Assessing qualifications

Links for Regulators to Resources on Access

Assessing qualifications

Academic credential assessment
Knowledge, skills, compentency & experience
Language

Academic credential assessment
- Word Education Services - evaluation service
  In Ontario, WES (World Education Services) is the authorized provincial evaluation service operating with the support of the MTCU. It helps regulatory bodies that do not have their own academic assessment processes. WES converts foreign secondary and post-secondary educational qualifications into their Ontario equivalents. For licensing purposes, it can provide document-by-document, course-by-course reports (see http://www.wes.org/licensing/).
- Gateway to Diversity web site
  The Ontario Government's Gateway to Diversity web site reviews all Ontario academic credential services for assessing internationally trained applicants (see http://www.equalopportunity.on.ca/eng_g/apt/aca.html).
- The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC)
  CICIC acts as a clearing house and referral service to support the recognition and portability of Canadian and international educational and occupational qualifications. It works closely with provincially mandated credential evaluation services and has developed standards of practice for bias-free assessment. The information may be of use to regulators seeking to establish credential evaluation or qualification assessments. Their web site also provides access to UNESCO international conventions on the recognition of academic qualifications (see www.cicic.ca).
- The International Credentials Evaluation Service (ICES)
  ICES in B.C. evaluates post-secondary credentials and compares them to similar Canadian credentials. These may be used to show prior education level (see www.ola.bc.ca/ices).
- The Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada (ACESC)
  ACESC was created by CICIC and Canada's Provincial Assessment Committee. It provides two publications: General Guiding Principles for Good Practice in the Assessment of Foreign Credentials and Self- Assessment Review Report, 2000. (see www.canalliance.org/documents/prncpen.stm).
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Assessing knowledge, competency & experience
- Assessment Program for International Medical Graduates
  The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) and the Council of Faculties of Medicine have developed a new program for assessment and licensure of specialists and family medicine practitioners. The program will allow Family Medicine physicians, if successful, to become eligible for conditional registration from the CPSO (see http://www.cou.on.ca/Health/HOME/IMG/IMGHomePage.htm).
- Competency-Based Assessment Report
  In a paper titled Competency-based Assessment Programs for Internationally Trained Professionals, Catherine Laurier provides a comprehensive overview of competency-based assessment (also referred to as prior learning assessment) which is a relatively new field for regulators. The paper notes that regulators face the challenge of protecting the public by making sure people have the skills, knowledge, and judgement to practise safely and competently. On the other hand, regulators must also make sure they assess people's skills fairly and consistently.
  
  Most regulatory bodies have entered into mutual recognition agreements with their counterparts across the country to enhance professional mobility between provinces as per the Agreement on Internal Trade, Chapter 7. The Laurier paper points out that although the agreement covers only movement between provinces, it contains fundamental principles that are equally relevant for assessing and recognizing professionals entering Canada from abroad (see p. 7). These principles are that entry-to-practice standards and procedures should be transparent, objective, and fair and should be based on criteria that are relevant to practising the profession (see http://www.maytree.com/HTMLFiles/ComBsdAssPrgIntTrnPro.htm)

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Language assessment

Maytree: Language Testing
Workshop 3: Developing Professionally-Relevant and Fair Language Testing, October 12, 2001. http://www.maytree.com/refugeeimmigrantprogram/
publicdiscourse/accessissues/LanguageTesting.htm
Midwives - Language Test
The College of Midwives of Ontario developed a profession-specific language test in English and French (as part of the PLEA) that is designed to test the language skills midwives will need on the job. It can serve as a model for other regulatory bodies (see www.cmo.on.ca). For more information e-mail the College at admin@cmo.on.ca.
Manitoba - Language Benchmarks
The Manitoba government provides language benchmarks for certain occupations and provides individuals with an assessment measured against these standards. The benchmarks have been used as a tool for access (see www.gov.mb.ca/labour/immigrate/learningenglish/2.html).
Canadian Language Benchmarks
Canadian Language Benchmarks, prepared by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, describes benchmarks in ESL (most recent is the 2000 edition). Within the document there are guidelines to facilitate access to professions, including a set of test specifications and a model for building an institution's own specifications (see www.language.ca).
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