I Am Canadian

摘要

A well-known Canadian singer once reached the top of the charts with a song containing the lines, "Don't assume everything on the surface is what you see...that taxi driver's got a Ph.D." As many Canadians know, these lines are rooted in some truth. While the emphasis on Canadian immigration has shifted and we now see an increasing number of skilled workers entering the country each year, many newcomers to Canada are still unable to obtain work that matches their education and past experience. In fact, an esti-mated six out of 10 immigrants take jobs outside their fields of specialization. Not only is this situation detrimental to an immigrant's career interests, but a recent Conference Board of Canada study estimates that the failure to recognize professional qualifications can cost Canada up to $5.9-bil-lion. This staggering amount arises from lost tax revenue, lost income by companies who fail to obtain contracts due to staffing issues, and costs placed on the social security system.