Internationally educated nurses (IENs) represent a significant and underutilized part of the solution, yet systemic barriers consistently prevent them from securing nursing employment in Canada. To bridge this gap, Bow Valley College developed and piloted six employer-informed microcredential courses across two educational pathways, specifically designed to help IENs navigate the clinical and contextual demands of the Canadian healthcare workplace.

The purpose of the healthcare sector is, ultimately, to improve the health of the population, which also includes its workforce. The impact of projected shortages of skilled health workers means Canadians will be challenged to get the timely healthcare that they need, as the burden of age-related, complex illnesses continues to grow.

The HELP program (Health English Language Pro) was developed to address some of these barriers through a peer-to-peer partnership model between volunteer and newcomer physicians. The program focused on improving English medical communication, understanding of the Canadian healthcare system, professional confidence, and social capital.

Led by the City of Kingston, in collaboration with the Diversity Institute and with support from the Future Skills Centre, the Municipal Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Reconciliation Sharing Platform was established to provide municipalities with a centralized space to strengthen local capacity to advance EDIR initiatives.

The IntegratED program was designed to address the skills gap and labour market challenges in Manitoba’s food and beverage manufacturing industry by providing skills training and work experience to support international students and recent newcomer graduates in STEM fields.

The Invest Talent pilot was designed and implemented to test a demand-driven approach to regional workforce development rather than building training programs around available supply.

The Qikiqtani Region of Nunavut faces both significant opportunity and structural challenges as it seeks to expand community-based inshore fisheries. With isolated communities and a rapidly growing youth population, Qikiqtaaluk Corporation (QC) has prioritized creating accessible pathways into fisheries-related careers through hands-on learning, training, and internships.

DMZ developed the Newcomer Entrepreneurship Program to increase opportunities for newcomer entrepreneurs with under five years in Canada looking to develop a tech-based company.

Led by BioTalent Canada, the two phases of this project tackled pressing issues faced by the Canadian bio-economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the development of a National Skills Standard for Cleanroom Readiness.