Several industries in New Brunswick are bracing for labour shortages, but perhaps none as concerning as nursing and health care fields. Between 2018 and 2027, the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour estimates a total of 8,223 openings in nursing and personal support worker related positions. Meanwhile, New Brunswick will welcome hundreds of newcomers with training and experience in these exact fields. “We have to grow the talent pipeline for all industries in New Brunswick, including health and nursing” said Alex LeBlanc, Executive Director of the New Brunswick Multicultural Council (NBMC). “We hear from newcomers every day that they want to work in their field of expertise, but the credential recognition process is costly and long.” The Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) is leading this initiative in partnership with Atlantic counterparts from across the region, including the New Brunswick Multicultural Council (NBMC), the Multicultural Association of Fredericton (MCAF), the Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area (MAGMA) and the YMCA of Greater Saint John’s Newcomer Connections Center, are pleased to announce an initiative to help change that. This program is possible through funding from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). The Atlantic Immigrant Career Loan Fund (AICLF) addresses the credential recognition problem by providing immigrants in regulated professions such as nursing, as well as unregulated professions, with access to loans to help with expenses related to the credential recognition process. New Brunswick partners aim to issue up to 200 loans over 4 years, at up to $15,000.00/each. Loans are available for permanent residents or Canadian immigrants living in NB to cover the costs of training, testing, licensing, and living costs. For more information on the Atlantic Immigrant Career Loan Fund (AICLF), and how to apply, please access: www.aiclf.ca.
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