Canadian Provincial Mobility and Professional Growth
In an increasingly interconnected world, professional mobility for migrants can make a significant difference in their settlement and overall trajectory. For newcomers in Canada, particularly those in regulated professions, navigating provincial credentialing requirements can be daunting. Snapp, PeaceGeeks' national digital mentorship pilot platform, is changing this landscape by enabling inter-provincial and virtual career mentorship, offering newcomers the flexibility to pursue their careers within the framework of existing provincial regulations. Snapp can offer newcomers the flexibility to filter their search for mentors by province, tailoring their mentorship experience to regions with accessible credentialing processes or higher demand for their skills. This ability to make strategic choices through filtering can empower newcomers to pursue their careers effectively within the framework of existing provincial regulations.
Supporting Career Continuity
For many newcomers, entering a regulated profession in Canada can feel like navigating a maze. Bureaucratic processes and barriers to employment can be particularly challenging, especially after undergoing a sometimes very complex migration journey. Despite their qualifications and expertise, immigrants and refugees often face significant barriers in gaining recognition for their credentials, which forces them into survival jobs. This not only under utilizes their skills but also hinders their ability to contribute meaningfully to their fields and integrate into their new communities (Guo, 2018). Each province has its own credentialing requirements, which can create significant barriers (Paquet & Xhardez, 2020).
Snapp recognizes the profound impact mentorship can have for newcomers, particularly those striving to have their regulated profession credentials recognized. By enabling individuals to connect with mentors virtually across provinces, Snapp facilitates guidance and support, helping newcomers navigate the complexities of credential recognition and integration into their professional fields. This can help newcomers maintain their career trajectory and develop their expertise without being restricted by regional limitations.
Opportunities Across Provinces
One of Snapp's key strengths is its ability to transcend provincial borders and boundaries. Newcomers can seek mentorship and career opportunities nationwide. This might involve finding a mentor in a province with a more straightforward credentialing process or exploring regions with a high demand for specific skills. This approach empowers professionals to make strategic decisions about their careers, optimizing their potential and impact.
Addressing Skill Gaps and Economic Growth
Canada’s economy benefits from the diverse skills of its professional workforce. By facilitating inter-provincial mobility, Snapp not only supports individual professional growth but also helps address regional skill shortages. “Honouring the professional credentials of newcomers is a compassionate and effective component of expanding Canada’s workforce” (Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault, Government of Canada, 2024). This dynamic exchange of talent ensures that regions with critical skill gaps can attract qualified professionals, fostering a more balanced economic landscape.
A Real-World Example
Consider Samira Al-Masri, a refugee from Syria with over ten years of experience in nursing. Upon arriving in Ottawa, she found her qualifications were not recognized, leading her into a survival job outside of her field as a cashier to make ends meet for herself and her family. Through Snapp, Samira connected with a mentor in Alberta, where credentialing was more accessible in nursing. With her mentor's guidance, she could successfully access and navigate the re-credentialing process, and can practice as a nurse in Calgary, contributing her wealth of expertise as a nurse in Alberta.
The reality is that regulations for regulated professions are province-specific (Paquet & Xhardez, 2020). Snapp helps newcomers work within this reality by providing interprovincial mentors in their field who may provide them guidance on navigating the credentialing processes in different provinces.
Personal Reflection
As the research lead for this project, it is a privilege to learn how a digital mentorship platform can support personal and professional growth within the current system of regulated professions, and foster a more inclusive and dynamic professional community across Canada. I am continually inspired by the perseverance of newcomers in Canada and their innovative approaches to achieving their professional aspirations, while also recognizing the systemic barriers and unstreamlined pathways they encounter.
Snapp represents a significant step towards a future where professional aspirations are not limited by geographical boundaries and bureaucratic limitations. By facilitating interprovincial mentorship and networking, Snapp addresses critical gaps, allowing newcomers to integrate more smoothly into the professional landscape of Canada. This integration can bring together a wealth of skills and expertise that can contribute to the broader social and economic fabric of our communities.
While Snapp effectively addresses many current challenges, the ideal scenario would be for newcomers to participate in virtual matches and expand their professional networks without having to navigate and account for province-specific regulations. My hope is that more clear and accessible provincial and federal pathways will be developed to enable newcomers to thrive professionally and contribute to their new communities without the burden of having to completely "start over." In the meantime, innovative tools like Snapp that address existing barriers to employment can make a significant impact.
References
Government of Canada. (2024, January 15). Government helping 6600 internationally educated healthcare professionals work in Canada. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2024/01/government-helping-6600-internationally-educated-healthcare-professionals-work-in-canada.html
Guo, Shibao. "The changing face of work and learning in the context of immigration: The Canadian experience." In Work, Learning and Transnational Migration, pp. 19-43. Routledge, 2018.
Paquet, M., & Xhardez, C. (2020). Immigrant integration policies when regions decide ‘who comes in’: The case of Canadian provinces. Regional Studies, 54(11), 1519-1534.
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