Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Canadian Association of Prior Learning Assessment (CAPLA) 2025 Conference in Nova Scotia. We shared how tools like diagnostic assessments and PLAR are helping newcomers connect their international experience to meaningful employment opportunities in Canada – faster and with more confidence. In case you missed it, you can access a copy of our presentation below – or keep reading for the highlights and to explore the platforms and partners featured in our presentation.
Shift iQ - Empowering Newcomers: PLAR (CAPLA) - May 2024
What If Newcomers Could Find Their Fit – Faster?
Imagine a newcomer arriving in Canada with years of industry experience but no clear pathway to employment. Now imagine if they could:
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Assess and understand how their skills align with Canadian job roles
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Identify and fill any training gaps before they even arrive
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Demonstrate their value with confidence
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Enter the workforce more quickly, in a role that reflects their background
This is the future Shift iQ is enabling – and it’s already underway through FAST Canada and our latest innovation, SkillsCheck.
How FAST Canada Got Started
The Facilitating Access to Skilled Talent (FAST) program launched in 2016 as a pilot to help skilled immigrants transition into high-demand jobs in British Columbia. The program was designed to support pre-arrival immigrants, temporary foreign workers, and internationally trained professionals looking to gain meaningful employment in Canada.
What made FAST different from the start was its emphasis on skills recognition and job readiness – a natural fit for the team at Shift iQ, whose mission is to help individuals assess, understand, and align their skills to career and training opportunities.
Today, FAST has grown into a national initiative supporting not just job seekers, but also employers, recruiters, and post-secondary institutions like New Brunswick Community College (NBCC).
A Closer Look at FAST
FAST uses diagnostic assessments to evaluate participants’ knowledge, skills, and abilities based on Canadian occupational standards. These assessments reveal which competencies a participant already meets – and where additional training is needed.
Participants then follow individualized learning paths that include:
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Targeted technical training
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Soft skills development
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Progress tracking and final outcome reports
The results speak for themselves:
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67% of participants secured employment within six weeks of arriving in Canada
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Many entered the workforce at higher-than-average salaries for newcomers
What Is PLAR and Why Does It Matter?
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) is a formal process used to evaluate the skills and knowledge individuals have acquired outside of traditional education including international work experience, informal training, and community involvement.
In FAST and other Shift iQ-powered programs, PLAR is used to:
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Validate what participants already know
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Identify specific learning gaps
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Recommend targeted training
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Reduce time to employment and avoid redundancy
This competency-based model ensures that learning is efficient, personalized, and aligned to real workforce requirements.
Enabling Effective Assessment Through Technology
Shift iQ is the technology platform behind many of Canada’s most innovative skills recognition programs. Our adaptive assessment engine supports every stage of the PLAR process – from diagnostics to outcome reporting – helping organizations deliver faster, clearer, and more targeted pathways to employment. Our platform enables:
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Competency-aligned diagnostic assessments
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Real-time gap analysis and personalized learning recommendations
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Summative evaluations that confirm skill acquisition
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Outcome reports that support job matching, onboarding, or further training
Programs like FAST Canada have leveraged these capabilities to deliver scalable, high-impact experiences for newcomers and workforce partners alike. With Shift iQ, assessment becomes more than a requirement – it becomes a strategic advantage for organizations committed to skills-first hiring and training.
Real-World Results
FAST participants have moved into a wide range of sectors, from skilled trades to emerging industries. Employers report shorter onboarding times and better job performance from candidates who’ve completed the program. As FAST has expanded, it now includes:
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Occupations beyond the trades
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Accelerated time-to-completion
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Flexible delivery models for national partners
Introducing SkillsCheck
As labour market needs shift and the demand for rapid skills validation grows, Shift iQ has introduced SkillsCheck – a streamlined solution purpose-built to assess, validate, and showcase workforce-ready skills in real time. SkillsCheck is:
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Developed and delivered by Shift iQ
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Built for service providers, recruiters, employers, and educators
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Mapped to Canadian occupational standards
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Designed for quick, targeted skills validation
SkillsCheck is currently being implemented by workforce and employment service partners, including IECBC, to support rapid job matching and upskilling across Canada.
Explore more at
SkillsCheck.ca
About the Presenters
Shift iQ is a Canadian educational technology company specializing in adaptive assessment and competency-based learning. Our platform powers certification, workforce readiness, and skills validation programs across the country.
The Immigrant Employment Council of BC (IECBC) works with employers, communities, and government to support the successful integration of skilled immigrants into the Canadian workforce. IECBC leads FAST Canada and other innovative employment service initiatives.
Learn More
Explore the platforms and partners featured in our presentation:
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