Unlock Alternatives for Internationally Educated Professionals…

Becoming a member of knowledgeable affiliation just like the Ontario Affiliation of Licensed Engineering Technicians and Technologists might help newcomers thrive of their careers.

In an more and more aggressive world world, professionals’ profession paths are sometimes marked by various experiences and academic backgrounds. Navigating a brand new job market will be difficult for internationally educated professionals (IEPs) attributable to variations in training, work expertise, and requirements throughout nations. Nevertheless, acquiring certification from a acknowledged skilled affiliation can open doorways to quite a few advantages, each professionally and personally.

Attend OACETT’s free Profession Occasion

Meet Cedrick Mutombo, an authorized technician of Congolese heritage from the Democratic Republic of Congo who immigrated to South Africa in 2005 to additional his research. In 2010, he earned a nationwide diploma roughly equal to a school diploma in Ontario. This was adopted by finishing a bachelor’s diploma in civil engineering and a post-graduate diploma in enterprise administration. His ardour for fixing complicated challenges in his neighborhood and bettering high quality of life and the setting led him to pursue a profession in civil engineering. After a few years of working within the civil engineering career in South Africa, Mutombo moved to Canada in September 2021 in pursuit of his goals.

Cedrick Mutombo

Understanding the obstacles newcomers face

Mutombo’s story exemplifies many IEPs’ struggles when immigrating, from gaining Canadian work expertise to coping with immigration standing points and studying the best way to navigate the native job market. Since coming to Canada, he has continued his instructional journey in Seneca Polytechnic’s Civil Engineering Know-how program. Whereas he has excelled in his research, his expertise in Canada has been difficult. He has had issue securing a job as he lacked Canadian work expertise and solely held a research allow permitting 20 hours of labor per week. Most jobs are full-time, 40 hours every week, which might require an employer to sponsor Mutombo, as he doesn’t have a piece allow or everlasting residency. One other barrier Mutombo confronted was studying how his career and the Canadian job market function. It is a widespread problem that newcomers face when in search of work of their career.

Attend OACETT’s free Profession Occasion

Gaining credibility and recognition

Whereas the challenges have been vital, Mutombo was proactive upon his arrival in Canada and wasted no time becoming a member of knowledgeable affiliation. He joined the Ontario Affiliation of Licensed Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT) in March of 2022 and have become an authorized technician (C.Tech.) in Might 2023. Certifying with OACETT validated Mutombo’s expertise and supplied him choices for integrating along with his native engineering expertise neighborhood and much-needed assist with navigating the native job market. The affiliation’s certification course of concerned an evaluation of his instructional background, skilled expertise, and adherence to moral requirements. Mutombo gained additional credibility and recognition inside his area by efficiently changing into an authorized technician. As he explains, “I made a decision to hitch OACETT for steerage, recognition, professionalism, assist, skilled growth, and networking.”

Enhancing profession progress

Since becoming a member of OACETT, Mutombo has secured Canadian employment in his career and is on the brink of graduate from school. He has additionally attended his first OACETT occasion, the annual convention and gala, the place he had the chance to community with over 200 trade professionals. By the connections he made on the convention, it was steered he volunteer on OACETT’s IEP process pressure. He accepted this provide and also will take part as a panelist at OACETT’s free Profession Occasion for Internationally Educated Professionals in Engineering Know-how in October 2024.

Attend OACETT’s free Profession Occasion

The advantages of certification for IEPs like Mutombo are quite a few. They vary from enhancing employability by demonstrating a dedication to skilled requirements and steady studying to facilitating mentorship alternatives with friends and trade leaders and opening doorways to volunteer positions. Improve your profession progress as we speak by becoming a member of your skilled affiliation — you’ll be happy with the end result.