Ottawa providing $86M in funding to fill health-care vacancies

The demand for qualified health-care workers continues to grow, and today the federal government announced plans to help tackle the shortage.

“We have thousands of internationally educated and trained professionals ready to help fill a very pressing need,” said Randy Boissonnault, Employment, Workforce Development & Official Languages Minister.

“Canada has a vacancy of 90,000 physicians, nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists, medical laboratory technologists and it is projected to get worse,” said Boissonnault.

Today Ottawa announced it is providing up to $86 million in funding to 15 Canadian organizations to fast track foreign credential recognition. The move would help around 6,600 internationally educated health professionals.

“It means that midwives who have been trained abroad will now be able to do their exam virtually. Saving them time and money, and getting people into the jobs faster than ever before. Radiation technologists will be able to get their credentials assessed virtually,” said Boissonnault.

Among the groups benefitting is the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry, which is based in Winnipeg. The Association is using 8.3 million dollars to launch a pilot project to shorten qualification, and licensing, for qualified individuals from 2 to 3 years, to 8 to 10 months. The program will first be rolled out at the University of Alberta, Dalhousie University, and Laval University.

"It will actually assess and identify internationally trained dentists who maybe have a few gaps in their clinical skills and that allows us to do the necessary training in a shorter period of time,” said Jim Lai, president of the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry.

Meantime, according to Boissonnault, half of all Canadian immigrants have already earned a bachelor’s degree or greater, making them a critical tool in tackling labour shortages.