Quebec is launching an offensive to recruit 1,000 nurses abroad who will be able to complete the short skills familiarization program before coming to lend a helping hand to the Health Grid.
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The Minister of Labor and Immigration, Jean Boulet, announced that these will come mainly from French-speaking African countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritius. He was accompanied by his colleague in health Christian Dube.
The selected nurses will have to complete a refresher training of 9 to 12 months in CEGEP located in the regions, namely Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Côte-Nord, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie, Saguenay-Lac-Saint -Jean, Baie-James and Outaouais.
Quebec will bear the tuition fee, the cost of the equivalency application for the arrangement of nurses, the cost of refresher training and the application fee for comparative evaluation for studies conducted outside Quebec.
In addition, they will receive an allowance of $500 per week during their studies.
This measure will cost the state $65 million.
Additionally, nurses will also be able to work up to 20 hours per week as organizers during their training and full-time during school holidays.
These immigration candidates will also be able to settle in Quebec with their spouse and children. Quebec says they will benefit from “ongoing and personalized support starting from abroad”.