Transcript International Polar Year

Benchmarking
Language: CLB/NCLC for
Occupations &
Professions
Presented by:
Marianne Kayed, Gestionnaire principale et de partenariats,
[email protected]
CCLB
Outline of Topics
1. Context
2. Benchmarking of professions
3. OLAs (Analyses linguistique des professions)
4. Standard setting
5. Employment-related projects
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Language Portfolio for Engineers
ECLAB/BELIC for Engineers
Essential Skills (correlation)
Work Ready
Why identify language levels for occupations?
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Language is always a set of soft skills that are hard to define for
employment
More and more employers/sectors want to know what levels are
required within the context of a recognized framework/standard
More regulators want to know what level of language is required
to work in a profession
Training institutions want to know what level of language is
required for entry to training or for entering the workplace
Context
The premiers meeting looked at trade in international markets &
connected to “Full mobility for Canadians” and to implement
amendments to agreements on internal trade (AIT)
• Any worker certified for an occupation by a regulatory authority of one
province or territory shall be recognized as qualified to practice that
occupation by all other provinces and territories; and
• Such recognition shall be granted expeditiously without further material
training,examinations or assessment requirements
• Once certified in Canada, qualified foreign-trained workers will enjoy the
same mobility rights as qualified Canadian workers.
(The Council of the Federation, Quebec City, July 2008)
Pan-Canadian Framework for Assessment &
Recognition of Foreign Qualification
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Outcome - Pan Canadian framework for Assessment and
Recognition of Foreign Qualifications by the Forum of
Labour Market Ministers (2008)
Defines process and action plan for professions and
regulated trades/ occupations
Action Plan was printed in 2009
The FQR Framework
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Outlines the rules and responsibilities for establishing
professional qualifications to assure the safety and
protection of the public. In some provinces licensure is
regulated.
4 Principles: Fairness, Transparency, Timeliness,
Consistency
Goal is that within one year, an individual will know if
his qualifications will be recognized or informed of
additional requirements for registration or to be
directed towards related occupations commensurate
with their skills/experience
Year One Professions by Dec. 31, 2010
• Pharmacists
Architects
• Physiotherapists
• Engineers
• Financial Auditors & • Occupational
Therapists
Accountants
• Registered Nurses
• Medical Lab
Technologists
•
By Dec. 31/10 these
target occupations will
have an Action Plan
(processes/supports)
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Year Two Professions by Dec. 31, 2012
•Dentists
•Engineering Technicians
•Licensed Practical Nurses
•Physicians
•Teachers (K – 12)
CCDA – (Conseil canadien des directeurs
De l’apprentissage) will also be tasked with
looking at how
At CCLB/CNCLC…
• Greater awareness by employers,
sectors, and counsellors on the
importance of language as one of
several factors that lead to success in
the workplace
•Interesting partnerships regionally
and nationally plus interest
internationally
•More sectors looking to hire IEPs
= Higher stakes application of the
CLB/NCLC – lots of implications and
from a standards perspective,
increased rigour and validity of
methodology required.
Why Use Standards?
A practical, fair means to determine language
proficiency
Define proficiency in terms of
common human situations
and behaviour where language is used
Describe what a person is
capable of accomplishing or demonstrating
through language
As part of the global economy, we also more
sectors creating and/or working with international
standards for employment
Gaps Identified with Language
26%
On the Phone
34%
In Conversation
Reading their
Emails
Interviewing
22%
10%
4%
4%
Problem Solving
Other
Benchmarking of Occupations
• Done nationally or pan-Canadian context
• Research requires access to worksites--this is only achievable if partners help
locate the sites
• Can be done in either English and/or
French
• Project costing varies
Why is benchmarking important?
• For immigrants and potential immigrants an
understanding language skills required to be
successful in an occupation in Canada
• For employers to understand what communication is
demonstrated in terms of the workplace
• For informing government employees and policy
makers of occupational language levels based on
research
• For defining standards that meet the needs of
regulated professions and trades in what language a
person needs to work safely
CLB Levels for Nurses
Note: The CLB skills are
recognized and were used to
inform the development of
CELBAN
Funded only to develop English
14
•Initial benchmarking study
(2002)
•Recognized in 9 provinces and
3 territories for English by
nursing regulators
•Online Self-Assessment (2005)
•Institutional version of CELBAN
for IEN’s in Canadian
institutions (2008)
CLB/NCLC Levels for Engineers
Note: CLB/NCLC 8 for entry to
practice
Benchmarked in one province
16
Model: ECLAB/BELIC (CIC-FCR)
Core Engineering Language Test
Language Skill Tests
Speaking
Listening
Reading
Writing
Discipline-specific Content
Mechanical
Electrical
Civil
Chemical
Challenge on BELIC pilot
•Finding candidates who
speak French as a first or
second language with
engineering backgrounds in
or outside of Québec
• Major impact on being
able to validate the French
test versions for high stakes
application like licensing
•Honoraria now possible
CLB/NCLC Levels for OT/PT
CLB/NCLC for Occupational
Therapists and Physiotherapists
for the Canadian Alliance of
Physiotherapy Regulators, &
the Colleges of
Occupational Therapy and
Physiotherapy of Ontario
19
Red Seal Trades (worksites)
Trade/Métier
CLB/NCLC Levels in the workplace
Speaking/
Expression orale
Listening/
Compréhension orale
Reading/
Compréhension
de l’écrite
Writing/
Expression
écrite
Hairstylist/Coiffeur/Coiffeuse
6 -7
6-7
5-6
4
Machinist/machiniste
4-5
5
4-5
3-4
Automotive Service
Technician/ Mécanien
5-6
5-6
6
4–5
Steamfitter/Pipefitter/Monteur/monteuse d’appareils de
chauffage
6
6-7
5-6
5
Industrial Mechanic
(Millwright)/Mécanicien
industrielle
6
7
6-7
4-5
Red Seal Trade Exams
Trade/Métier
CLB Level
NCLC Niveaux
Automotive Service Technician/ Mécanicien
6
6-7
Sprinkler System Installer/ Mécanicien en protectionincendie
6
6
Plumber/ Plombier
6-7
6–7
Hairstylist/ Coiffeur
5-6
5–6
Machinist/ Machiniste
6
5–6
Carpenter/ Charpentier
6
6
Automotive Painter/ Peintre d’automobiles
6
6
Motor Vehicle Body Repair/Débosseleur-peintre
6
6
Industrial Mechanic (Millwright)/ Mécanicien industrielle
6
6
Steamfitter/Pipefitter/Monteur d’appareils de chauffage
6-7
6-7
Other benchmarking…
• New project to benchmark Pharmacists in English and French
(HRSDC)
• Variety of occupations, professions, and programs done in
Manitoba by RRC (approx. 20)
• OELRS program in Alberta (meat industry, construction
labourers, currently doing electricians)
• JALAS (Job Analysis Language) for Engineering and for
Accounting
• Medical Lab Technician done in Ontario
www.itsessential.ca
An OLA is a description of language
competencies linked to success in one
OLAs are based on 3 national sources:
occupation. Referenced to the CLB, it
•Canadian Language Benchmarks
•Essential Skills Profiles
•National Occupational Standards
outlines in a standardized format,
speaking, listening, reading and writing
competencies and related sample tasks
for a given occupation.
* Requires an Essential Skill Profile and a National Occupational Standard (NOS).
Variety of OLAs & Registry
ECE and Child Care
Supervisor
•14 original tourism
OLAs plus 12 more this
year
•Many developed for
Biotech (not released)
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Food Sector include
Retail Florist,Retail
Meatcutter, In-store
Baker and Cake
Decorator
•AST, Machinist,
Hairstylist (not
released)
• Coming – 9
Trucking (9
occupations)
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Benchmarking vs. OLAs
Benchmarking
•Intensive review of
language used on the job
OLAs
•Reviews language as
described in ESP and NOS
•Data collected in several •Aligned to NOC codes
sites and regions
•Provides a benchmark range
per skill (e.g. 5 – 8)
•Authentic materials
gathered, benchmarked
•Longer process
•More $$ to do
•Includes conditions
affecting communication
•Shorter timeline/reduced
costs
OLA Challenges
•Capacity for
development (CLB and
ES)  training and
criteria changes
•Funding/funders
•English/French
capacity
•Sector councils
•Quality Assurance of
OLAs/ALPs
•Model applauded
internationally
•Business Model
rethought = redefined
CCLB/CNCLC’s role to
be training,
registration, and
quality assurance
Other Occupational Projects
• Language Portfolio for Engineers (funded by Alberta)
• Identification for Software and Management for Information and
Communication Technology Council (ICTC) of language demands
in 15 occupations: 9 occupations in Software and 5 in ICT
Management (funded by ICTC)
• Various Essential Skills Projects (for teachers, trainers, job
analysts)
• Work Ready (for HR professionals and counsellors)
What I have learned:
• Language is often different at work than in training programs or
post-secondary
• Language for work and appropriate assessment is part of
evaluating foreign credentials
• Language supports Essential Skills and employability skills in
making immigrants successful
• Generic language assessments are important for work but so are
profession-specific  each measures different things and both
types of language are needed in workplaces
• Systems need to be aligned to provide easier transitions for
immigrants (part of being transparent)
Questions for thought
1. How can CCLB/CNCLC work with you and support you
towards common goals or in partnership?
2. What can we learn from each other?