January 16, 2008

Architect’s Corner

Foreign-trained architects help build a better Canada

Jon Hobbs, FRAIC

Executive Director, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada

As we all know, Canada is an extremely multicultural country, enriched by people and cultures from all over the planet.

What many do not realize is that each and every year, there are as many individuals with training in architecture arriving in Canada from abroad as there are students graduating with a professional degree from our 10 Canadian accredited University Schools of Architecture.

Architecture

Jon Hobbs, FRAIC

Add to that the fact that a third of our Canadian architecture graduates leave the country to seek experience and adventure, and you have what presents an enormous challenge to the architecture profession.

Last year the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) held a roundtable on the integration of foreign-trained professionals with the provincial and territorial associations of architects and ultimately hired a consultant to undertake a study to determine the nature and extent of the situation.

The report, prepared by Prism Economics, is on the RAIC web site under Research in the section entitled Resources and Archives.

More recently, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada received a grant from Human Resources Social Development Canada (HRSDC) to help integrate those individuals with architectural training into the profession in Canada.

The grant, from the HRSDC foreign credential recognition program, will assist with three projects.

1. A new web portal.

This project will create a new web site with information in several languages on the licensing and registration system for architects in Canada, links to web sites listing jobs in the architecture profession, links to settlement organizations and how to upgrade skills and language abilities, including the RAIC Syllabus program.

2. Reforms in evaluating professional work experience acquired from abroad by the provincial licensing authorities.

The grant will help to fund work by the provincial licensing authorities. The provincial associations of architects already have created a Task Force to develop a system to recognize experience acquired abroad. This should help to reduce some of the hurdles faced by architects from abroad in trying to get registered in Canada. In order to ensure buy-in and adoption by all provincial jurisdictions, there will be at least two additional round-tables with the RAIC and the provincial associations to discuss the issue.

3. Create Distance Learning Courses through the RAIC Syllabus Program

Currently many professionals with architectural training from abroad are referred by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board to take Canadian professional practice courses. But, there are also sometimes other deficiencies or educational requirements needed to be upgraded including, cold weather building envelope design, as well as Canadian building codes and regulation. Funding will be provided by HRSDC to create new courses or revise existing Syllabus courses and to translate them into French. This timing works well as the RAIC Syllabus program is undergoing a significant renewal process and approvals are currently underway at Athabasca University to take over the delivery of this program. Athabasca University is renowned for its expertise in distance learning.

These three projects are just a small part of what is needed to better integrate immigrants into the architecture profession. This integration is critical, because in several parts of the country there are actually fewer licensed architects than several years ago. Canada has grown significantly and we are in the midst of a construction boom. In order to maintain the quality of life we enjoy, and to improve the design quality of our cities, we need safe, beautiful and sustainable buildings. In order to achieve this we need many more architects to help build Canada.

Jon Hobbs, FRAIC, is the executive director of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. Please direct all comments and questions to editor@journalofcommerce.com

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