The provincial government is asking feedback of internationally trained professionals that have experience with B.C.’s foreign credential recognition process, looking to inform future legislation and identify any possible inefficiencies.

The province said in a press release that it will gather the data collected by the new survey, which is open until May 26, and use it to eliminate any barriers experienced by workers that have been through the foreign recognition process. Foreign credential recognition is the process of having education, skills, and work experience from outside of Canada assessed against Canadian standards.

“We know B.C. will have one million job openings over the next 10 years,” said Andrew Mercier, the province’s Minister of State for Workforce Development. “We’re asking internationally trained professionals to tell us how we could improve our foreign credential recognition process so they can fully participate in B.C.’s economy and our communities.”

The province delegates authority to oversee more than 230 regulated professions to approximately 50 professional regulatory bodies, rather than taking on the role itself. The province said in its release that many internationally trained professionals need to have their qualifications recognized to be certified, registered, or licensed to work in their chosen profession, including in the medical field and other essential services.

Over the next decade, more than 387,000 newcomers are expected to enter the B.C. workforce, representing an approximate 38 percent of job openings. The province added that almost all of these jobs will require occupation specific training or post-secondary education, which would mean any internationally trained workers looking to fill the vacancy would need to have their credentials checked through a possibly streamlined process.

To participate in the survey, visit www.engage.gov.bc.ca, and select ‘Foreign Credential Recognition.’