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Navigating Your Professional Arena – Conference Style!

Imagine that you just moved to a new country where you do not know the language very well, … do not understand the culture and do not know the key stakeholders in your chosen profession. How do you find employment?

Rhonda Singer, a long time member of ACP International, has spearheaded a highly successful annual conference in Toronto for the benefit of Internationally Educated Professionals.

On March 16,2005 - Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges will celebrate its third successful year for this conference. ACP International applauds this effort as a model for other major cities around the world where we have chapters. As a professional association that truly is international in its scope, we understand clearly the real need for assisting Internationally Educated Professionals (IEP’s) with their career direction.

The purpose of this unique conference is to accelerate the entry of new immigrants into the Toronto labour market by providing a venue that encompasses key components in five sectors: Engineering, Accounting/Finance, Information Communication Technologies, Health Care and Teaching. In addition it provides a one-stop-shopping workshop on labour force access for all orders of government, educators and successful IEPs.

For each sector, representatives are invited from accreditation bodies, professional associations, educational institutions, and employers to so that attendees can access through a customized process, cutting edge industry trends and labour market implications. The focus is about how best to move into the Canadian labour market – what works, and how we can work together to make things work even better. Last year’s second annual event registered 1,000 people from 66 countries. The cultural difference of networking as a significant strategy is addressed in an energising networking plenary. While many conferences have been held in recent years about the issue of Internationally Educated Professionals (IEPs), this was the first event organized with IEPs.

The conference philosophy seeks “the best there is - ignites the collective imagination of “what could be” and generates new knowledge that expands the realm of “what is possible.”

Why This Conference?

Internationally Educated Professionals (IEPs) bring a vast array of education, skills, experience and expertise when coming to Canada to live and work. Highly trained and educated professionals hope and expect to be able to work in professional fields here in Canada. However, getting that “right” job is not easy, and too often IEPs end up in lower-end jobs in order to pay the rent and make ends meet.

With the aging labour market, labour and skills shortages are forecasted across the board in all occupations, yet those with international education are not easily accessing these opportunities.

Why Toronto?

Internationally Educated Professionals (IEPs) are increasingly critical to Toronto's economic health. Compared to New York, which is considered by many to be the most cosmopolitan cities in the world with 28% of its population born outside the United States, immigrants make up more than half of Toronto's population—an astonishing statistic, one that offers many opportunities for both employers and new immigrants. We must develop the strategies and attitudes necessary for capitalizing on these untapped human resources and position Toronto’s competitive advantage in the global marketplace.

The conference is a truly collaborative effort led by Progress Career Planning Institute (PCPI) , Toronto Community News, the University of Toronto Professional Development Centre and the City of Toronto Economic Development Division. An advisory committee with representatives from community organizations along with IEPs anchors the conference’s organization firmly in the community it wishes to reach.

Rhonda Singer, President of Progress Career Planning Institute in Toronto, has shaped her organization into a leader in career management, cultural intelligence and alignment in the workplace. Though this rich topic and its impact on career professionals will be explored by Rhonda at the international conference in Chicago (April 14 – 17, 2005), to learn more on North America's most innovative conference for Internationally Educated Professionals, Check out www.iep.ca