Presented at the monthly business meeting of the Manitoba Fairness Commissioner March 14, 2012

1. ePortfolio
Recognition and employability
for Manitoba’s immigrants
Office of the Manitoba Fairness
Commissioner
March 14, 2012

2. Recognition Challenges
Regulated occupations

3. Regulator Challenges
Operational
• Regulators’ main concern is protection of the public
• Safety concern reflected in practice: incompetent applicants
out vs. competent applicants in
• Paper vs. person
• Incomplete requirement = non recognition
• Mid-career professionals with experiential learning assessed by
system designed for recent graduates (sequential education ) =
years of experience as if non existent
• Generalists vs. specialists
• Little analysis about the purpose of the requirement / person
meets the substance of the requirement / Courts have ruled
there is a duty to accommodate

4. BRAIN GAIN, DRAIN & WASTE
The Experiences of Internationally Educated Health
Professionals in Canada (Bourgeault et al., 2010)
Relevant Needs:
– Improve access to health sector and profession-
specific language training;
– Provide clear, consistent information from multiple
sources about the process and outcomes of
integration
– Increase opportunities to gain cultural competence
both formally and informally.
http://bit.ly/OMFC_BGDW

5. What is ePortfolio?
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/e-portfolios

6. Résumé vs. Portfolio
(Courtesy FuturEd)

7. ePortfolio: Product and Process
• Product
– Digital archive
– Showcase: celebration & assessment of learning
• Education: Acceptance/advanced standing, course requirement, graduation
requirement
• Workplace: Hiring, HR development, professional development, project
team selection
• Process
– Assessment for learning (e.g. CLPA)
– Reflection, self-assessment
– Transferring skills, making transitions
– Coaching, collaborative learning
– Learning plans
FuturEd 2004

8. Benefits of “e”
• Information Management capabilities
– Collecting, archiving, making different versions
• Easy sharing
– “One to many”, digital copies, links to specific pages
• Collaboration
– Easy to add comments, edit, mentor, coach
– Can integrate with other ICT systems
• Measurement
– Link to frameworks, rubrics, track learning over time
• Easy to illustrate/demonstrate with multimedia
– Pictures, PowerPoint, Audio, Video
• Integration with Internet skills
– Online research: documents, networks
– Internet literacy
– Builds personal network, grooms digital identity

9. Ways ePortfolio can be used
• Initial, formative assessment tool
– Assemble work experience, knowledge of the field
– Demonstrate Essential Skills for employability (“Language +”)
• Online Learning Workbook
– “Personal Learning Environment”: knowledge building, learning plans,
reflection
– Benchmark progress, with online coaching
• Challenge full/partial accreditation – RPL (authentic evidence)
• Employment, career advancement
– Online resume, Web CV, Job Match Summary
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Record
– Record of learning activities, knowledge building, reflection
– Performance support (Personal Learning Environment)
• Requalification (if a requirement)

10. QR process flow

11. Examples
Royal College of Nursing, NHS Scotland (UK)

12. Examples
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

13. Portfolios and IEHP
• Atlantic Connection for IEHPs
– Portfolio Development Guide for IEHPs
• Ontario
– College of Respiratory Therapists (paper portfolio)
• Saskatchewan
– Career Pathing Orientation Manual (SAHO)
• Alberta
– Mount Royal University – Professional Communication
for IEHPs

14. IEHP Toolkit

15. Examples
Internationally Educated Engineer (MB)

16. Career Portfolio Manitoba
Provincewide solution for adults in transition
• Based on Essential Skills
– Not a straitjacket - a focus for employability
• User friendly
– For individuals and employers
– Can be “simple and easy” or “rich and deep”
• Well supported
– Hands-on portfolio building program
– Exemplars, step by step video tutorials, ongoing user support
• Complementary to other programs
– e.g. Collaborative Language Portfolio Assessment (CLPA)
• Open source and global: always improving
– Flexibility & sustainable continuous improvement

17. Building on Essential Skills

18. Demonstration
Career Portfolio Manitoba

19. Benefits for newcomers
• Self-assessment, personal reflection
• “Digital evidence bank” to support
professional goals and consideration of
alternative goals
• Personal space for learning and building
knowledge
• Develop communication skills
• Build business network, personal “brand”

20. Potential benefits for Regulators
Supporting fairness, providing utility
• Visibility, transparency
– (esp. with exemplars)
• Holistic view of applicant
– Authentic valorization of experience
• Overseas engagement?
– Early “teachable moments” with time to improve
• Value-added service to candidates
– Low stakes tool for triage
– Process & product supports career development
• Can point to alternative career options
• Ongoing services for registered members
– Employability Showcase, CPD (e.g. CME)

21. Looking forward:
Options for Manitoba Regulators
• Refer learners to WEM’s Career Portfolio
Manitoba program:
Phyllis Mann
Program Coordinator for Essential Skills for Immigrants
Workplace Education Manitoba
1000 Waverley Street
Tel: 272-5044
PMann@wem.mb.ca
• Explore individual solutions that integrate
current organizational workflows

22. http://careerportfolio.mb.ca/
Phyllis Mann
Program Coordinator for Essential
Skills for Immigrants
1000 Waverley Street
(204) 272-5044
PMann@wem.mb.ca
Don Presant
don@learningagents.ca
(204) 219-5933