By Pauline Pitcher

A Call to Counsel Foreign-Trained Professionals and Tradespeople

For the past two years, I have worked as an Employment Counsellor/Facilitator with JVS of Greater Toronto in partnership with Skills For Change in the delivery of an Employment Assistance Services Program targeted towards foreign-trained professionals and tradespeople. Human Resources Development Canada funds the program. Recently, there have been several initiatives to profile this group such as featured articles in the Toronto Star and the quarterly H.R.D.C. publication, The Pulse. In addition, Skills For Change has a program known as Access to the Trades and Professions. One of its many efforts has been the coordinating of several focus groups to discuss and report findings on the systemic barriers foreign professionals and tradespeople face in respect to employment.

The idea for this article was conceived a few months ago, however the actual process of putting the ideas to text coincides with my 30th year anniversary in Canada.

As I wrote this article, I could not help but feel reflective as I revisited my experience as an immigrant. I emigrated to Canada from Guyana, South America when I was very young and did not have to deal with the pressures of finding work upon arrival. It was a period of adjustment however, in terms of the culture, school system, and climate. My experience has made me more attuned and empathetic towards the situation faced by newcomers. When I was a counsellor in training, I envisioned myself working in an educational or vocational rehabilitative setting and did not give much thought to working with this client group. My intention is to show that working with foreign-trained professionals and tradespeople offers far more benefits than challenges. It is in this spirit in which this article is written.

I estimate that I have met well over 300 people from all over the world since the inception of the Employment Assistance Services Program in 1997. The counsellor is often the first person with whom they have had the opportunity to share the essence of their stories. It may well be the first time since his /her arrival that someone has taken the time to listen. I relish learning more about each person and my genuine interest in different cultures, history and languages serves as a springboard in facilitating the process. My role is to help the client realize his/her employment goal, offer guidance, support and encouragement with an awareness and sensitivity to one’s worldview as he/she undertakes the journey.

For the most part, our clientele consists of engineers, accountants, information technology professionals, research scientists, and clerical/administrative staff. They have emigrated to Canada from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, China, India, Ethiopia and other countries in pursuit of a “better life” which for some translates into political and religious freedom or economic opportunity. Many of our clients come to Canada as “independent immigrants”, most are over the age of thirty, and have left well-paid positions and the advantages that status offers in their respective countries. They have brought their families, pets, personal mementos, home computers, artifacts and documents. It is not unusual for clients to mention the family pet that has embarked on the journey. One gentleman, in our discussion of job search strategies, linked his urgency in finding a job to meeting the basic needs of providing for his cat. He stated in a playful, adamant manner that “he could eat once a day, but his cat needed to eat 3 times a day.

Foreign trained professionals are eager, motivated and receptive to new ideas and concepts pertinent to job search and Canadian culture evidenced by the many questions and comments they have in regards to these aspects. They quickly realize that job searching in Canada is somewhat of an intricate art and are focused on reaping the optimum results from their efforts. Their level of receptiveness must be viewed within the context of the job search cycle. Their attitude is often dependent on the phase of intervention within the cycle. Generally, speaking, a client in the early stages of job search is excited, optimistic, and hopeful, whereas at the year to year and half mark, the client may feel depressed, frustrated, resentful and angry as his/her self-esteem and confidence is continually eroded away.

The clients are appreciative of any help you can offer them and express their gratitude through cards, messages, letters, phone calls and in-person visits. Assistance takes may forms: It may consist of directing them to appropriate resources, such as sector specific directories and internet sites, books on interviewing skills which are structured in a question/answer format. Other counselling activities include reviewing their cover letters as needed, helping them to generate accomplishment statements to be incorporated into their resumes, assisting with the formulation of a thank you letter(s), speaking as a referee on their behalf, and demystifying some of the job search jargon such as “the hidden job market”, “cold calling”, and “information interviews”. I distinctly recall a client not understanding the term “hidden job market” and asking frankly, “Why are they hiding the positions from us?” The implication being that it was some sort of deliberate action to deny newcomers access to certain positions. I found his comments rather humourous at first, however, on revisiting the incident, I realized the legitimacy of his concern.

Statistical outcomes are essential to the success of any program. However, there are certain elements which are not easily measurable such as the facilitation of learning and integration of concepts, and the personal strides made by the client such as an increased level of self-esteem and confidence. An example of the latter might be a painfully shy client who with encouragement and time begins to initiate conversations and interact with other group members. For most of us as counsellors, it is within this realm that we feel we have made the greatest difference. Furthermore, there is nothing more satisfying than to receive a call from a client, which begins with the words “I have good news… I’ve found a job”. Not only is it exciting, but also gratifying to have played a part in the process and to share their success. This is collaboration at its finest!

Foreign trained professionals often view the counsellor as the expert and the importance of establishing credibility is key. Counsellors need to encourage ownership of one’s resume, employment goal and/ or career path. When I first started working with E.A.S., my focus was on learning as much as I could about the three largest occupational groups in which we service: Engineers, Accountants and Information Technology professionals. This meant familiarizing myself with the terminology and key words of the field, reviewing job postings, occupational profiles, trends and projections. In addition, it helped to network with individuals in the field and liaise with Professional Associations to learn more about the requirements and qualifications necessary for licensure.

One of the concerns which counsellors considering working with foreign-trained professionals may have is the belief that this clientele has unrealistic expectations of the labour market and will only accept positions comparable in level and salary to the one they previously held. This is not consistent with my experience, as most would readily take entry level-intermediate positions. The real challenges for this group are the lack of Canadian experience, non-recognition of credentials, inertia, a consequence of being caught in the “survival position” mode and lack of focus and/or direction.

Firstly, clients readily identify the lack of Canadian experience as a barrier to employment. Employment Assistance Services has been able to bridge the gap by incorporating a component known as the Work Experience Program (W.E.P.). This is a volunteer placement in their related field, which meets the need for Canadian experience. Secondly, in respect to accreditation, ACCESS, has been at the forefront in terms of advocacy and increasing awareness about licensing and certification. Thirdly, “survival positions” are not a bad thing in and of themselves. Clients will often work as telemarketers, security guards, taxi drivers, pizza makers and gas station attendants in order to meet their basic needs. The challenge is to keep them motivated towards reaching their employment goal. Negotiating flexible work hours is necessary in order to facilitate an active job search. Finally, clients are often driven in many different directions. It is advisable to explore other options, but a sense of commitment is necessary whether it be to a program, course, or training in order to see tangible results.

In conclusion, working with foreign-trained professionals is a constant source of inspiration: a lesson in resilience, persistence and determination. It is a reminder that often one needs to move outside of one’s comfort zone in order to make things happen. It may appear daunting at first, but as the Japanese proverb says “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Newcomers have listened to their inner voice, and taken risks in order to realize their dream. My work with foreign-trained professionals and tradespeople has accelerated my learning curve. Fate led me in this direction and I could not have made a better decision.

Pauline Pitcher
Employment Counsellor (Employment Assistance Services, A joint project of JVS of Greater Toronto and SFC, funded by H.R.D.C)

Pauline is an Employment Counsellor with an Employment Assistance Services Program (A joint project of JVS of Greater Toronto and Skills For Change, funded by H.R.D.C.) She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and is a graduate of the Career and Work Counsellor Program at George Brown College. She can be contacted at: pitcher@skillsforchange.org