Foreign degree holders underutilized in health care: Statistics Canada
Foreign degree holders underutilized in health care: Statistics Canada
By Kaitlyn Smith
New Canadian Media
Newcomers are the largest contributing population of post-secondary degree holders, but continue to face barriers matching non-Canadian credentials to employment here.
Statistics Canada’s latest findings on labour and education on Wednesday, showed newcomers account for over half of Canada’s working-age population with a doctorate, masters or other degree in health sciences.
But, less than 36 per cent of immigrants with a foreign degree in nursing worked as a nurse, and less than half of foreign medical degree holders worked as doctors, in the last five years.
The Statistics Canada report on labour says that though the census did not ask questions about the barriers newcomers face finding employment (i.e. credential recognition, official language proficiency) it estimates there is a workforce of foreign degree holders that could fill over 44,080 urgently needed positions for nurses and doctors.
Canadian degree holders had more favourable experiences pairing their degree with employment – up to 90 per cent – in these professions.
Comments (0)