A Manitoba delegation is heading to the Philippines next month on a recruitment drive to pave the way for hundreds of qualified internationally educated nurses (IENs) and other health-care providers to move and work here.
“This recruitment mission is an exciting opportunity to connect with skilled health-care providers and to show them the career opportunities that await in Manitoba’s health system,” said Premier Heather Stefanson. “We know that Manitoba is an incredible place to live, work and build a future. Our close ties to the Philippines and the thriving local Filipino community are natural selling points. This mission is an important step to highlight all that we have to offer, to attract new talent and add capacity, and contribute to our health-care workforce of the future.”
The mission includes recruitment efforts in three cities (Manila, Cebu and Iloilo) between Feb. 21 and 25. Filipino applicants will be pre-screened to meet specific requirements, with a specific focus on IENs who have worked for at least two years in acute (hospital) or long-term care, and who have completed an internationally recognized English language test. This would build on ongoing work and progress to streamline and expedite licensing processes for IENs already living here.
Broad participation is expected during the interview process being conducted by Manitoba’s health-care employers, with the aim of providing conditional offers of employment based on qualifications. Additional immigration support and facilitation will be provided by Manitoba immigration pathway officers, to help guide and assist the immigration and settlement process.
Advanced Education, Immigration and Skills Minister Jon Reyes will participate in the mission to advance critical relationships with the Philippines government, expand on existing labour agreements that permit and support the recruitment of skilled workers, and build on the strong cultural ties between the Philippines and Manitoba.
With more than 230,000 immigrants choosing Manitoba as their new home over the last two decades, and high numbers of Filipino immigrants settling in communities across Manitoba, the province is well positioned to attract internationally educated health-care providers from the Philippines, Reyes noted.
“I’m very proud to be a member of Manitoba’s large and dynamic Filipino community, and long history of recruiting health-care providers from the Philippines,” said Reyes. “The community and history in this province is vital to our recruitment of new Filipino health-care providers who want to build a stronger future for themselves and their families. We are asking for the community’s help in sharing news of this opportunity with friends and family living in the Philippines, as well as in sharing the many things that they love about living here.”
“Our government has been very clear that Manitoba is a destination of choice for trained health-care providers from around the world,” added Health Minister Audrey Gordon. “We are committed to a welcoming, streamlined and reasonable process for all internationally educated nurses living in the province and are working with the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba and the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba to have these highly sought-after nurses join the workforce more quickly. Processes must be consistent with other leading jurisdictions across the country, and to achieve this the Manitoba government will continue to work with the colleges to innovate, adapt and generally reduce barriers for IENs already living in Manitoba, while maintaining requirements necessary for care and safety.”
The Manitoba government has developed a comprehensive support and mentorship package for eligible nurses, Gordon said. The package includes support for travel, immigration costs, credentialing, and buddied mentorship.
“We recognize that significant health workforce challenges continue to affect not only nurses and health practitioners, but all who receive care in Manitoba,” said Deb Elias, chief executive officer and registrar, College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba. “The college is working to find solutions that reduce the amount of time applicants spend in the process, while making certain the public’s expectations of safe nursing care continue to be met. These efforts include our work supporting this international recruitment initiative. We will be providing resources and information to applicants and recruiters while seeking further improvements to ensure qualified applicants get to work as quickly as possible. In addition, we led a process in collaboration with employers to enable a pathway for internationally educated applicants to engage in supervised employment opportunities similar to those available to Manitoban undergraduate nursing students.”
Manitoba has also previously announced supports for IENs living in Manitoba, which includes clinical competency assessments, bridge training, living allowance, transportation and child care, as well as access to caseworkers to help navigate the licensing process.
Additionally, last August, the Manitoba government issued a compliance order to the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba, making it the first province in Canada to remove its requirement that internationally educated nurses already licenced in other jurisdictions, be subject to further testing if they are trying to be accredited in Manitoba. To date, 23 nurses have joined Manitoba’s health-care system as a result.
These initiatives are aligned with the Health Human Resource Action Plan, a $200-million initiative announced in November 2022 to recruit, retain and train health-care workers.
For more information about the recruitment mission and the Manitoba government’s efforts to recruit nurses from the Philippines, visit: healthcareersmanitoba.ca.
