The Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta (ASET) recently released a survey of internationally trained members revealing that Alberta is an attractive destination for engineering technology professionals from abroad.
Nearly 75 per cent of survey-takers responded that they first arrived in Alberta upon arrival in Canada; of those that landed elsewhere first, primarily Ontario and British Columbia, the majority ended up moving to Alberta following "better employment opportunities."
Over 90 per cent of respondents noted they "like working in Alberta" for a variety of reasons, according to a recent ASET release.
Reasons given include the abundance of job opportunities, the strong economy, the proximity to the oil and gas industry, and the fact that no Canadian experience is necessary to attain an ASET designation.
"Alberta was the first Canadian province to eliminate the Canadian work experience requirement for engineering technology professionals," notes the release.
" Since then, other Canadian provinces have followed suit, adopting the approach to assessing professional competencies that ASET developed."
The survey further notes that around 35 per cent of survey responders were unable to find work in their profession upon arrival in Canada with half citing it was due to the requirement for Canadian work-related experience.
"As a result, more than three-quarters of that subset group (76.74 per cent) had to take work outside their professional field in order to meet living expenses," continues the release.
With foreign-trained engineering technologists, such as Mila Wagner, being unfamiliar with organizations like ASET, some returned to school to earn an engineering technology diploma.
“When I was applying for jobs, nobody called me for an interview,” said Wagner. “My friends told me that I wouldn’t be able to find a job in my professional field without Canadian experience or credentials and certification.”
The release notes that two factors ultimately allowed respondents to get work in their field; their employer "decided to give them a chance," which around 25 per cent of respondents noted, or that they earned their ASET designation, which around 20 per cent of respondents noted.
“At ASET, we realized how difficult it is for internationally trained professionals who are qualified in their countries of origin to get recognized in Canada,” said ASET CEO Barry Cavanaugh.
“With Canada facing a significant deficit in STEM talent and one-fifth of our national population on the brink of retirement, we need the skills and expertise of internationally trained professionals more than ever.”
When current ASET members were asked what they would tell newcomers arriving in central Alberta, the number one response was "Contact ASET and apply for its competency-based assessment program."
The ASET competency-based assessment program has been running since 2016 and offers "internationally trained and other engineering technology professionals a faster route to earning" their ASET designation without needing to return to school.
The survey indicates that upon contacting ASET, around 40 per cent had their designation between six months and a year later, though it can be achieved in as short a time as four months.
Respondents to the ASET survey were from all over the world, including the Philippines, India, Pakistan, Romania, Germany, Australia, and other locales.
Stettler has 16 ASET members in the community.
