Quebec spending $65M to recruit, train 1,000 foreign nurses

The Quebec government is investing $65 million torecruitand trainabout 1,000 nurses from francophone countriesto work inseven regions of the province where the nursing shortage is most acute.

At a Wednesday news conference, Labour and Immigration MinisterJean Boulet announced the two-year campaign will aimtointegrate French-speakinginternational candidates and accelerate the recognition of their skills and competencies.

The regions targeted in the first phase of the project areAbitibi-Tmiscamingue, Cte-Nord, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspsie, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Baie Jamesand the Outaouais.

Boulet says the nurses will be encouraged but not forced to stay in the regions.

Selected candidates will attend aCEGEPin the targeted regions to receive nineto 12 months of training, paid for by the government, leadingto the recognition of their skills and clinical experience by the Quebec's Order of Nurses (OIIQ). They will receive a stipend of $500 a weekfor the duration of their training.

They will be allowed to work up to 20 hours per week as nurses' aides (known by the French acronym asPABs) during their training and full time during school breaks.

"This is a winning formula for Quebec and for qualified immigrants who wish to enrich our networkto the extent of their skills," said Boulet.

He saidthose recruited by the program will behelped throughout the immigration process and at every step, from finding housing toobtaining a driver'slicence andregistering their children for school.

Spouses of nurses will also be offered an open work permit.

Health Minister Christian Dub, who joined Boulet at the news conference, says this programcomplements recruitment and retentionefforts put into place in the fall of last year. He says the regions, which have been hit hard by the labour shortage, stand to benefit greatly.

"Especially in the regions, a few number of personnel can make a big, big difference," he said.

The first group of nurses will arrive in the fall of 2022 and early in 2023,to complete their refresher training. Boulet said344 people have already been selected for recruitment.

He saidonce candidates are selected by Quebec, it's up to the federal government to decide whether they will be granted permanent residency in Canada.

Thefrancophonecountries targeted by the recruitment of nursesare Algeria, Cameroon, Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritius.