What is Skills Connect for Immigrants Program – Health?
Every day, health professionals from around the world come to British Columbia to build new lives. Many are skilled in occupations where there are shortages but they face barriers to getting started in the right job in Canada. They may lack the required language skills, have difficulty getting their credentials recognized and not have networks that connect them to employers and jobs.
The Skills Connect for Immigrants Program helps internationally-educated health professionals secure jobs that fully use their skills, knowledge and experience. Since September 2007, when the program began, hundreds of health professionals have found work in their fields in British Columbia through the Skills Connect for Immigrants Program.
How does it help internationally-educated Health Professionals?
Participants work one-on-one with trained Career Counsellors who:
Assess their skills, qualifications and experiences
Support upgrading in order to meet Canadian standards
Provide career assessment and planning
Support skills and other enhancements, including workplace language upgrading
Help them make connections to employers and find suitable employment
Who can join the Program?
Permanent Resident Status in Canada
Have at least intermediate English language skills
Are either unemployed and not receiving provincial or federal assistance, or are under employed and not working at a level that utilizes their pre-arrival skills, experience
Been in Canada five years or less
What Health Care Professionals can join the Program?
There are 12 health professions supported by Skills Connect – Health
· Licensed Practical Nurse
· Medical Laboratory Technologist
· Medical Radiation Technologist
· Midwife
· Occupational Therapist
· Pharmacist
· Physician
· Physiotherapist
· Registered Nurse
· Registered Psychiatric Nurse
· Speech Language Pathologist and Audiologist
· Ultrasonographer
Can the Program still help me if my medical profession is not listed as one of the 12 Health Care Professions above?
Originally from Iraq, Muna is a Physician who specialized in Ultrasonography for high-risk pregnancies for 7 years. She immigranted to Canada on June 18, 2007 and through her friend, she sought assistance from the Skills Connect for Immigrants Program at MOSAIC. Muna’s major barrier to employment was her lack of certification. She and her employment counsellor mutually agreed upon a 2-step action plan:
1) Gain employment in Sonography as her short-term goal.
2) Complete the licensing process to become a physician as her long-term goal.
Services that SCIP provided were:
1) Funds for her to attend a medical conference as well as to write the sonography examination. These activities allowed her to be locally certified / recognized.
2) Job search preparation that included: resume that targeted sonography, internet job search assistance, etc.
Muna is now happily working as a Medical Sonographer. Appreciating the help that she got from the program, she said “I am lucky and happy to re-enter the medical field again in this new country that I now call home. Through further upgrading, I shall get my licence as a Physician in Canada!”
MOSAIC believes in providing support to clients while receiving services. Please visit our dedicated client subsection that provides information on
