Ensuring Fair Registration Practices: A Unique Approach Part 1

1. Ensuring Fair Registration Practices:A Unique ApproachPart 1 Hon. Jean Augustine Fairness Commissioner Province of Ontario

2. Today’s Presentation • Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act, 2006 • Ontario • The Office of the Fairness Commissioner • Mandate • Activities • Next Steps CLEAR 2008 Annual Conference Anchorage, Alaska

3. Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act, 2006 • Three parts • Fair Registration Practices Code • Office of the Fairness Commissioner • Access and referral centre • Covers 14 non-health professions directly • Covers 21 health professions indirectly CLEAR 2008 Annual Conference Anchorage, Alaska

4. Ontario • Population 12 million • More than half of newcomers to Canada choose Ontario • Close to one third of immigrants are university educated • By 2011, immigrants will account for 100% of net labour force growth • Competition for skilled professionals is intense CLEAR 2008 Annual Conference Anchorage, Alaska

5. The Office of the Fairness Commissioner • Arm’s length agency of the Ontario government • Independent of the regulated professions • First of its kind in Canada CLEAR 2008 Annual Conference Anchorage, Alaska

6. Mandate • Ensure that regulated professions have registration practices that are • Transparent • Objective • Impartial • Fair • Require regulated professions to • Review registration/licensing practices • Submit reports about them • Conduct audits • Report to the public CLEAR 2008 Annual Conference Anchorage, Alaska

7. Mandate • Precludes • Advocacy for individuals • Assessment of credentials CLEAR 2008 Annual Conference Anchorage, Alaska

8. Activities: Study • First comprehensive study in Ontario • Published • 34 individual studies • summary report, Ontario’s Regulated Professions • Measure future progress CLEAR 2008 Annual Conference Anchorage, Alaska

9. Activities: Study • Regulatory bodies making progress • Applications up, but those from internationally trained individuals down • Decisions often made by third parties • Canadian experience difficult to get • More Canadians go overseas CLEAR 2008 Annual Conference Anchorage, Alaska

10. Activities: Regulators’ reports • Released Guidelines for Fair Registration Practices Reports • Information • Fees • Decision-making • Access to records • Appeals • Assessment of qualifications • Mutual recognition agreements CLEAR 2008 Annual Conference Anchorage, Alaska

11. Activities: Audits • Released Framework for Audits of Registration Practices • Standards • Roster of auditors • Three-year cycle CLEAR 2008 Annual Conference Anchorage, Alaska

12. Next Steps • Analysis of regulatory bodies’ yearly reports and audits • Study of qualification assessment agencies • Research about barriers faced by internationally trained individuals • Guidance for analysis of registration requirements CLEAR 2008 Annual Conference Anchorage, Alaska

13. Contact Office of the Fairness Commissioner 595 Bay Street, Suite 1201 Toronto, Ontario M7A 2B4 Canada ofc@ontario.ca www.fairnesscommissioner.ca 416-325-9380 CLEAR 2008 Annual Conference Anchorage, Alaska