Employment and Career Planning Tutorial

Self-Assessment and Information Tutorial

This tool helps you to make a more informed career decision by guiding you on the following:

  • Language and communication competencies
  • Workplace safety in Canada
  • Recognition of your educational qualifications
  • Licensing and regulation of engineering in Canada
  • Employment options

Access Self-Assessment and Information Tutorial

Self-assessment

Introduction

This section answers the question(s): Why do I need support to define my career path in Canada?

Immigrants with engineering backgrounds (IEBs) arrive in Canada aspiring to improve their lives and further their professions. However, on arrival, they are confronted with inadequate, inaccurate and confusing labor market information and employment supports.

CAPE has carried out extensive research on the employment needs of IEBs. Through this research, CAPE has been able to establish useful employment support tools that can assist you to make a more effective and informed career choice. This support is valuable because it saves you a lot of time, energy and resources by giving you the most up-to-date information about what you will need in order to get employed in Ontario and Canada.

Hopefully, using these tools will help to either ease the frustration that you may be suffering at the present time, or, help you to make a more informed decision.

What is included in the Self-Assessment Tool?

Self-Assessment puts the power back in your hands. You make the decision as to which services you need to increase your employability. This tool will take you through the following sections:

  • Language and Communication Competencies
  • Workplace Safety and Training Competencies
  • Getting Your Credentials Recognized
  • Categorizing Yourself: The National Occupation Classification (NOC) Index
  • Choosing Your Career Pathway

At the end of every section, you will be asked whether you understand the section. You are advised to go onto the next section, only if you answer "yes" to the question.

Some Important Facts You Need to Know Before You Self-Assess

  • 80% of engineering jobs do not require a Professional Engineer (P.Eng) License
  • You can easily spend several years trying to acquire a Professional Engineer (P.Eng) License and in the end find that getting employed as Professional Engineer is very difficult
  • In 2003, over 4,400 students graduated with Canadian engineering degrees and over 7,100 immigrants with engineering backgrounds (IEBs) entered the job market yet only around 2,200 in total applied for the P.Eng. license
  • 60 - 70% of IEBs applying for a Professional license can navigate the whole process except for the 12 month in-Canada work experience
  • You will find many services geared to you when you land in Canada (e.g. language support, bridging programs, employment preparation courses, sector, terminology, information and counseling (STIC) programs etc.) but you may not need to use all of them! This is why self-assessment is important - it puts the power of assessment back in your hands so you can decide which services you need.