Vacancies in Canadian Healthcare Sector | All-Time Record High

Vacancies in Canadian Healthcare Sector | All-Time Record High

Michael Zimmer Published:
June 09, 2021

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for healthcare workers as well as social workers has increased in Canada. There were 100,300 vacant positions by the end of 2020 in the Canadian healthcare and social assistance sector.

Canada faces a challenge to fill these vacancies as the majority of its labour force is ageing into retirement. Canada also has a lower birth rate; this was affected more in 2020. This means that the younger working-age population will have to pay more with their time and money to support the increasing older generations. “This, however, can be negated by high levels of immigration,” says Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

A quarter of Canada’s labour force is made up of first-generation immigrants. These newcomers however face a barrier related to credential recognition in the healthcare sector. In Canada, newcomers who have received formal training abroad will need to complete their Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) through a designated ECA organization for their credential to be recognized in Canada. Another option would be to embark on a study course/programme (in the specific domain) from a Designated Learning Institute (DLI) that will give the new immigrant enough knowledge and experience in the Canadian circumstance, which may be different from the candidate’s country of origin. Certain occupations may need registration or licensing also to practice in Canada. This can be secured by registering and completing a course (as well as the associated registration or licensing process), provided the candidate has secured an ECA certificate for the foreign (non-Canadian) educational credential.

The adults, however, find themselves over-represented in the healthcare sector. Adult immigrants working in the healthcare sector make 22 percent of the workforce. Those who come to Canada to work in healthcare were admitted under the economic class program. Those working in nursing and support positions were admitted under the permanent residence program specific to caregivers.

 

Check out Owlspriority Immigration’s Canada Settlement Resources to learn more about ways to find a new job in Canada, making your initial days in Canada stress-free and confident, etc.

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