VANCOUVER - The Province is providing $500,000 in funding to help B.C. regulators increase their foreign credentialing capacity and efficiency, announced Economic Development Minister Colin Hansen at a workshop for provincial regulators in Vancouver on Monday.

"Our goal is to make British Columbia a work destination of choice for professionals and skilled workers trained outside B.C.," said Hansen. "To help spread the word that B.C. is a welcoming destination, we must make it easier and faster for them to find employment in their chosen careers."

All B.C. regulators are eligible to submit proposals to fill gaps and needs within their organization to establish more user-friendly, clear and efficient processes to assess newcomers' credentials and determine what support they need so they can work in their trained occupation.

An inter-ministerial committee will be established to set criteria and review proposals. Examples of projects that will be considered include: * Enhancements to, and translation of, regulators' websites to ensure clear and user-friendly information on the registration process is available; and * Adoption of competency-based assessment tools and programs to ensure consistent assessment.

The 'Solutions for Access - Next Steps' workshop brought together B.C. regulators to begin to map out how to establish more user-friendly, clear and consistent processes and time lines for reviewing foreign credentials to make labour mobility as seamless and efficient as possible.

Improvements to the province's foreign credential assessment system are one of the priorities identified in the province's WorkBC action plan to address skills shortages in the province. To find out more about WorkBC,go to www.WorkBC.ca.