NEW ONLINE SOURCE TO SUPPORT ATTRACTION AND RETENTION OF INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs) living in Saskatchewan or interested in coming here have access now to a new online information source. The new IEHP Web portal will help to attract and retain IEHPs by providing a gateway to the information they need to build successful careers in Saskatchewan.

Advanced Education, Employment and Labour Minister Rob Norris officially launched the IEHP portal today with a demonstration at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre in Regina.

"This online source will do two very important things: help us attract more health care workers to Saskatchewan and help connect IEHPs to the people, resources and services they need to stay and succeed in Saskatchewan," Norris said. "It provides internationally educated health professionals with access to information and tools designed to help them integrate quickly."

The IEHP portal responds to research conducted in 2006-07 that identified challenges IEHPs face in becoming licensed and practicing in their fields. Stakeholders, including IEHPs, employers, training institutions and regulatory bodies identified a critical need for accessible, clear and accurate information.

"As the professional self-regulatory body for the province's 9,200 Registered Nurses, the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses' Association (SRNA) is committed to the ethical international RN recruitment strategies being implemented by government," SRNA Executive Director Donna Brunskill said. "We are delighted with the portal initiative which will allow our internationally educated nurses to navigate the steps in the application process in a more efficient and transparent way."

This first phase of the IEHP portal, available at www.immigration.gov.sk.ca/iehp, includes information regarding life in Saskatchewan, employment in the province's health care system and a roadmap for licensing processes. Developed in co-operation with a variety of stakeholders, the portal serves as a gateway to other IEHP web resources. Over the next two years, the information will be expanded and enhanced. Funding for this phase and future development is provided through a partnership with Health Canada and Saskatchewan's Ministry of Health.

We invite comments and suggestions through our online survey at www.immigration.gov.sk.ca/iehp-survey.

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For more information, contact:

Shannon Dumba
Advanced Education, Employment and Labour
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1331
Email: shannon.dumba@gov.sk.ca