Recognition and usability of foreign qualifications and competences in the Canadian labour market: analysis of status quo as well as methods, decision rationales and reference points of recruiting

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The Canadian society is characterized by a plurality of immigrants. The Canadian migration policy and the corresponding recognition approaches are strongly geared to economic criteria as well as to education, skills and qualifications. The aim of this project is gaining knowledge of how immigrants to Canada can use their foreign qualifications and competences in their actual occupation. This study will perform a quantitative analysis of PIAAC-data using regression models to investigate to which extent the assumptions of the human capital theory and the theory of credentialism apply to the Canadian immigrant labour market. The quantitative analyses will compare immigrants with the domestic population - with regards to the phenomenon of skill under-utilization as well as pay inequity. Further, qualitative case studies will be conducted in Canadian enterprises to identify approaches and methods, which employers and other stakeholders use to make decisions regarding foreign qualification and competence recognition. The fundamentals and reference points of these decisions as well as the considered information will be investigated. Furthermore, the underlying reasons for the application of differing approaches and methods as well as their relations to operational requirements are examined. Regarding the individuals the analysis focuses on how immigrants present and document their foreign qualifications and competences to employers, educational institutions and additional stakeholders, as well as to what extend they feel informed about the respective requirements. The selection and proposal of further qualification measures by employers and education providers to immigrants and their underlying principles are investigated. It is to be analysed whether these proposals are actually indicated by the decision of recognition. This will be accomplished through expert interviews with core stakeholders regarding individual cases of recognition. The case studies refer to the theoretical concepts of signalling and screening. They will consider the Health and Information Technology sectors, which vary in their degree of regulation as well as their occupational requirements. In addition different regions characterized by especially high immigrant shares of the population (Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec) will be examined. They also differ regarding provincial legal and institutional frameworks. The project results hope to make an empirical contribution towards the explanation of skill under-utilization and pay inequity to the detriment of immigrants, as well as regarding the relevance of information in the evaluation of foreign qualifications and competences. The findings provide indications for the advancement of the above theories regarding the meaning of educational credentials and work experience.