The Government of Yukon is addressing health care labour shortages by facilitating the recognition of credentials for internationally educated health professionals.
Today in Whitehorse, Premier Ranj Pillai, alongside the federal Minister of Small Business Rechie Valdez, on behalf of federal Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages of Canada Randy Boissonnault, alongside Yukon MP Dr. Brendan Hanley, announced the $3.6 million Foreign Credential Recognition Project for internationally educated health care workers.
This initiative is a step towards achieving actions 2.3 and 2.6 of the Government of Yukon’s Health Human Resources Strategy and aims to support the integration of internationally educated health professionals into the Yukon's labour force. This will help strengthen the health and social service systems and fill crucial health care roles across the Yukon. Insights from this four-year pilot project may also inform an approach to foreign credential recognition for occupations beyond the health care sector.
This funding agreement will enable the Government of Yukon to better support internationally educated health professionals who wish to work in the Yukon. This includes creating opportunities for individuals to gain Canadian work experience and providing tailored employment services to skilled newcomers. Reducing barriers for these professionals to work will help efforts to fill vital health care positions in the territory.
Objectives of the agreement include raising awareness of available support for internationally trained newcomers, reducing barriers to foreign credential recognition, streamlining regulatory processes and facilitating labour mobility across Canadian jurisdictions. This pilot initiative is one of the ways that the Yukon government is addressing the current labour shortage in health care across the territory.
Here in the Yukon, we have many internationally educated health professionals who are not currently working in health care, despite their qualifications and desire to provide care and serve their communities. Through this agreement, we will be better positioned to help those individuals reach their full potential in our labour force. I want to thank the Government of Canada for their support and for helping advance our government’s work in this important area.
Our government is committed to working with partners to address health care labour shortages. As part of this, we have been working closely with the Government of Canada to facilitate the recognition of credentials for internationally educated health professionals. Through the Foreign Credential Recognition Project, our goal is to strengthen our health and social service systems, filling crucial roles and ultimately enhancing the wellbeing of Yukoners. As we embark on this four-year pilot, insights collected may also inform approaches beyond healthcare, contributing to a more inclusive and stronger workforce across the territory.
Choosing Canada to build a new life for one’s family should not come at the cost of being barred from practicing in their field of expertise. The Foreign Credential Recognition program will help new Canadians thrive in our workforce and fill labour gaps across the country.
I’ve long advocated for solutions to labour shortages and workforce burnout in our health care system. As a physician myself, I know this investment will go a long way in leveraging the expertise of internationally educated professionals, while filling labour gaps in our hospitals, clinics and practices. Through this pilot project, internationally trained newcomers will face less barriers to health care employment in the Yukon and use their skills to contribute to the health and wellbeing of all Yukoners.
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This agreement includes $3.6 million in funding provided by the Government of Canada.
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Recruitment was identified as one of the pillars in the recently launched Yukon’s Health Human Resources Strategy. This agreement helps to address Initiative 2.3. – Streamline licensing pathways and Initiative 2.6 – Establishing a clear internationally educated health professionals integration pathway.
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On a recent mission to India, Premier Pillai signed a letter of intent laying the groundwork for collaboration with a Kerala state government agencies that supports the recruitment of health care professionals by international governments and met with officials from the Government School of Nursing to promote opportunities for health care professionals in the Yukon.
Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-333-7627
laura.seeley@yukon.ca
Damian Topps
Communications, Economic Development
867-667-5378
damian.topps@yukon.ca