North Island Employment Foundations Society (NIEFS) announced the release of a new series of video shorts sharing inspiring stories of internationally trained workers whose lives have been positively impacted through their participation in the NIEFS Skills Bridge program.
Launched in August 2023, the Skills Bridge program provides financial assistance to internationally trained workers to cover expenses such as application fees, assessments, training costs, and more. The program's core mission was to accelerate the integration of skilled newcomers into the Canadian workforce, enabling them to contribute their valuable talents to the North Island economy.
These videos highlight how Skills Bridge has been highly successful in engaging internationally trained workers from Black Creek to Port Hardy, supporting them to address barriers to credential recognition and helping them build connections to their industry in the Canadian labour market.
Featuring firsthand accounts from program participants, these videos offer powerful testimonials about the challenges internationally trained workers face and how Skills Bridge provided crucial support on their journey to reconnect with their chosen fields of expertise. From financial assistance with application fees and assessments to personalized guidance throughout the credential recognition process, the program successfully empowered individuals to achieve their career goals in Canada.
This aligns with the broader Canadian context, where, as Marc Miller, former minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, noted, "Being a welcoming country brings significant benefits. Our economic growth has been driven by immigration, and it is a major part of our economic plan to address our aging population. Whether driving innovation across numerous industries, filling labour market gaps or creating jobs, immigrants play an essential role in the cultural and economic fabric of Canada."
Furthermore, a recent report by Future Skills Canada emphasizes the importance of immigration to Canada's future, stating that, "Immigration is a key driver of Canada’s labour force growth, innovation and economic prosperity, including on a per capita basis. Landed immigrants and permanent residents already account for 23 per cent of Canada’s population, and more than 80 per cent of labour force growth comes from immigration. This trend will continue, as Canada aims to welcome 500,000 newcomers per year in 2025 and 2026, a record target" (Future Skills Canada, 2024).
The Skills Bridge program was made possible thanks to the vision of Andrew Mercier, former minister of state for workforce development, who announced a $1.5 million International Credit Recognition Fund in June 2023. Funded by the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills and administered by ASPECT BC, this fund initially supported the highly successful Skills Bridge project from August 2023 to March 2024.
Given the tremendous success of Skills Bridge, the NIEFS board of directors provided funding over the past year to continue the program, which has helped over 120 newcomers across the North Island with foreign credential recognition and in addition, approved the use of charitable donations to support this compelling video project to capture participant stories.
Videos can be viewed on the NIEFS' website.
