Join Our Competency Match Pilot Program

Many Albertan businesses are missing out on valuable, in-demand talent – not because it doesn’t exist, but because credentials from outside Canada can be hard to interpret and integrate into hiring systems. If your organization wants to expand your talent pool, improve hiring outcomes, and stay competitive, this upcoming in-person event in Medicine Hat on March 4, 2026, is worth your attention.

Medicine Hat Economic Development is hosting a half-day in-person pilot session as part of Competency Match – a new initiative designed to help employers better assess and connect with internationally trained jobseekers.

Employers participating in this pilot will:

• Help test and refine practical hiring resources (like structured interview guides and scorecards to simplify the evaluation process)
• Collaborate directly with internationally trained jobseekers that are newcomers to Medicine Hat
• Provide crucial feedback that shapes the development, content, and distribution of tools to be used more widely by businesses across Alberta

What we're asking is that employers participate in a short virtual interview and two brief surveys before and after the in-person session as part of the process. Ready to sign-up? 

Deadline to register: February 10, 2026

Session date: March 4, 2026, in Medicine Hat

Where to register: https://ca1.voxco.com/S2/312/MHdemoDayIntake/

Why Employers Should Care About Foreign Credentials

Canada’s labour market is shifting, and fast! Between shifting demographics, changes to our economy and key industries, and a large number of up-coming retirements for employees working in critical occupations, Canadian talent pipelines occasionally struggle to catch-up to the market’s current needs. That said, there are three main reasons why employers should pay attention to foreign credentials and competencies, including:

1. Foreign-trained professionals currently represent a significant and growing part of Alberta’s workforce

More than 1 in 5 Albertans were born outside Canada – many with post-secondary education and professional credentials from abroad. In fact, that proportion jumps up even higher in major Alberta cities like Calgary and Edmonton, where immigrants account for over 25% of the labour force. The percentage of immigrants in smaller metropolitan areas is expected to rise to similar levels over the next decade (Statistics Canada). Employers who can effectively tap into this additional workforce can gain a competitive advantage vs their competition. Otherwise, it's like immediately removing up to 25% of your potential candidates, before even considering if their skills and experience are a good match for a position. 

2. The skills gap is real – and international talent helps fill it

Many sectors across Alberta – including skilled trades, healthcare, engineering, IT, and business services – face persistent labour shortages. Despite new programs and workforce development pipelines, Canada still faces a deficit for certain essential occupations. That's one of the reasons why Canada’s immigration system actively targets foreign-trained professionals for in-demand occupations. For example, recent Express Entry invitations went to skilled professionals in fields where Canada has talent gaps and shortages.

3. Recognition barriers still exist

Although many newcomers arrive with valuable training and experience, employers often struggle to interpret foreign credentials or compare them with Canadian standards. This can result in underemployment or missed hiring opportunities – especially in regulated professions. With a clear rubric for evaluating foreign-trained job applicants, employers in Medicine Hat could tap into an underutilized workforce pipeline for in-demand professions. This will ultimately simplify the hiring process and improve confidence around your talent evaluations for internationally trained employees.  

What You’ll Gain by Participating

Participating employers will have a unique opportunity to shape tools and practices that can:

• Improve fairness and transparency in recruitment

• Make competencies easier to assess and discuss

• Streamline onboarding of internationally trained candidates

• Strengthen organizational capacity through diversity of thought and experience

Beyond that, you’ll gain hands-on experience using structured interview questions and scorecards – designed to help you see past unfamiliar credential titles to the skills that matter most. With this experience and the newly developed resources in-hand, employers will be able to accurately access foreign-trained employees without worrying how their competencies correspond to industry standards.

This initiative isn’t just about improving hiring tools; it’s about building stronger local labour markets where employers and internationally trained professionals succeed together. By attending the March 4 session, you’re not only contributing to better hiring practices – you’re helping shape solutions that will be publicly available to employers across Alberta and beyond.

Ready to Get Involved?

If your organization wants to play a role in developing tools that make hiring internationally trained talent easier and more effective, apply by February 10, 2026. 

Complete the participation form: https://ca1.voxco.com/S2/312/MHdemoDayIntake/

Don’t miss this chance to be part of something that could transform how Alberta employers recruit and retain talent from all over the world.

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