YWCA Health Connect: Advancing Healthcare Careers in BC and Ontario
From coast to coast to coast, Canada is experiencing labour shortages. Demand for qualified workers continues to rise, particularly in the healthcare sector. Patients nationwide regularly face persisting challenges like long wait times for appointments and surgeries and securing a family physician. During the second quarter of 2023, the federal government stated that there are 90,000 unfilled positions in health occupations. Meanwhile, half of newcomers to Canada face higher than average unemployment rates and barriers to employment in their fields, despite possessing formal education and years of work experience in their home countries.
In response, the Government of Canada has allocated $86M in funding to 15 organizations across Canada to increase capacity for foreign credential recognition (FCR). This funding is aimed at streamlining accreditation processes for approximately 6,600 internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs).
As a recipient of this grant, YWCA Metro Vancouver is proudly joining forces with YWCA Toronto to introduce YWCA Health Connect—an employment program tailored for newcomer self-identified women pursuing healthcare credentials in BC and Ontario. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between newcomer women IEHPs with experience in their home countries and the Canadian healthcare system.
YWCA Health Connect offers financial assistance for skills training, mentorship opportunities and employment-related workshops focused on the healthcare sector. Participants also receive guidance on navigating the credential recognition system and support to secure sustainable work placements. To address language barriers, YWCA Health Connect offers conversation circle sessions to enhance occupational-specific language skills alongside employer engagement training sessions focusing on inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility.
As the country anticipates unprecedented levels of immigration, initiatives like YWCA Health Connect showcase the potential to foster a healthcare sector that both meets the needs of our communities and celebrates the invaluable contributions of skilled newcomer women.
For more information about YWCA employment programs, contact Fulvia Carregan at fcarregan@ywcavan.org.
