Visible Minorities
In Toward an Integrated Labour Market Framework:
A Consultation with Nova Scotia’s Labour Market Partners, the Nova Scotia Labour Market Development Secretariat (1999) found that young black men in Nova Scotia, many of whom possess trades-related skills, do not have access to formal skills assessment and recognition services.
Recent Immigrants
While immigrants’ lack of language facility has been cited as a key barrier to their labour-force integration, the quality, availability and comprehensiveness
of prior-skills and credentials recognition further complicates this integration. This barrier is most evident in apprenticeable trades (CLFDB, 1995). This problem is further compounded by the lack of standardized and readily available information for employers regarding foreign qualifications (Jothen, 2002).
The inadequacy of foreign-credentials and skills-recognition services as a barrier for entry or advanced standing in apprenticeship surfaces in two ways. First, immigrants may be prevented from entering into an apprenticeship, because they cannot produce the required documentation regarding their foreign educational credentials (Gordon, 2002; 
). In some cases, immigrants may possess a post-secondary certificate but are unable to produce their high school certificates. Depending on specific entrance requirements required by employers or trade unions, the lack of a secondary school diploma can be sufficient to bar immigrants from being admitted to apprenticeships, even if they can produce a recognized post-secondary credential (
). This situation is a particular problem for older, qualified immigrants and refugees, for whom it may be impossible to obtain documentation of their secondary school education.
Second, recent immigrants who manage to enter into an apprenticeship are often unable to receive any credentials or prior-learning recognition that may at least qualify them to gain advanced standing. Although less decisive than non-admittance into programs, this barrier may potentially deter immigrants who may be unable or unwilling to commit the years necessary to complete full apprenticeships ().
Training practices in some countries may not traditionally lead to formal certification, despite the fact that they impart high levels of competency in trades-related work. This circumstance may be particularly true in the case of immigrants from developing countries. According to Atlin and Pond-White (2000):
Inherent in the north-south divide is the reality that, in many of the countries producing large numbers of today’s immigrants, there are more businesses operating with under-resourced and less sophisticated machine and technological infrastructures than found in Canada … Skilled and experienced people with highly-developed abilities and aptitudes for spatial-perception, logic, troubleshooting and problem solving may have little formal documentation of their experience or training.
The absence of prior-learning and assessment tools in Canada, therefore, may prevent many competent individuals with high trades-relevant competencies from entering the trades or becoming apprentices.
A significant potential problem exists with the way information regarding skilled trades is disseminated to prospective immigrants in their countries of origin (Viswanathan, 2002; ). Immigrants are admitted by immigration officers on the basis of credentials or qualifications earned in their home country. At the same time, foreign-trained workers with experience in the trades are often not counselled before they leave their home countries about potential problems they may encounter with their qualifications once in Canada. Upon arrival in Canada, immigrants are frequently frustrated to discover they are not eligible to practice as tradespersons.
Many immigrants take jobs for which they are over-qualified or have nothing to do with their training and experience. The longer these individuals remain outside of training or work in their field, the more significant their skills erosion (Gordon, 2002).