March 2007 ISSUE
CONFERENCE PREVIEW
Cultural Diversity:
A Corporate Resource Worth Developing
BY NANCY TOTH, MA
Manager, Professional Development
---------------------------------------------
Many large engineering and geo science organizations in Alberta face skilled labour shortages. They’re trying to fill this gap by recruiting abroad and hiring internationally educated engineers, geologists and geophysicists.
These foreign-trained professionals bring high skill levels and different perspectives from all corners of the globe, Sometimes they may, however, try to accomplish their work tasks in ways we might find unusual.
This means cultural differences may lead to the re-doing of work, to missed opportunities and deadlines, and even to safety problems. The laws of physics are the same all over the world, but a foreign-trained professional may solve technical challenges and interact with clients and customers in very different ways.
We plan to help our members meet these challenges, during this year’s APEGGA Annual Conference Professional Development Program. PD sessions and much more make up Partners in Professionalism, the APEGGA Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting, April 25-28 in Calgary.
On April 26, our cultural diversity stream begins with a presentation by Dr. Lionel Laroche, P.Eng., of Ontario. He’ll present on integrating foreign-trained engineers into your organization.
Dr. Laroche has over 100 publications to his credit, examining the impact
of cultural differences on business and technical functions. He’s written
two books — Managing Cultural Diversity in Technical Professions,
and most rec-ently Recruiting, Retaining and Promoting Culturally Diverse
Employees.
The president of MCB Solutions has, over the last 10 years, provided cross-cultural
training, coaching and consulting to over 15,000 people in eight countries.
Dr. Laroche’s workshop will suggest tips and solutions to help your organization integrate foreign-trained engineers, and will deeply examine all the related human-resources issues.
The second day of the cultural diversity stream, April 27, will provide delegates with two choices on related subjects. Seminar A will focus on Aboriginal professionals, today and in the future. Kris Frederickson, P.Eng., an Aboriginal APEGGA member, will facilitate.
Gary Bosgoed, P.Eng., also an Aboriginal member, will present for much of the day on a topic of particular interest to those with active Aboriginal staffing programs. Seminar A concludes with a panel discussion.
Mr. Bosgoed is an industrial systems engineer with 28 years’ experience in project management, management consulting and consulting engineering. After 13 years as president of Bosgoed Project Consultants Ltd. in Regina, he moved in 2005 to a senior management position in the Edmonton office of Colt Engineering.
A member of the APEGGA Aboriginal Affairs Committee, he has successfully developed and led several business expansions in a wide range of areas, from engineering, procurement and construction management to telecommunications.
Mr. Bosgoed is a well-known public speaker, community leader and business coach. He received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in Business and Technology in 2003 and a Saskatchewan Centennial Medal in 2005.
Seminar B on April 27 is about the tools Bow Valley College uses to integrate internationally educated graduates. Sean Mailey, manager of international education at the college, will facilitate. Mr. Mailey will also present with Ellie Khaksar and Chris Aitken.
Ms. Khaksar is the project leader of placement services for immigrant professionals, at Bow Valley College. The project matches employment-ready immigrant professionals with employment opportunities.
Ms. Khaksar brings to the conference more than a decade of experience helping people educated outside of Canada develop their careers and find jobs. She has helped deliver career and employment services through several government-funded projects.
An immigrant herself, Mrs. Khaksar arrived in Canada in 1996. In 2004 she supervised the start-up and development of Directions for Immigrants in Trades and Professional Careers, which is an employment resource centre and a website for immigrant professionals in regulated occupations.
Seminar B will provide practical suggestions and tools for corporations working with foreign-trained professionals. Topics will include recruitment, integration, retention and productivity related to working with internationally trained workers in Alberta.
The day will conclude with presentations from two people who operate programs for integration within their companies: Dan Strilchuk of Spectra Energy and Chad Gvozdenovic, P.Eng., of SNC Lavalin.