FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OACETT project will help
international technicians and technologists

June 23, 2004 - The Honourable Mary Anne Chambers, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, praised the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT) and its partner, the Centre for Language Training and Communication, for their active participation
in eliminating barriers faced by internationally trained professionals.

“I have met with representatives of your organization and appreciate the work you are doing in partnership with our government to help internationally trained professionals,” Minister Chambers told OACETT members at the association’s annual meeting in King City. “Providing fair opportunities for the internationally trained can only be accomplished with the support of certifying bodies such as your own, regulatory bodies, industries, employers, trainers and academics,” Minister Chambers said.

Many immigrants have been trained as engineers or in engineering technology. In the year 2001, about 11,000 newcomers to Ontario identified themselves as engineers, and another 2,000 as engineering technicians and technologists.

OACETT, in partnership with the Centre for Language Training and Assessment (CLTA), funded by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, has launched a significant new project to help remove barriers to employment for international engineering technicians and technologists. The $1.5 million project is called Options: Choosing the Optimal Route to Success for Internationally Trained Professionals in the Field of Engineering/Applied Science Technology.

“We are taking action together, to help individuals trained in engineering technology to continue in their chosen fields here in Ontario,” Chambers said. This will help the province meet its goal of eliminating major barriers to employment for internationally trained individuals, within one year.

The CLTA, OACETT and MTCU are enabling internationally trained professionals in engineering and applied science technology to prepare for certification in their chosen field and become designated Certified Engineering Technologists, Applied Science Technologists and Certified Engineering Technicians.

“One of the major issues that new Canadians face is that employers do not recognize their qualifications. That’s why OACETT certification is a key component of the program,” says Angela Shama, C.E.T., P.Eng., executive director of OACETT. Through Options, CLTA and OACETT offer high-calibre services in certification preparation, workplace culture and communication training, employment preparation and employer outreach, delivered by experts in these fields. OACETT and CLTA, a not-for-profit corporate division of the Peel District School Board, expect to help about 180 participants over the next two years.

“International professionals bring valuable resources to our province through their experience and expertise. We look forward to working with OACETT and the government of Ontario over the next two years on this very special and much needed project," says Tony da Silva, CLTA’s director.

Employers need more skilled and experienced workers to keep pace with global competition and to replace the skills that are being lost due to retirements. “We must help employers to realize that this wonderful talent pool exists,” the minister said. “We must help them to understand how international academic credentials and experience from around the world compare to Ontario standards.”

CLTA is a nationally recognized organization providing training and assessment services to some 300,000 individuals each year at their facilities, onsite and online. Commissioned by the Government of Canada to develop the Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment, CLTA has set the national standard for English language assessment across Canada. In recent years, CLTA has worked with thousands of internationally trained professionals in the fields of engineering, health and education.

OACETT is a professional organization representing more than 22,000 members. Since 1957, OACETT has certified engineering/applied science technicians and technologists, graduates from Ontario’s colleges and other post-secondary institutions. The self-governing, non-profit association was provincially legislated in 1984 and has statutory powers and responsibilities. OACETT maintains standards of excellence in the practice of engineering and applied-science technology in Ontario.

For more information, interviews, or photos, please contact:
Sharon Leonard, Director of Member Services and Benefits
416-621-9621, ext. 242
sleonard@oacett.org

Website: www.oacett.org

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