OSPE - The Voice - Summer 2013 - (Page 30)

ProFESSIonAl EdGE BRIDGING ThE GAP New OSPE programs aim to help employers fill skills gaps As headlines trumpet skills shortage faced by Canadian industry, internationally trained engineers (ItEs) continue to experience challenges integrating into Ontario’s workforce. Even those with significant experience all too often face barriers in obtaining the Canadian work experience they need. Working with the Government of Ontario, OSPE has run two successful bridging programs to help ITEs address these challenges. But that is only one half of the equation. With support from the Province and the Government of Canada, OSPE is now developing resources and programs to aid employers in hiring ITEs to fill skills gaps. In 2012, OSPE commissioned Prism Economics and Analysis to investigate how employers recruit and screen applicants for engineering jobs and how current practices may inadvertently screen out qualified ITEs. The report is based on a survey of 77 engineering employers and interviews with 29 more. The research was prompted by an apparent disconnect that creates a disadvantage for both ITEs and employers. OSPE saw many qualified ITEs being screened out because they failed to present their experience in ways that appear relevant to the needs of Canadian employers. In turn, some Canadian employers have relied on screening and interview methods that hamper their ability to properly consider international experience — a challenge that is even more acute among small and mid-sized employers. Several insights emerged from the research: • Employers with 10 or fewer engineers were less likely to employ ITEs. • A large majority of respondents reported significant difficulty in assessing non-Canadian engineering degrees. • Virtually all respondents attached high importance to Canadian engineering experience. • Half of all survey respondents reported difficulty in assessing non-Canadian work experience. Among smaller employers, this proportion jumped to more than two-thirds. • More than two-thirds of respondents agreed that “engineers trained in other countries are used to playing different roles compared to engineers in Canada.” • While only a minority of survey respondents regard ITEs as more technically oriented, a majority agreed that ITEs “put too much emphasis on their technical experience”. 3 0 TheVoice Summer 2013 • Approximately one-third of survey respondents take non-Canadian experience at face value, while an equal segment discounts this experience. • While only 24 surveyed employers had participated in bridging programs, 80 per cent of those who did subsequently offered full-time employment to a program participant. • Employers cited guides to international engineering education and engineering practice as the most useful resources OSPE could provide. For virtually all employers, interpreting and evaluating experience is the most challenging aspect of appraising any applicant for an engineering job. Many employers find this challenge to be even greater when assessing the non-Canadian experience of ITEs. The challenge may be rooted in the fact that engineering work is organized differently around the world. In North America, team models are predominant. Functional matrices are also common in large organizations. Outside of North America, functional hierarchies are often more common. Of course, each of these organizational models attaches greater value to different types of skills and behaviours. These differences significantly increase the risk that suitable applicants will be screened out because they do not appear to present the skill profiles required by Canadian organizational models. This is not to say, however, that candidates cannot adapt. Most employers confirm that, once hired, ITEs make valuable contributions to their company’s overall engineering capacity. According to Engineers Canada data, engineering skills shortages are indeed looming in some sectors. Many organizations will need to look at new talent sources and recruitment strategies to meet their needs. By developing new tools and learning programs, OSPE is committed to supporting engineering employers in their quest for talent, while also helping ITEs become a valuable addition to Ontario’s engineering workforce. For more information on OSPE programs for ITEs and engineering employers, visit www.ospe.on.ca/ITE or contact Aarthi Vig, Project Manager, at (416) 223-9961, ext. 227 or avig@ospe.on.ca. http://www.ospe.on.ca/ITE

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of OSPE - The Voice - Summer 2013

OSPE - The Voice - Summer 2013
Contents
Viewpoint
Newsbytes
Anne Sado, P.Eng.
National Engineering Month Ontario 2013
Engaging Tomorrow’s Engineers
Student Ambassador Profile
Innovation
The OSPE Research and Innovation Guide
The Advocacy Agenda
Maintaining and Expanding Our Engineering Capability
Engineers as Leaders
Why Throw It Away?
Connecting with Queen’s Park
Can We Engineer Better Drivers?
Insuring Your Work
Closing the Gap
Bridging the Gap
Learn, Develop, Grow Your Career
Grow Your Engineering Team

OSPE - The Voice - Summer 2013