OTTAWA - A recent study released by Statistics Canada illustrates the negative impacts of the Conservative government's inaction on internationally trained workers, Liberal Citizenship and Immigration Critic Omar Alghabra said today. 

“This study clearly demonstrates the Conservative government's dishonest and ineffective approach to integrating internationally trained workers into the Canadian economy is hurting new Canadians,” said Mr. Alghabra.  “Immigration could account for virtually all net labour-force growth by 2011, making it imperative we make better use of talent from around the world if we are going to continue to succeed as a country.”

 A national study conducted by Statistic Canada revealed that new Canadians throughout Canada struggle for work in the first decade after they arrive, especially in the first five years. The study was conducted using immigration figures gathered last year from its labour-force survey to analyze the immigrant labour market, focusing on people from the ages of 25 to 54.

 During the 2006 Election, the Conservative government promised to create a federal agency for the assessment and recognition of credentials, which was included in the Conservative government's 2006 federal budget.  However, after two budgets and repeated claims that it addressed this matter, the Conservative government announced the downgrading of its proposed agency to a referral office at Citizenship and Immigration Canada. 

“Converting their proposed foreign credentials agency into a referral office will do nothing more than refer new Canadians to the provincial offices that have always recognized foreign credentials and provide no assistance for the tens of thousands of people who have already made their way to Canada and cannot get their credentials recognized,” said Mr. Alghabra.

 ”This referral office has only duplicated the work of the In-Canada Portal - an online resource to inform prospective Canadians about, and assist them with, the challenges they may face in coming to Canada - which was established by the previous Liberal government."

 In April 2005, the previous Liberal government announced a commitment of $263 million to launch the Internationally-Trained Workers Initiative, to improve the integration of immigrants and internationally-trained Canadians into the work force.  This plan was an important step in tackling the internationally trained workers challenge and included significant investments in job specific language training, streamlining of foreign credentials recognition in cooperation with provincial governments and agencies and improving services for newcomers to enhance settlement and integration programs.