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Are You Ready?

BioSkills Recognition Program Pilot

• Program background
• Objectives
• What the BioSkills Recognition Program means for job seekers
• Being BioReady^TM
• Program process
• What the program means for employers

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Program background

In 2007, BioTalent Canada conducted an environmental scan of internationally educated professionals (IEPs) in Canada's biotechnology sector industry (also known as the bio-economy). It was determined that there are four imperatives for harnessing the talents of internationally educated professionals:

1. Canadian experience;
2. English competency and cultural integration into the biotechnology business environment;
3. Practical assessment of skills and confirmation of experience; and
4. An industry broker to facilitate links between employers and prospective employees.

View the complete report "Recognizing Talent: Capitalizing on the skills of foreign-trained professionals for a vital bio-economy."

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BioSkills Recognition Program objectives:

• To accurately recognize individual skills to create the best match with employers in an efficient and reliable manner;
• To help the bio-economy accurately and easily confirm talent when recruiting; and
• To collect knowledge on an ongoing basis regarding Canada’s pool of bio-economy talent to effectively match skilled professionals with appropriate employment and learning opportunities.

Participating in the BioSkills Recognition Program means:

• Skills recognition which is essential to get a good job in your field.
• Networking in the bio-community.
• Enriching experience for your personal development.
• Recognition among peers.
• Being part of a high standard of skills recognition.
• Prestige within the bio-community.
• Exposure to career choices.

As a new program from BioTalent Canada, the country’s leading source for human resource information and biotechnology skills development, the BioSkills Recognition Program is the industry’s seal of approval. It recognizes individuals as BioReady, meaning they are ready to provide a valuable contribution to the bio-economy workforce. It does not guarantee a job within the Canadian bio-economy.

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Being BioReady^TM 

Being BioReady tells industry that you have received expert recognition from BioTalent Canada’s industry partners and participants as an individual who has demonstrated the required competencies for a specific job function within the Canadian bio-economy. BioTalent Canada considers a competency to be a measurable skill or set of skills required to perform a specific function in the bio-economy work environment.

As a prestigious seal of recognition from the biotechnology industry, the BioSkills Recognition Program demonstrates to industry that you are BioReady; you have the required skills to competently function in the Canadian bio-economy workforce.

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BioSkills Recognition Program Process

Who can participate:

The BioSkills Recognition Program is currently being piloted nationally. The BioSkills Recognition Program pilot is open to individuals with skills associated with any work-related function in the Canadian bio-economy who meet the following eligibility criteria. As a BioSkills Recognition Program applicant, you must: 

• Be legally authorized to work in Canada

If you have not yet arrived in Canada, you may participate in the initial stage of the program by creating your BioTalent ePortfolio. Once you have initiated the application process by starting your BioTalent ePortfolio, then you may submit the ePortfolio for review within three months of arriving in Canada.

• Be fluent in English

If English is your second language, you must demonstrate that you are fluent in English through one of the following certification tests that measure English communication in terms of listening, reading, writing and speaking:

• IELTS: the International English Language Testing system: www.ielts.org
• Canadian Language Benchmarks Placement Test (CLBPT): www.language.ca

It is recommended to take the BioTalent Canada online BioLanguage Readiness Module as a valuable gauging tool and learning resource. It provides a gauge of language that is specific to the bio-economy, including the knowledge of bio-economy terminology and acronyms, as well as their context within the Canadian scientific work environment. BioTalent Canada has also created other online readiness modules to help you gauge certain essential skills required to work in Canada’s bio-economy.

Required Steps:

1. Review your ability to meet the requirements by reviewing the “Who can participate” section.
2. Once you have met the eligibility criteria enrol in the program via The PetriDish job bank.

   A BioTalent Canada Account is required. If you receive the BioTalent HR Pulse directly you already have a BioTalent Canada Account. Your Username is your email address and to obtain your password please use the "Forgot password" feature when you are prompted to enter your access information. If you do not have a BioTalent Canada Account it is free and easy to register via the "Create an Account" feature.

3. Once you have logged into the PetriDish, please click ePortfolio to enrol and follow the directions on the screen.
4. You must then create your BioTalent ePortfolio to document your, competencies, credentials and acquired skills through work and other experiences.  A help section with instructions on how to complete the forms are available throughout the BioTalent ePortfolio.
5. Once your ePortfolio is complete you may submit your BioTalent ePortfolio for recognition.

Here is what happens after you submit your ePortfolio:

After submitting your BioTalent ePortfolio for review, BioTalent Canada conducts an initial review to check for completeness.

• If incomplete – BioTalent Canada will suggest areas for improvement.

• If complete – BioTalent Canada will forward your ePortfolio to the BioTalent Canada’s Competency Committee to conduct a comprehensive review of your ePortfolio based on skill sets identified for specific job functions related to the Canadian bio-economy workforce, such as those identified in the Bio-economy Skills Profiles.   

Possible additional steps that may happen:

Based on the Competency Committee’s review of your ePortfolio they may suggest alternative mechanisms in order for your skills to be recognized.

1. A practical observation, led by industry; and/or
2. An applied workplace skills observation led by industry to demonstrate competencies.

Here is what happens if your skills are recognized:

If the BioTalent Canada Competency Committee recognizes your skills, you will receive a letter congratulating you that you are BioReady; you have demonstrated the required skills for an identified job function and are recognized as competent in those functions for working in the Canadian bio-economy.

Here is what happens if your skills are not recognized:

If the BioTalent Canada Competency Committee is not prepared to recognize the skill sets outlined in your ePortfolio:

1. BioTalent Canada forwards the decision to you including a rationale, as well as useful information and resources regarding how you can work toward being recognized as BioReady.
2. Once you have addressed the necessary skills, you can update and re-submit your BioTalent ePortfolio for the Committee to review.

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What it means for employers

Employers are looking for job-ready talent with the required skills for their organization. The BioSkills Recognition Program helps employers with this by being a pre-screening tool in their recruitment process. Employers will be able to specifically search for recognized BioReady talent through the BioSkills Match^TM service.

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This project is funded by the Government of Canada's  Foreign Credential Recognition Program.