IMPLEMENTING A HYBRID SELF-ASSESSMENT AND CAREER PLANNING WORKSHOP FOR INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED PROFESSIONALS IN A LARGE URBAN TEACHING HOSPITAL

One of the principal goals of Canadian Immigration policy is to fill gaps in the labour market with skilled immigrants. With the aging of the baby boomers, a number of occupational shortages have emerged in the Canadian labour market, particularly in health professions. Despite high levels of educational attainment many recent immigrants are unable to find jobs in their chosen field. Underemployment then becomes a pervasive scenario fueled by Internationally Educated Professionals (IEPs) inability to cogently articulate their skills and employer's inability to comprehensively assess immigrant talent. It is generally recognized that one of the most effective methods of prior learning assessment and recognition is the process of portfolio development. The Chang School and Sunnybrook Health Science Centre formed a partnership to introduce a workshop which would support IEPs to develop a professional portfolio and to open Human Resource consultants to the recognition of portfolios as one means of determining ability to meet current and future job competencies. In consideration of participant schedules and hospital staffing needs, a hybrid delivery model incorporating both on-line and in-class sessions, was used to deliver the six week workshop. The workshop modules facilitated action-planning, defining professional goals, and increasing self-confidence. Major topics included researching jobs and identifying ways to be successful in a new work environment. At the conclusion of the workshop participants expressed satisfaction with both the content and the learning process. Their resulting portfolios, displaying credentials, knowledge, and capabilities, were deemed by the HR consultants as valuable for the processes of performance review, identifying training needs and career planning.