OSPE - The Voice - Winter 2021 - 14

ADVOCACY IN ACTION
Ontario Government to remove Canadian experience requirements for
International Engineering Graduates, in line with OSPE's Recommendations
ANOTHER POLICY WIN
I
n October 2021, the Ontario Government
announced it is proposing legislation that would,
if passed, make it easier for internationally
trained immigrants to start careers in their
profession. Proposed changes include:
* Eliminating Canadian work experience requirements
for professional registration and licensing
* Reducing burdensome duplication for official
language proficiency testing, so people would not
have to complete multiple tests for purposes of
immigration and professional licensing
* Allowing applicants to register faster in their
regulated professions when there are emergencies
(such as a pandemic) that create an urgent need for
certain professions or trades
* Ensuring the licensing process is completed in
a timely manner to help internationally-trained
immigrants start working in careers that match their
skillset
" OSPE has long advocated for removal of barriers
that prevent many International Engineering Graduates
(IEGs) from practising their profession in Canada, " said
Sandro Perruzza, OSPE's CEO. " OSPE's 2016 Census
analysis revealed that almost 50 per cent of IEGs were
underemployed in Canada, meaning they worked in jobs
not necessarily requiring a professional degree. This
barrier to licensure keeps many talented engineering
graduates from contributing to the Ontario and Canadian
economies, and impacts innovation and economic
progress. It also contradicts efforts by OSPE to make the
engineering profession more diverse and inclusive to all.
Federal Election 2021
C
14
anadians went to the polls and elected a
Liberal minority government. OSPE is
pleased to inform the engineering community
that the following four professional engineers
will be returning to Parliament Hill:
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Sukh Dhaliwal, P.Eng. (Liberal Party, Surrey-Newton)
ONTARIO
Marilyn Gladu, P.Eng. (Conservative Party, Sarnia-Lambton)
Omar Alghabra, P.Eng. (Liberal Party, Mississauga Centre)
QUEBEC
Marc Garneau, P.Eng. (Liberal Party,
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce-Westmount)
OSPE believes that having more elected engineers on
Parliament Hill will ensure that the voice of the profession
is amplified. OSPE looks forward to working with these
and all elected Members of Parliament to ensure that the
engineering expertise is at the forefront of evidence-based
policy making.
Looking ahead to 2022:
OSPE will continue to advocate on issues of importance to the
engineering community. To ensure that your voice is heard,
we will be increasing the number of member consultations
hosted by the association in the coming year. Keep an eye out
for these events, where we will bring members together to
discuss evidence-based approaches to solve some of today's
most pressing policy issues.
With an upcoming Provincial Election, we encourage
engineers to ensure that you are taking an active voice
within your community. An election is a great opportunity
for renewal and change, if there are issues facing the
profession that you would like to tell us more about, e-mail
us at advocay@ospe.on.ca
THE VOICE December 2021
OSPE - The Voice - Winter 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of OSPE - The Voice - Winter 2021
