Presented by Benilda Silkowska-Masior, Senior Program Advisor Labour Market Integration Unit, Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration

1. Ontario‟s Bridge Training Programs
(OBTP)
March 2013
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Presented by:
Benilda Silkowska-Masior, Senior Program Advisor
Labour Market Integration Unit

2. Mandate: Economic Integration of
Skilled Newcomers
Bridge Training helps internationally trained individuals (ITIs) move quickly into the Ontario
labour market at a level commensurate with their international skills, education and experience.
Bridge Training is about…
• Providing targeted, occupation-specific training and services to improve the access of ITIs to
licensure and employment in both regulated and high-skill non-regulated occupations.
Bridge Training Bridge Training helps participants
CREATES SOMETHING NEW: OVERCOME KEY BARRIERS:
• Identifies training needs & opportunities • Licensure/registration requirements in
• Pilots new training curriculum for ITIs regulated professions
• Occupation-specific language and
• Develops new services for ITIs
communication proficiency
• Develops new tools for employers & • Canadian work experience and
regulators employment references
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3. Bridge training: moving towards
workforce integration
Licensure Employment
Pre-Licensure
Workforce Integration
• Retention • Employee and employer satisfaction
• Promotion • Career advancement
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4. Ontario: A Leader in Bridge Training
• Since 2003, Ontario has invested more than $240M in more than 300
Bridge Training projects
• Over 100 high-skill occupations have been targeted by Ontario Bridge
Training projects, including the following examples:
Regulated Professions Targeted High-Skill Occupations Targeted
Engineering Financial Services
Nursing Information Technology
Pharmacy Business Administration
Physio & Occupational Therapy Human Resources
Medical Laboratory Technology Supply chain/Logistics
Land Surveying Skilled Trades
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5. Skilled Immigrant Integration Strategy
• Ontario Bridge Training involves projects in the following three categories:
1. Getting a License – target licensure and employment outcomes in
regulated professions.
2. Getting a Job – target employment outcomes in regulated and high-skill,
non-regulated occupations.
3. Changing the System – seek to create change on a systemic or sector-
wide basis.
• Projects are delivered by a range of partner organizations (e.g., regulatory
bodies, professional associations, community agencies, colleges and
universities).
• Bridge Training projects are multi-year, typically three years in duration.
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6. Bridge Training: A Continuum of Services
„Getting a Job‟ programs „Getting a License‟ programs
Occupation- Specialized
Specific Canadian Employment Exam
Language Academic Work Services: Preparation Workplace
Training Practice Internship
Assessment of: & Experience Job Search Qualification
Labour
Prior Learning Technical Orientation Resume Recognition
Market Clinical Apprenticeship
Work Experience Training Job Interview Licensure
Orientation Workplace Practicum
Language Skills (“hard” Placement Networking
Culture & skills) Certification
Mentorship
Communication
(“soft” skills)
Workforce Integration
Target Target
Employment Registration
„Changing the System‟ programs
Networking Mentorships Process Improvements Gap Analysis
Employer Engagement Institutional Engagement
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7. Bridge Training Project Selection Process
• The Ministry invites organizations to apply for funding through a competitive
Invitation for Proposals (IFPs) process. The IFP is released to seek
proposals for new and renewed Bridge Training projects, typically on an
annual basis.
• Special consideration is given to proposals that target under-served areas
and Francophone immigrants.
• Priority sectors may also be identified based on an analysis of labour market
needs.
• Throughout this process, the Ministry consults with other Ontario ministries
and the Federal government in order to avoid service duplication and any
other contentious issues.
• There are currently 90 active Ontario Bridge Training Programs (OBTPs)
– 35 projects in the Getting a License category;
– 43 projects in the Getting a Job category;
– 12 projects in the Changing the System category.
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8. Performance Outcomes
MCI currently funds about 90 Bridge Training projects worth $126.7M in multi-year funding.
Category 1: Category 2: Category 3
“Getting a License” “Getting a Job” “Changing the System”
• There are currently 35 • There are currently 43 • There are currently 12 bridge training
bridge training projects bridge training projects projects in this category.
in this category. in this category. • Systemic change projects have a wide
• Approximately 70% of • On average, 67% of range of objectives, for example:
participants who participants who – Research and gap analysis
complete bridge training complete bridge – Development of language
programs targeting training programs in assessment tools
licensure obtain this category obtain – Development and dissemination of
licensure in their employment in their HR tools supporting hiring and
profession within a year field within a year of retention of ITIs
of completing the completing the – Establish mentoring partnerships
program. program. – Support Regional Newcomer
Employer Networks (RNENs).
Projects are required to report on numeric outcomes on a monthly basis. On a semi-annual
basis, projects provide qualitative outcomes in the form of status reports, individual and project
success stories. Participant profiles are submitted annually.
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9. Professional licensure outcomes of Ontario
Bridge Training Projects in 2011-2012
Example of individual success:
Phunstok Wango has a Registered Nurse/Registered Midwife certificate and
worked as a Registered Nurse for 8 years in India.
After arriving in Canada, she struggled to find a job commensurate with her
experience and enrolled in the Bridge to Certification for Internationally Educated
Nurses bridge training program delivered by Fanshawe College of Applied Arts
and Technology.
She is now a Registered Nurse and is working at the London Health Sciences
Centre.
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10. Employment outcomes of Ontario Bridge Training
Projects in 2011-2012
Example of individual success:
Emilia Grosu immigrated to Canada from Romania in 2007. She has a university-
level Accounting Diploma from her native Romania yet could not find a position
commensurate with her training.
She completed the Management Training Program for Accountants bridge training
program provided by Women’s Enterprise Skills Training (WEST) of Windsor and is
now working as a Bookkeeper and Office Manager at Brave Control Solutions.
Of the bridge training program, she states: “[it] has been of tremendous help to me
because it has given me hope and provided me with North American training… I am
very grateful.”
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11. The road ahead
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