Are you employable? Ryerson’s PLACED program

Canadian Immigrant 
July 28, 2009

Gloria Elayadathusseril

The G. Raymond Change School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University is offering one more program to facilitate new immigrants. It recently launched an online workshop called PLACED, or Prior Learning and Competency and Evaluation and Documentation, which aims to help newcomers make more informed decisions about how to pursue employment – some before they even arrive in Canada.

PLACED, funded by the Ontario government, is offered through the university’s Gateway for International Professionals program. “For immigrant professionals who don’t want to go for bridging programs, this will be a great workshop,” says Martha Ireland, program manager. “Participants experience what a Canadian workplace looks like, develop the language a Canadian employer is looking for … terminology used in respective professions, and so on.”

The program works with internationally trained professionals, employers, occupational and regulatory bodies, professional associations, universities, subject matter experts and assessors to offer an array of services, Ireland notes.

Currently, 20 participants are enrolled for a workshop that lasts a few weeks. Starting this fall, a fee of $50 will be charged.

“The basic requirement to be able to participate in this program is to talk to an adviser. We do get a lot of interest from people already in Canada,” she says. “Those who are overseas, waiting for immigration, can also participate in this workshop because it is conducted online.”

It is also designed to assess foreign-trained professionals’ credentials and competencies and to provide a picture of what professions might look like in Canada, particularly in Ontario. From the workshop, they also learn what to expect when searching for a job in Ontario and build a portfolio that demonstrates relevant experience to Canadian employers.

For more information on the workshop, visit ryerson.ca/ce/placed.

Reference: Canadian Immigrant Magazine