Getting the most out of your workforce.

Training and retraining are costs that impact every business' bottom line. The reality of 'life-long learning' and continued changes in technology and tools being used in business means that training is an investment, and its cost should be measured against the return on that investment.

Preconceived notions about internationally trained individuals needing more training than other staff are not necessarily accurate. Every individual will have specific training requirements and the reality is that many programs are available for internationally trained individuals at little or no cost. Local community groups, school boards and other organizations offer a wide variety of services for internationally trained individuals. Contacting any of these groups as an employer looking to improve the training opportunities for internationally trained individuals is very likely to not only offer a low-cost, high quality opportunity for internationally trained workers, but may indeed lead to more quality individuals being hired from this often overlooked labour pool.

211ontario.ca – This web site can locate settlement agencies in your area, many of which will have information or programs for internationally trained professionals and tradespeople. The Access to Professions and Trades section will list agencies and resources that assist internationally trained.

English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are offered through public and private school boards, community colleges and community groups. To find out what ESL courses are available, employers can contact the Employment Ontario hotline at 1-888-JOB-GROW or 416-326-5656.

Bridge training projects are funded by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration and offer individuals training, education and other supports for specific occupations or trades. These innovative models develop ways for employers, regulatory bodies and educational institutions to assess existing skills and competencies and provide training and workplace experience, to help people move quickly into the labour market without duplicating what they have already learned elsewhere.

For more information about bridge training projects, click here.

Skills For Change is a Toronto settlement agency which provides a number of training

Business Results Through Hiring Internationally Trained Workers. This document outlines the business case and advantages for employers who hire internationally trained individuals: http://www.cme-mec.ca/shared/upload/on/reference_piece.pdf. Included are a number of training providers for employers to use.

Need more information?

This section is new, and we expect to expand the content with your input. Send an email with your comments or suggestions to us at aptinfo@mci.gov.on.ca. Be sure to include "Employers section" in the subject of your email, to ensure the quickest response.

There are many issues facing employers when hiring internationally trained individuals. While this section may not be able to answer all of these questions or issues, we hope to be able to work with employers to make this section as informative and helpful as possible.