Human Resources committee  Yes, absolutely. I think it would be very helpful to have more social workers from the different communities. That would be an additional contribution. They could teach Canadian social workers about their communities and help them to better understand the social phenomena that pe

Human Resources committee  Yes, it is easier, in the sense that this is now allowed on the basis of a license. We agreed that there would be no additional requirements such as, for example, a six-month practicum in a given province. The license received in another province is now recognized.

Human Resources committee  Are you talking about people who come here with a foreign degree?

Human Resources committee  Well, I suggest that you continue to support our actions in favour of establishing a pan-Canadian competency framework and common standards that can be used everywhere to review and assess foreign diplomas. Also, you can help us to become better known internationally, so that we

Human Resources committee  It's not only about Canada's economic development; it's also a matter of looking after people.

Human Resources committee  In practical terms, it is felt through the current problems with recruitment. Depending on the region, the province or the territory, institutions and organizations are having trouble recruiting social workers. They are also having trouble meeting overall demand in the communitie

Human Resources committee  The time it takes may be fairly short if the individual has all the necessary information on file, including a degree or diploma from a recognized university and the extent to which the training that person has received is equivalent to the training given here in Canada. At the

Human Resources committee  I'd say that the biggest problem is not the initial training. Sometimes there has been inadequate practical training to a certain extent, but the biggest issue for immigrants whose training is recognized is the fact that they have no work experience in Canada. Also, social servic

Human Resources committee  As a general rule, the answer is no. There is no international agreement based on prior recognition of people's skills. In Quebec, we developed such an agreement with France and we may develop others with other countries. At the pan-Canadian level, however, there is no such agree

Human Resources committee  That is a very interesting idea and it would in fact make it possible to see things from a different perspective, as opposed to on an application-by-application basis. For example, we could try and to see whether the social work profession in Australia is comparable to the profes

Human Resources committee  There is no doubt that language proficiency and knowledge of the culture of the host society are important to exercise a profession. Furthermore, it is increasingly important to be aware of, and familiar with, the culture of individuals arriving in Canada. Having a different cul

Human Resources committee  I will keep my answers brief.

Human Resources committee  Yes, that's correct.

Human Resources committee  That is partly true. Some social workers in Alberta received their license based on something other than a university degree. There is a further difficulty in Saskatchewan. Some members of the Association of Social Workers received a license after successfully completing a two-

Human Resources committee  That is correct. That is why we feel it is absolutely critical to develop a pan-Canadian competency framework, followed by standards, so that applications from foreigners with a social work degree will be assessed in the same fashion all across Canada. That will ensure, given the