Election Promises: Loans for Skills Training/Upgrading

[Pippin]

This was making news today and thought it might be of interest to a few of you!

http://www.muchmormagazine.com/2011/04/stephen-harper-courting-immigrant-voters-in-the-greater-toronto-area/
Stephen Harper is promising loans to help foreign-trained immigrants get their education credentials recognized in this country as he visits Greater Toronto Area ridings Wednesday heavily populated by new Canadians.

It's another attempt to solve what's been called the doctors-driving-taxis problem, where immigrants find themselves shut out of the skilled job they trained for before coming to Canada.

The Conservative Leader will announce that if re-elected the Tories would lend money to recent immigrants so they can afford the skills training or upgrading required before their credentials can be recognized in Canada. The Conservatives are courting immigrant voters in the Greater Toronto Area as part of their fourth try for a majority government. A Tory official said the party considers problems obtaining recognition of foreign credentials “one of the major issues facing new Canadians.”

[Baloo]

It might be better to tell immigrants of this cost before they arrive.
Or better still, allow immigrants to sit the conversion courses before they apply for immigration.

[Pippin]

Couldn't agree with you more, Baloo.  Sounds like a worthwhile suggestion.  Wonder who you could address it to?

[canadaforall]

It might be better to tell immigrants of this cost before they arrive.
Or better still, allow immigrants to sit the conversion courses before they apply for immigration.

I think when new immigrants are aware of it, they will be better prepared and those who are willing to sacrifice their time and money will go in for immigration. When they have no idea about all these things , before arriving , that is when it becomes a problem.
Let them put all on the website for new immigrants to make their choice, whether to do it before coming or after they arrive.

[peanuts]

...... and hopefully give the Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN) the chance to write the CRNE right at their own home countries so that Nurses will be registered in a Canadian nursing body even before landing in Canada.