Credentials

Challenge

Skilled immigrants may have international credentials that are not immediately recognizable to a Canadian employer. Recruiters may skim resumes seeking the names of recognized institutions or face challenges when they try to assess international credentials. Similarly, international experience is often devalued or considered irrelevant in Canada.

According to the 2003 Statistics Canada Longitudinal Survey that studied skilled immigrants who arrived in Canada in the 1990s, 60% were employed in fields other than those for which they had training and experience, and which required lower levels of skills and education; 25% of degree holders were in jobs needing only a high school education.??Many were under-employed in occupational categories such as:

• Food service managers;
• Cleaners and maids;
• Taxi and limousine drivers;
• Security guards; and
• Caretakers.

Skilled immigrants generally do not choose these occupations; they end up there for other reasons.

Opportunity

Leading companies hire accredited, high-potential candidates. An organization that can recognize the transferability of a skilled immigrant's training and education can gain a definite competitive advantage. By using Canadian credential assessment services, employers are able to increase their familiarity and comfort level with international credentials.