Copyright © 2000 Centre for Research and Education in Human Services Making a Change Together...

Copyright © 2000 Centre for Research and Education in Human Services

Making a Change Together

Working for Better Access to Professions and Trades for Foreign Trained People in Ontario.

Centre for Research and Education in Human Services

Skills for Change


Action Research Program Evaluation


Community Consultations Educational Workshops


A bit of market research....1. How easy or difficult do you think it is for foreign trained people to access their professions and trades in Ontario?

2. How easy or difficult do foreign trained people think it is to access their professions and trades in Ontario?

3. How easy or difficult does the general public think it is for foreign trained people to access their professions and trades in Ontario?

4. How have you worked for the better access to professions and trades of foreign trained people?

Much too Somewhat too Just right Somewhat too Much too Unsure easy easy difficult difficult




A Resource Handbook Funded By...


The Issue

Canadian immigration favours those with higher education and skills.

Yet many educated and skilled immigrants have difficulty finding work.

The unemployment rate of immigrant professionals is 18.2% compared to the 5.4% Ontario average.

60% of foreign trained immigrants who took jobs unrelated to their training when they first came to Canada held the same job three years later.

Less than one-quarter of foreign trained professionals who were employed were working in their exact field, and 47% were doing something irrelevant to their field.

The facts are in! Newcomers’ experiences in accessing regulated professions in Ontario

(Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, 2000)


The responsibility for changing the system rests on many shoulders.

The Handbook focuses on the role of foreign trained people themselves. In the past foreign trained people have:

Lacked understanding of professions and trades system in OntarioWorked mostly in isolation from each otherFocused on own individual situation, not the system


Purpose of Handbook

Give foreign trained people the tools they need to work together to change the professions and trades system in Ontario.

Changing systems, not helping individuals move through the system.


A Shift of Thinking

Not only.… But also....

Helping individuals through the system

Changing the system together

Individually frustratedby barriers

Collectively workingtowards solutions


Assumptions

Better access benefits individuals and society

Changing systems is possible

Involving all groups in the system is important

Democratic principles must guide work


How will the Handbook help?

Teach you about professions and trades system in Ontario

Energize you to play a leadership role

Focus you in being strategic and well planned

Motivate you to mobilize others

Inspire you to build on efforts of those who went before

Encourage you to work in partnership with others

Stimulate you to come up with creative solutions


Scope of the Handbook

Targeted for foreign trained people and their supporters

Targeted for use across Ontario

Crosses all professions and trades


People Consulted for the Handbook

Foreign trained professionals and their advocacy groups Settlement and employment service providers Policy makers at different government levels Occupational regulatory bodies Employers Education institutions Unions Funders Media Researchers/academics Literature review


Sections of the Handbook A brief history of promoting access to

professions and trades in Ontario The nature and ways of making system

changes How the professions and trades system

works in Ontario A step-by-step guide Case studies


Milestones in Promoting Access to Trades and Professions Across Ontario

Formation of a few provincial foreign trained advocacy groups (e.g. Engineers, nurses, veterinarians, physicians)

Founding of the Access to Trades and Professions Unit in the provincial Ministry of Citizenship in 1992 (moved to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in 1999)

Development of the Access Program at Skills for Change (1996)

Formation of the Ontario Network of Access to Professions and Trades (1999)

National Qualifications Recognition Conference held in Toronto (1999)


What is the System?How the professions and trades system

works in Ontario

1. Name the people or groups that foreign trained people see when trying to access their profession or trade.

2. Name the people or groups that foreign trained people do not see but still influence their accessing a profession or trade.


Human Resources Development Canada (Federal Government)

Web of Stakeholders Involved with Foreign-Trained Professionals in Ontario

Foreign-Trained professionals

Access to Professions and Trades Unit (Provincial Government)

Educational Institutions

Occupational Regulatory Bodies

Groups of foreign-trained tradespeople

Service Providers

Embassies/Consulates/Immigration

Employers

Visible Stakeholders

Influence

Behind-the-Scenes Stakeholders

Influential Background Stakeholders

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (Federal Government)

Media

Coalition organizations OCASI and Ontario NetworkFunders (Private

and public)Politicians (Federal, Provincial, Municipal)

Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities (Provincial Government)

General Public

Potential Resources: Municipal Government Human Rights Commission Courts

Professional Associations

Academic Credential Assessment Services

National Professional Organizations

Regulating Ministries (Provincial Government)


Web of Stakeholders Involved with Foreign-Trained Tradespeople in Ontario

Foreign-Trained Tradespeople

Access to Professions and Trades Unit (Provincial Government)

Educational Institutions

Apprenticeship and Client Services Office (Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities)

Groups of foreign-trained tradespeople

Service Providers

Embassies/Consulates/Immigration

Employers

Visible Stakeholders

Influence

Behind-the-Scenes Stakeholders

Influential Background Stakeholders

Human Resources Development Canada (Federal Government)

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (Federal Government)

Media

Coalition organizations OCASI and Ontario Network

Funders (Private and public)

Politicians (Federal, Provincial, Municipal)

Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities (Provincial Government)

General Public

Potential Resources: Municipal Government Human Rights Commission Courts


Foreign Trained ProfessionalApproaches OccupationalRegulatory Body

Assessment ofAcademicCredentials

LanguageRequirement

ProfessionalTraining

WorkExperience

Examination

Successful Completion ofall requirements

Appeal

Abandonment oflicensing effort

Registration

Inability tocomplete one ormore requirement

The Licensing Process for Professions in Ontario


Provincial Ministry Regulating ProfessionMinistry of Health -- Ministry of Attorney General -- Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs -- Ministry of Natural Resources

Ministry of Consumer and Corporate Relations -- Ministry of Education -- Ministry of Community and Social Services -- Ministry of Finance

Registrar / Executive DirectorPresident / Chairperson

CommunicationsDepartment

StaffDepartments

PolicyDepartment(LargerColleges only)

RegistrationDepartment(Associate / deputyRegistrar orDirector ofRegistration)

Staff Council Elected and appointed members Professional and lay members

College (Regulatory Body)

Sub- Committees

Registration Committee Most significant for issues

of foreign-trained Sets policy, Reviews registration cases Appeals

Various Other Committees Discipline Committee Quality Assurance

Committee

General Professional MembershipProfessionalAssociations

Council --Staffinteractiondepends onprofession andsize of College

Occupational Regulatory Bodies in Ontario


Entry to Trades in Ontario FlowchartMinistry of Training, Colleges,and Universitiesadministers to trade certification in Ontarioruns offices across Ontario

•provide information•administer to apprenticeship programs•administer to Certificate of Qualification Exams•issues Certificate of Qualification

Those with qualifications from home country must provide evidence of qualificationsources of evidence are flexible

• Based on sufficient foreign qualifications obtain a 3 month provisional certificate

• Considered to be qualified and may obtain employment under supervision of trades person and maintain virtually all of the rights of a fully qualified tradesperson

Those who lack credentials to prove qualifications and those who lack full range of required competencies

•May vary in age and amount of experience

May write Certificate of Qualification Exam

Fail examination Pass examination

• Provisional certificate can be renewed only after written test is attempted and failed

•Provisional certificate can be reissued

• Must renew certification every three years

• No further testing is required

Must enroll in apprenticeship program

• Must meet schooling requirements (grade 12 for those trades adhering to the New Act and Grade 10 for those following the old Act

• Must privately arrange apprenticeship with licensed tradesperson

•Must write Certificate of Qualification exam, based on hours completed in apprenticeship or in some trades according to realized qualifications

• Unable to obtain provisional certificate


Federal Government

Nationalgovernment inOttawa

Prime Minister ishead executiveofficial

Responsibleforeign affairs,Immigration, andnational economicdevelopment

Provides fundingfor many programsin areas ofprovincialresponsibilityincluding health,education, andwelfare

Key Ministries foraccess toprofessions andtrades issues areCitizenship andImmigrationCanada (CIC) andHuman ResourceDevelopmentCanada (HRDC)

Provincial Government

Government ofProvinces

Ontario legislature inToronto

Responsible forseveral areas includingeducation, health,Natural Resources

Direct responsibilityfor regulation of tradesand professions

Several key Ministriesfor access toprofessions and tradesissues

Oftencompetitive andtense relations

Municipal Government Local government of city or region Created by provincial regulation Powers determined by provincial

government Have no direct powers regarding professions

and trades

Federal-ProvincialAgreements andnon-agreements

Shared andover-lappingResponsibilities

Levels of Government


Queen’s AppointeeGovernor General (Federal)Lieutenant Governor (Provincial)

Senate Approve legislation

from House Review House

activities throughCommittees

Only on FederalLevel

Senators appointedon the PrimeMinister’sRecommendation

House of Commons Passes legislation Monitors government activity through

Committees and House Question Period Members of Parliament elected by public

from various political parties Member of Parliament (MP) - Federal Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP)

- provincial)

Legislative Branch

Executive Branch

GovernmentMembers(Largestpolitical partyin House)

OppositionMembers(otherpoliticalparties)

Prime Minister (Federal)/Premier (Provincial)

Leader of Governingparty of the House ofCommons

Cabinet Ministers appointed

by Prime Ministerfrom governingparty to headvarious ministries

Ministries Various government

administrativedepartments

Staffed by civilservants includingdeputy ministers,associate deputyministers, departmentheads, frontlineworkers etc.

General Public Elect Members to House Members of political parties Consumer of government services Form groups to lobby government

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court ofCanada Judges appointed by

Prime Minister Final Court of

Appeal on all legalmatters

Federal Courts Judges upon

federal law

ProvincialCourt Judges upon

provinciallaws

Structure of Government in Canada: Federal & Provincial


ADMINISTRATIVE FILTERS

Outputs

Priorities Decisions Policies Procedures Statutes Legislation

Inputs from government and

society

Issues Problems Concerns Needs Wants Goals

Governmentplatform (developedby political party inpower)

Interestgrouppressure

Economicand socialcontext

Established powerbrokers (businesscommunity,lobbyists)

Media Crises anddisasters

PollsIdeology ofruling party

Feedback

EXTERNAL PRESSURES

Personality andinterests of cabinetministers

POLITICAL PRESSURES

KNOW

HOW

COSTS

EXPEDIENCY

How Government Administrations Make Decisions


So You Want to Change the System The nature and ways of making system changes

What does systemic change mean? How does systemic change happen? What different roles do people need to play? How do you involve others? What are the barriers preventing change and

how do you overcome them?


What does Systemic Change Mean?

A whole new way of thinking for everyone involved

Change in attitudes, opinions, and behaviours of all people involved

Make peaceful changes in official policy and legislation

Bring together those affected by the issue, and those who have the power to do something about it


How does Systemic Change Happen?

Over a long time, with small steps Many disappointments and successes along

the way Take advantage of trigger events Majority of people in society are aware a

problem exists and are willing to do something about it


The Four Long Term Stages

of Systemic ChangeThe Big Picture

Stage 1: Steady State Stage 2: Build-up of Stress in the System

The system is OK Not all agree the system is OK, but most still do

Business as usual Normal channels fail Conditions ripenTrigger event and take off!

Initial trigger event

The problem exists but it is not on the social and political agenda. Public not aware of the problem.

People begin to point out that there is a problem. Opposition directed to existing decision-makers.

Growing conditions for change. Some people become increasingly frustrated with the problem and the inability of power-holders to make the needed changes.

A trigger event puts spotlight on a problem that violates widely-held values, sparking public attention and upset. A crisis atmosphere follows with many direct action campaigns

Based on Moyer, 1990

Stages 1 & 2


The Four Long Term Stages

of Systemic ChangeThe Big PictureStages 3 & 4

Stage 3: Seen as a General Problem Stage 4: Resolution

Most think the system is not OK The system starts changing

Perception of failure Majority of public opinion

Achieving alternatives Moving on

Many people working for change become disillusioned with lack of real change. Unrealistic hope of quick success is unmet. Some ”Burnout”, some turn more militant acting on anger and despair (threatening to alienate movement).

Movement transforms from protest in crisis to long-term struggle/negotiations with power holders. Focus on winning public support and begin proposing alternatives. Movement's position increasingly adopted as mainstream.

A long process of proposing alternatives. Shift from “opposing” to “suggesting”. More costly for power-holders to continue old policies than to adopt new ones. Broad- based coalitions of support formed.

Movement needs to protect and extend successes that were achieved. Long term goal is to achieve a paradigm shift. People mostly work within the “new system” to push change forward.

More trigger eventsBased on Moyer, 1990


The Little Picture Reaching Short Term Goals in 3 Stages

ReflectingStage #3

ImplementingStage #2

PlanningStage #1


Defining your group

Researching the system

Identifying the problem

The Planning Steps

Involving other people & resources

Setting your action plan

Setting goals, objectives and indicators


Identifying the Problem

How you define problems determines action Identify problems in the system, not by

individuals Problems should be written in ways that are

solvable Problems should be written in ways that

show how real people are affected


Implementing Your Plans

Groups look beyond themselves and start interacting with others in the system

Carry out short term action plan

Use the media strategically

Monitor and document what is being done


Reflecting on Your Accomplishments

Revisit your goals, objectives and indicators

Reflect on your short term steps often

Activists should evaluate their movement by how well it is moving along the road of success, not by whether it has achieved its long-term goals.” Moyer, 1990


What Roles are Needed to Make Change?

Very familiar with how the present system works

Relates well to existing power-holding officials (such as government officials or politicians)

Suggests solutions to change the present system

Uses official routes to challenge the structures of the system

Lobbies and negotiates directly with officials of the system

Brokers deals between what the group wants and what the power-holders offer

Needed most when the group is trying to entrench their agenda into official policy or law

Increasingly more active over the long term

Very familiar with how the issue impacts people’s lives

Relates well and inspires the people most affected by the issue

Says “no” to the injustices of the present system

Uses nonviolent means outside of the official routes of the system (e.g., rallies, civil disobedience)

Uses a variety of media and public avenues to indirectly communicate with officials of the system

Focuses on getting the group’s message out ot he general public

Needed most at critical moments of opportunity

Active at “trigger point” bursts, usually at the beginning and middle of a movement’s life

Profile of the Diplomat Profile of the Radical(Making change from without the system)(Making change from within the system)


How Do You Involve Others?

1. Assess the present group composition and its gaps

2. Identify potential people or groups to contact (natural and unnatural allies)

3. Make initial contact with individual people or groups

4. Publicly advertise the issue and how people can become involved

5. Give people something meaningful to do


Barriers to Change

Lack of perspective Over ambitious Lack of short term

goals Culture of failure Lack of documenting Lack of holistic

approach

Time Limited roles Resistance of power

holders Lack of public

awareness Lack of constructive

alternatives


Small Group Questions

What do you see as the major problems with the access to professions and trades system in Ontario?

What have advocacy groups done in order to effectively address these problems?

What have advocacy groups not done so far?


Evaluation

What was the most interesting part of the presentation?

What was the least interesting part of the presentation?

What, if anything, is missing in the Handbook? Would you make use of this Handbook? Would you recommend this Handbook to others?


How You Can Get Involved

Contact the Ontario Network for Access to Professions and Trades (ONAPT) (Asha Chakkalakal, 416-658-3101)

Order a copy of the Resource Manual (due in Fall) and get organized


Making a Change Together

Thanks for Coming!


Skills for Change

Copyright © 2000 Centre for Research and Education in Human Services Making a Change Together...

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