As the newly appointed Critic for Multiculturalism, I and two of my colleagues in the Official Opposition met recently with Vanessa Limmayog, a registered nurse from the Philippines to discuss challenges she and other new immigrants face when trying to get their foreign credentials recognized in BC.
For your reference, below is a copy of the press release we sent out on International Women’s Day about that meeting.
If you’d like more information or have questions, please feel free to contact my office.
Thank you,
Mable Elmore, MLA
Vancouver-Kensington
Critic for Multiculturalism
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B.C. GOVERNMENT CREATES BARRIERS FOR IMMIGRANT WORKERS ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
March 8, 2011
VANCOUVER– As communities across the world celebrate International Women’s Day, the B.C. government is failing to provide necessary supports for immigrant women who want to contribute to strengthening our economy and support their families, say the Official Opposition.
On the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, Opposition critic Kathy Corrigan, women’s caucus chair Michelle Mungall and critic for Multiculturalism MLA Mable Elmore met with Vanessa Limmayog, a registered nurse from the Philippines.
“Despite the great strides that we have achieved over the past century, too many women who come here from other countries find that there are still significant barriers to participating in the workforce and contributing to this province,” said Mungall, the MLA for Nelson-Creston.
“Like many other immigrant women, despite being proactive and having concrete professional experience, Ms. Limmayog has run into hurdles. She has taken all of the necessary courses and applied via the Federal Skilled Worker program, but has still been unable to secure a job.”
Corrigan noted that the barriers Limmayog has faced in trying to secure a job are particularly frustrating given the need for skilled workers in the health care field.
“Why is the government letting Ms. Limmayog’s five years’ experience as a health care professional go to waste?” said Corrigan. “She has been told to expect a wait time of as much as two years for her credentials to be recognized.”
“Our province should be encouraging trained professionals like Ms. Limmayog to work in the health care field. It makes sense for the economy, and it makes sense for patients,” said Elmore, the MLA for Vancouver-Kensington.
“If the premier-designate Christy Clark is serious about taking action to help families, she would commit immediately to streamlining foreign credentialing to ensure that immigrants are able to work in their specialized field.”
British Columbia lags behind other provinces. Saskatchewan, for example, works with the Canadian federal government and Philippine universities to ensure that workers’ credentials are recognized before they land in Canada.
“British Columbia is facing skills shortages in many sectors and allowing trained foreign professionals to utilize their skills in our province will help our economy flourish,” said Mungall.
B.C.’s Official Opposition are calling on Christy Clark and the B.C. government to streamline the current foreign credentialing system to ensure that skilled foreign workers are able to work in this province. #
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
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