Global Experience Ontario Access Centre helps skilled international professionals get licensed to work in Ontario

I just found out about the Global Experience Ontario Access Centre (GEO), a department of Ontario’s provincial government that helps skilled newcomers obtain certification to work in Ontario in14 regulated professions. 

GEO’s services include:

·      Information about licensing, standards, and registration processes

·      Referrals to academic credential assessment agencies and language testing (for English and French)

·      Referral to the appropriate Ontario regulatory body for your profession

·      Links to language training programs nearest your home (in English and French)

·      On-site reference materials and resources, including “career maps” for each regulated profession and some trades

·      Information and referrals for retraining and bridge training programs

·      Information about alternative professional avenues where appropriate

·      Referrals to internships and mentoring programs

·      Computer terminals for clients’ use

·      Webinars for internationally trained individuals who have not yet moved to Canada but who wish to learn about the certification process in advance

·      Referral to relevant employment services.

The 14 regulated professions GEO handles are:

1.             Architects

2.             Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists

3.             Certified General Accountants

4.             Certified Management Accountants

5.             Chartered Accountants

6.             Early Childhood Educators

7.             Foresters

8.             Land Surveyors

9.             Lawyers and Paralegals

10.          Professional Engineers

11.          Professional Geoscientists

12.          Social Workers and Social Service Workers

13.          Teachers

14.          Veterinarians

For more information on GEO, click on:

http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/keyinitiatives/geo.shtml

A comparable service for internationally educated health professionals, called HealthForceOntario, is found at:

http://www.healthforceontario.ca/en/Home
Today’s post is intended as additional constructive commentary on my posts in the recent past about Canada’s urgent need to strengthen its skilled workforce through immigration at:

http://vicg8hr.blogspot.ca/2012/11/immigration-minister-kenney-says.html

http://vicg8hr.blogspot.ca/2012/11/printer-mpp-joe-dickson-says-ontarios.html

Printer MPP Joe Dickson says Ontario's workforce needs foreign professionals

Although yesterday's post discusses immigration from the federal government's perspective, Joe Dickson, Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament representing the riding of Ajax-Pickering and President of Dickson Printing Ltd., says that integrating foreign professionals into the workforce is a priority for his provincial government as well.

When we spoke at length about a year ago, Mr. Dickson (shown at left) said Ontario needs to place more qualified foreign professionals in sectors of the economy that are experiencing chronic vacancies for skilled positions.  His fear is that, if the government does not take steps to alleviate the situation, "companies here will have a manpower shortfall or even lose the work to other parts of the world."

For details, see the third- and second-last paragraphs on page 33 of my article "Popular MPP Printer" in the December-2011 issue of Printaction.   
https://www.box.net/s/ndbitjxxd9l2au5e6y7b