Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
National

Ontario to ban Canadian work experience requirement in job postings

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 09 Nov, 2023 11:56 AM
  • Ontario to ban Canadian work experience requirement in job postings

Ontario plans to ban employers from requiring Canadian work experience in job postings or application forms, the labour minister announced Thursday, saying it will be an important step to help newcomers get their foot in the door.

Ontario would be the first province to dismantle that barrier in the hiring process, Labour Minister David Piccini said.

New Canadians bring a wealth of knowledge, skills and ability, but recent immigrants with a bachelor's degree are twice as likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to work in jobs that require only a high school education, he said.

"I would say (to employers), bring them in for an interview, talk to them, get to know that individual, or talk to them about their experience," Piccini said.

"We know many jobs have an important trial component to assess competency, but what we've heard far too often is that people don't even get that shot to walk in the door and have that conversation and what we're saying here is that first hurdle, we're bashing it down."

Two years ago, the Ontario government passed a law prohibiting certain non-health professions from requiring Canadian work experience for licensing.

Shanika Niwanthi came to Canada in 2021 as an international student with a Master of Business Administration degree and over a decade of experience in corporate human resources. She also studied global business management at Seneca College.

"You'd think these years of experience, education and impressive career has helped me to get a decent job here," she said at Piccini's announcement.

"(But) like many newcomers, I had to experience ... underemployment. My talent was going to waste and was never fully utilized. Yes, I managed to land a job, but not in HR, not in business, and not in anything even close to that. I managed to get a survival job at McDonald's, pouring coffees and making sandwiches."

Niwanthi eventually connected with newcomer women's services and made use of a government program allowing women with similar experience to hers to earn credentials at top business schools and take a job placement. She is now manager of HR and payroll at the community services organization where she did her placement.

"I'm proud to be an immigrant contributing to the economic growth and prosperity of this province," she said.

"Today's announcement is an amazing step in the right direction to eliminate many systematic barriers faced by newcomers to Canada."

Piccini said the ban on requiring Canadian work experience in job postings will be contained in legislation with a slew of labour law changes he will introduce on Tuesday, including requiring employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings and boosting benefits for injured workers.

The new legislation would also increase the number of international students in Ontario eligible for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program by revising eligibility requirements to allow students from one-year college graduate certificate programs to apply.

As well, it would change how regulated professions such as accounting, architecture and geoscience use third-party organizations to assess international qualifications, which the government says would improve oversight and accountability.

MORE National ARTICLES

3.5M for 111th Grey Cup: BC Gov

3.5M for 111th Grey Cup: BC Gov
B-C is providing 3.5-million-dollars for a six-day fan festival during the 111th Grey Cup in Vancouver next year.  Tourism Minister Lana Popham says hosting the Grey Cup will showcase B-C as a prime destination for tourism and sport hosting.   

3.5M for 111th Grey Cup: BC Gov

Canadian military preparing for possible evacuation from Lebanon

Canadian military preparing for possible evacuation from Lebanon
The Canadian Armed Forces said Friday it is getting ready for the possibility that it will need to help bring Canadians out of Lebanon, as Israel began evacuating a large town near its own northern border with that country. Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah, which has a massive arsenal of long-range rockets, has been trading fire with Israel along their shared border since the latest Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7.  

Canadian military preparing for possible evacuation from Lebanon

Visa processing in India will be impacted: Canadian Immigration Minister

Visa processing in India will be impacted: Canadian Immigration Minister
Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that visa processing in India will be "inevitably impacted" after Ottawa evacuated 41 of its diplomats following a diplomatic spat with New Delhi over the killing of pro-Khalistani hardliner Hardeep Singh Nijjar. With India maintaining that it seeks parity in diplomatic presence, Canada said that only 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents would be stationed in India from now onwards.

Visa processing in India will be impacted: Canadian Immigration Minister

Premiers ask federal government for COVID-19 small business loan extension

Premiers ask federal government for COVID-19 small business loan extension
Canada's premiers have sent a joint letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking the federal government to extend the repayment period for a year for interest-free loans given to small businesses and non-profits during the pandemic. The federal government's Canada Emergency Business Account offered interest-free loans of up to $60,000 to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Premiers ask federal government for COVID-19 small business loan extension

Canada 'firm and steadfast' in call for two-state solution for Israel, Palestinians

Canada 'firm and steadfast' in call for two-state solution for Israel, Palestinians
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada remains "firm and steadfast" in its commitment to a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. He says the Middle East, and the world, needs both a Palestinian state and Israel to exist alongside each other in peace, safety and prosperity.

Canada 'firm and steadfast' in call for two-state solution for Israel, Palestinians

Trudeau says India's move against Canadian diplomats should concern the world

Trudeau says India's move against Canadian diplomats should concern the world
India's move to reduce the presence of Canadian diplomats in its country are "contrary to international law," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday, and the rest of the world should be concerned about its consequences. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Thursday that Canada had removed most of its diplomatic presence from India after New Delhi threatened to strip diplomatic immunities from them and their families.

Trudeau says India's move against Canadian diplomats should concern the world