conference on Tuesday.
“So this time, it has to end,” he said.
On the program: support, financial assistance and an increase in the offer of refresher training.
The action plan for the recognition of the skills of immigrants is broken down into 6 measures, including prospecting to find new recruitment pools, support from Quebec employers for the evaluation of studies carried out abroad, personalized support for immigrants and financial support for immigrants seeking recognition of skills.
This is another element of Operation Labor announced by Minister Jean Boulet on November 30.
There is a labor shortage in public services – health, education, child care – as well as information technology, engineering and construction. The government has taken on the challenge of re-qualifying 170,000 workers in these targeted sectors, by working with businesses.
Support of $ 500 per week
Since 34% of immigrants abandon their refresher training or internship for lack of financial support, the government has planned specific measures to ensure that they complete them.
Thus, immigrants who take full-time training will receive $ 500 per week and $ 250 for part-time training. There will be an exemption from paying additional tuition fees for internationally trained professionals while transportation costs and childcare costs will be reimbursed.
“In my opinion, this is the only way to successfully integrate these people not only into Quebec society, but also into our businesses,” believes the Minister.
“In this case, it is important for us to get out of the search for the culprit. We really are, how we can do better to welcome new immigrants ”, specified during the press conference Gyslaine Desrosiers, president of the Interprofessional Council of Quebec, who collaborated in the development of the plan.
“We would like the process to be faster and simpler. It is not so much the period to assess skills that is long. This is done in just a few months. But these people need personalized support from the moment they are selected, ”she said.
“The plan of @ JeanBoulet10 was necessary. It targets the right issues: upstream selection, support for professional orders, support for refresher training and assistance to employers for the assessment of equivalencies, ”tweeted Michel Leblanc, President and CEO, Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, in reaction to the Minister’s announcement.
“I am also proud and I mention that Quebec with this plan is improving its reputation in terms of host society land”, concluded Minister Boulet.