SIXTH INTERNATIONAL METROPOLIS CONFERENCE

WORKSHOP 28 : Qualification Recognition: Comparative Policies and Practices

ORGANIZERS

Mariam Assefa
Executive Director
World Education Services
568 Broadway, Suite 301
New York, NY
U.S.A.
100212
Tel: 212 210 7306
Fax: 212 739 6395
E-mail: massefa@wes.org

Timothy Owen
Director
World Education Services, Canada
45 Charles Street East, Suite 700
Toronto, ON
Canada
M4Y 1S2
Tel: 416 972 0070
Fax: 416 972 9004
E-mail: towen@wes.org

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

This workshop will explore approaches that receiving countries have developed to recognize and utilize the credentials of foreign trained individuals. The issue of qualification recognition will be examined from public policy perspectives related to managing immigrant selection, responding to skills shortages, and meeting labour market needs; as well as comparing approaches to qualifications recognition, credential assessment, and social and labour market integration strategies.

Examples will be drawn from the experiences of the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands, drawing on the views of government policy makers, non government organizations, and recent academic research.

With the guidance of a moderator, panellists and participants will be encouraged to share their own countries' and institutions' experiences, and suggest new approaches that can be taken to address both the needs of the host community and the aspirations of skilled immigrants.

DURATION: Two sessions of 1.5 hours each; 1st session on policy, 2nd on practice

PARTICIPANTS
Kees Kouwenaar, NUFFIC, the Netherlands (chair)

Mariam Assefa, Executive Director, World Education Services, United States

Dr. Peter Li, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Dr. Li Zong, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Dr Lesleyanne Hawthorne, University of Melbourne, Australia

Dirk Haaksman, NUFFIC, Netherlands

Mr Mark Davidson, Director of Economic Policy and Programs, Citizenship and Immigration Canada.