Area stakeholders are working to localize the licensing process for internationally educated nurses (IENs) who are looking to bridge their credentials so they can work in the province. This, after recent visits from Manitoba's Minister of Immigration, Malaya Marcelino, to the region, where she encouraged a local push to bring re-certification programming to the Pembina Valley.
A staggering statistic
Recently, Regional Connections Immigrant Services identified 48 IENs who are living in the Pembina Valley but are not employed in their profession. Of those, only four are currently enrolled in the re-certification program.
According to Steve Reynolds, Executive Director for Regional Connections, the process takes between four months and one year, and is only available online or in Winnipeg which, he says, presents several barriers, especially around schedule and availability.
"So, people are usually already working in a different job, sometimes in healthcare as a healthcare aide or personal support worker. But typically, they have a family, kids, rent or a mortgage and need to be working, and the amount of time and expense it takes to go through a licensing process where testing and training happens in Winnipeg is usually a huge barrier that prevents people from even signing up," he explained.
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As a result, Reynolds says this often leaves the Province and local stakeholders unaware that IENs are in the region. He believes reducing this barrier would help fill nursing vacancies that exist in the region.
"They're already living here and want to be here, so they're not even people we need to recruit to the area [...] and (they) want to get into their careers as nurses."
"It really shouldn't be that way when we have skilled people here and labour market needs for these professions. There's no reason for them to give up on their careers."
So far, the group has had preliminary discussions with the Province about bringing the re-certification process to the Pembina Valley and is working to identify a cohort of IENs who could move through the process as a group.
"Finding out who is here and who is close enough to start that process and talking to them about if there were a local program like this, would they be interested and what would make it accessible for them," said Reynolds. "Some people need to improve English ability a few levels and there's other pre-requisite items."
The idea, he added, is to start the program this year.
Reynolds added, there is a real gap between economic immigration streams that give people points for being internationally educated and skilled professionals and the licensing processes required after they arrive.
"It's a provincial and national challenge that a lot of immigrants come through immigration programs as skilled professionals and they receive points in economic programs, like the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program or express-entry federal programs, but then after they arrive, to go through licensing - those processes are really challenging for newcomers. There can be a lot of expenses, fees and tests, college courses to take again. People are not usually aware that those processes are there, that it will cost them a lot of money, it'll take them one to four years after they arrive. They usually learn all that after getting to Canada."
What is the cost?
Often, Reynolds says these foreign-trained professionals will give up on their own careers and, instead, settle on the idea that the future will be better for their kids.
"It really shouldn't be that way when we have skilled people here and labour market needs for these professions. There's no reason for them to give up on their careers."
Reynolds went on to say that obstacles like these are preventing other foreign-trained professionals, such as engineers and teachers, from working in their area of expertise within the region as well. In fact, he says some other provinces, like Alberta and B.C., have stepped up to expedite re-certification pathways and, in some cases, has led these professionals to relocate from the Pembina Valley.
"Recently, for example, we had a doctor from Ukraine who moved to B.C. (and) we had a teacher from Hong Kong who moved to Edmonton, and they moved because they could get into their careers faster there than in Manitoba," noted Reynolds.