A service helping match internationally trained nurses with employers in New Brunswick is expanding to workers in other regulated professions, including other health professionals.
Since 2019, the service for internationally educated nurses (IEN) has matched 200 nurses to employers through the province’s Department of Health.
The service, accessed through WorkingNB, is immediately expanding to include all other regulated health professions, and will further expand to other regulated professions in the coming weeks.
“WorkingNB has considerable labour market expertise that we can use to provide additional support to the many newcomers who are hoping to use the skills they worked so hard to obtain,” said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Trevor Holder, in a Tuesday news release. “We know some people have struggled to have their skills recognized here and we are proud to provide a place where they can go for help.”
While employment counsellors will still be required to conduct a needs assessment, the new program will “specifically include recognition of credentials earned outside of Canada as a possible intervention when assessing newcomers.” Employment counsellors will also incorporate steps into an employment action plan for their clients, and monitor and support their progress.
Counsellors will also work directly with three navigators who are helping develop materials and resources to help newcomers navigate the workforce in Canada to ensure they can find work in their chosen profession. The navigators work directly with third-party stakeholders like post-secondary schools and professional associations.
According to Tuesday’s news release, two of the navigators are already assisting clients with credentials related to health care. The third will be dedicated to other professions.
“We are committed to helping health professionals get recognition for the qualifications they earned abroad so they can be a part of providing high-quality care to New Brunswickers,” said Health Minister Bruce Fitch in the news release.
The move to include credential navigation services in the employment counselling process follows legislation in the Fair Registration Practices in Regulated Professions Act, which became law in the spring.
For those not working in the health-care field, registration for the service can be done by contacting WorkingNB through their website or at one of its 19 offices across New Brunswick.
Internationally-educated nurses and other health-care professionals can complete their applications online.
According to the province, nurses and other health-care professionals who have already begun the application process do not need to re-apply and should continue working with their established contact.
