Mulcair asks to competencies to be recognized

At the Bouchard-Taylor commission, Outremont MP Thomas Mulcair made a case to have foreign diplomas recognized by professional orders more rapidly. He said the best way to reach this objective would be to have a “strong and determined government intervention.”

Much like many before him, Mulcair denounced the protectionism of certain professional orders. Recognizing foreign diplomas would prevent new arrivals from finding themselves in poverty, and would allow them to contribute to the collective wealth of the country.

The government needs to act and should not wait for professional orders to change the rules themselves. The government needs to take the lead, said Mulcair, who was the former head of the l’Office des professions du Québec, an organization that scrutinizes professional orders to assure they are working for the good of the population.

In certain sectors, the lack of workforce slows down economic activity. New arrivals who choose to establish themselves in Quebec and who have needed competencies could very well fill these positions. We just need to give them the chance.

The problem is there. For example, a foreign doctor has difficulty practicing here. However, the body of a man or a woman, whether they are Asian, Haitian, or Caucasian, is the same. They have the same body. George Sayegh’s dentist, an immigrant who arrived in Quebec in 1961 and a business manager, is an immigrant himself. In his country, he had his own practice. When he came to Quebec, he had to do his training over again in order to be able to practice his profession.

“Teeth are teeth! It’s completely ridiculous to prohibit someone from doing their job when they have the qualifications. Something must be done so that these situations do not happen.”

From their point of view, the professional orders of Quebec say they have done a lot to move things forward. Louis Beaulieu, president of the Conseil interprofessionnel du Québec, defends his organization.

“In 10 years, 84% of professional equivalency demands were completely or partially accepted. From these, a third of the demands lead directly to a permit and two thirds lead to complementary training.”

The situation in Quebec is not worse than in other countries. It is very difficult to be recognized as a professional in a European Union country or in the United States, Beaulieu said.

To better the situation, universities and CEGEPs must be part of the solution by initiating supplementary training for professionals with foreign diplomas. Currently, such programs practically do not exist; instead, they ask people to undertake the complete training.

According to Beaulieu, it is not the willingness of the professional orders that is missing, but rather the tools to respond to the existing situation.

Translated by Elyse Amend