Except for students and ‘tourists’ the vast majority of people coming to Canada, whether for temporary or permanent purposes, hope and expect to work here.

This chapter provides you with an overview of some of the relevant aspects related to working in Canada. Throughout the book we will refer you back to this chapter, and we suggest that you become familiar with it before reading the remainder of the book.

2:1 THE NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL CLASSIFICATION

Canada maintains a list containing all the occupations practised in the country and their descriptions. It is called the National Occupational Classification (NOC) list and it can be accessed online at www23.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca, the website of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC).

Professions and trades are divided into different categories on the basis of skill level and also on the basis of skill type.

This division is of particular importance depending on the type of application you may wish to make.

There are four skill level categories.

Skill level A

• University degree (Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD).

Skill level B

• Two to three years of post-secondary education at community college, institute of technology, or
• two to four years of apprenticeship training, or
• three to four years of secondary school and more than two years of on-the-job training, training courses or specific work experience.

Please note that the following occupations are assigned to skill level B:

• occupations with supervisory responsibilities;
• occupations with significant health and safety responsibilities (e.g., fire fighters, police officers and registered nursing assistants).

Skill level C

• One to four years of secondary school education, or
• up to two years of on-the-job training, training courses or specific work experience.

Skill level D

• Up to two years of secondary school and short work demonstration or on-the-job training.

Skill type categories

There are ten skill type categories:

• 0Management occupations.
• 1Business, finance and administration occupations.
• 2Natural and applied sciences and related occupations.
• 3Health occupations.
• 4Occupations in social science, education, government service and religion.
• 5Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport.
• 6Sales and service occupations.
• 7Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations.
• 8Occupations unique to primary occupations.
• 9Occupations unique to processing, manufacturing and utilities.

On the HRSDC site www.23.hrdc.gc.ca you will find, under the 2001 version of the NOC, a link called ‘Occupational Descriptions’ that will take you to a page listing all these ten categories. Under each category you can find a detailed list of occupations and their four-digit NOC codes. By clicking on a code, you can access the description of that particular profession or trade.

It is important to note that occupations in Canada fall within two categories: regulated and non-regulated. If you plan to come to Canada, you should find out as much as possible about the practice of your profession or trade in Canada.

2:2 REGULATED OCCUPATIONS

There are two main types of regulated occupations in Canada: regulated professions (e.g. physicians, nurses, lawyers) and apprenticeable trades (e.g. mechanics, plumbers, welders).

To legally practise in a regulated occupation, you must obtain a licence or certification from a professional or regulatory body, or be registered with that body. To be able to do so, you will have to meet the qualification requirements established by the regulatory body. These requirements may differ from one province or territory to another. It is important to note also that some occupations may be regulated in some provinces and non-regulated in others.

To find out if a profession or trade is regulated in Canada, look at the information contained in the NOC at www.23.hrdc.gc.ca; the detailed description of a particular profession or trade in the NOC will provide you, under the heading of ‘Employment Requirements’, with information as to whether licensing, certification or registration with a professional body is required.

To find out if your occupation is regulated in the province or territory where you intend to settle, and to find out about the qualification requirements, visit:

• Work Destinations – A Guide to Work and Relocation in Canada, at www.workdestinations.ca

Under the ‘Regulated Occupations’ category, select ‘Search the Regulated Occupations Database’ if you know the NOC code of the occupation of interest to you, you can do a search on the right-hand side of the screen.

If you click on the ‘Search Results’ link, you will find more information about the requirements applicable to your occupation in various provinces and territories.

For additional information, including contact information, visit:

• Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, at www.caf-fca.org Under ‘Links’ you will find the contact information for various organisations and departments related to apprenticeship in Canada.
• Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials, at www.cicic.ca Under the ‘Information on Specific Professions and Trades’ link, you may wish to review the information available under the link, ‘list all occupational profiles currently available’.
• Work destinations – A Guide to Work and Relocation in Canada, at www.workdestinations.ca Under the ‘Addresses and References’ category, you can find a link to Occupational Associations.

2:2.1 RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS IN REGULATED OCCUPATIONS

The recognition of credentials, training or experience acquired abroad is the responsibility of the provincial/ territorial professional regulatory body. The way to have your qualifications recognised is different in each province and territory, and for each occupation. In many cases, you can only apply to have your qualifications recognised once you are in Canada.

You may be asked to:

• submit to a review of your foreign qualifications;
• take a language test;
• complete a professional exam;
• do supervised work.

The websites mentioned above can provide you with the relevant details, including the names and addresses of the organisations you may contact for further information.

You will need to research in your own field in order to find out the costs and specific requirements related to licensing, certification or registration, as well as the recommended procedure for assessment of your qualifications.

2:3 NON-REGULATED OCCUPATIONS

There are no specific requirements applicable to non-regulated occupations. About 80% of the Canadian workforce are employed in non-regulated occupations.

2:3.1 Recognition of qualifications in non-regulated occupations

In the case of non-regulated occupations, the individual employer will set the qualification requirements for a particular position. The recognition of foreign qualifications will also be at the discretion of your potential employer.

2:4 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING WORK IN CANADA

Though the legal issues will differ in permanent residence applications (where a job offer will follow the permanent residence application) versus temporary work permit applications (where an application will follow a job offer), there are some practical issues of which you should be aware.

The process of securing work in Canada involves a number of steps, including extensive research of the job market and the drafting of a good resumé and of individualised cover letters. It may also involve retaining the services of an employment agency and obtaining an assessment of educational credentials, particularly in the case of someone looking for a job from outside Canada or of someone who has completed his or her education abroad.

2:4.1 Researching the job market

Many online resources allow job-seekers around the world access to Canadian job market information. Two major websites are: www.workopolis.ca www.monster.ca

For additional sites posting job-related information visit:

• Work Destinations – A Guide to Work and Relocation in Canada: www.workdestinations.ca

You may wish to review the information posted on the links under ‘Finding Work’ and ‘The Labour Market’.

• Human Resources Development Canada:

www.hrsdc/en/home.shtml

In addition, you can find job-related information in the classifieds of the Canadian newspapers available online. You can also subscribe to periodicals such as Canada Employment Weekly nor order various publications on the topic.

2:4.2 Writing a cover letter

Many of the websites listed above include practical advice with regard to this aspect of a job application. We would add a few suggestions. For example, if you are applying from overseas you should indicate in your cover letter when you expect to get your immigration status or your work permit if you do not have it already.

The purpose of a cover letter is to highlight aspects of your resumé as well as information about yourself that is not readily apparent. Write about specific work experience or training that is directly relevant to the job you are applying for. State why you are interested in the job and what you can bring to it and the organisation. Try to get your personality across a bit as well.

2:4.3 Writing a resumé

As with cover letters, you can find advice about writing a resumé on many of the websites listed above. We would add that you should make sure that your resumé is no more than two pages long. As a general principle, you should put your employment history first, but if your education credentials are particularly impressive, you may consider listing them first instead. Also, always list the most recent experience first within your work history and education sections.

Figures 1 and 2 show a sample cover letter and a brief resumé. With regard to the resumé, a person with more experience would continue on to a second page, or a second page could be used to list volunteer work and other work experience or extra-curricular activities. You can also add a line listing hobbies and interests.

2:4.4 Assessment of education credentials

If you plan to practise in a regulated occupation, check with the body that regulates that occupation. They may recommend the organisation that you should contact in order to get your educational credentials assessed (i.e. equivalency to Canadian Standards, different from licensing issues alone). For more details, see the sections above on regulated occupations and recognition of qualifications in regulated occupations.

If you intend to work in a non-regulated occupation, there are a number of organisations that can assess your credentials. To find out the relevant contact information, visit the website of the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials at www.cicic.ca and review Factsheet 1.

The purpose of getting your education credentials assessed is to provide a potential employer with a better understanding of your education background. However, you should know that having your credentials assessed does not guarantee that an employer will recognise your credentials. As noted above, in the section on recognition of qualifications in non-regulated occupations, an employer has discretion with respect to this aspect.

2:4.5 Retaining the services of an employment agency

There are a number of Canadian employment agencies that can assist you with finding employment in Canada. See Schedule 11 (page 251) for a list of names, addresses and contact information of such agencies.

Whether you are applying for permanent residence under one of the categories available or for a temporary work permit, being familiar with the information contained in this chapter will be of assistance to you. Its overview of the relevant aspects related to working in Canada will help you better understand the chapters to follow.