TheNorms

Hi, I would really appreciate if anyone could give me any clarification.

I am applying under the Atlantic Immigration pilot program under skill C - Truck driver

I have applied to WES for my ECA but I'm concerned that they will not find my UK education equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma. I left senior school at the age of 16 -- 26 years ago with a couple of GCSE's. I went straight out to work. Well now could that decision bite me in the back side.

I've searched the Internet but I can't find anything.

Many thanks

Shirtback

I doubt that your “couple of GCSEs” at the age of 16 will qualify as the equivalent of a Canadian HS diploma, i.e. they won’t.

If you have trade or truck driver qualifications/certificates, those might.

Engineer_abroad

I agree with shirtback, Canadian formal secondary education continues to age 18. As such you almost always need a-levels to meet the same standard as Canadian high school.

Note for an ECA only academic qualifications are assessed and not vocational ones.

Shirtback

I forgot to add the link which has the details (and I can’t seem to edit my post): for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot program trade and/or vocational training qualifications *are* apparently considered as equivalents to an HS diploma, but I don’t think WES is the appropriate agency to validate these. I could be wrong about WES.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...igibility.html

TheNorms

Thanks for that info, luckily I do have a NVQ and a BTEC.
I''m going to also try my luck and send my HGV 1 pass certificate and my Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) qualification record. I will also send off my IELTS certificate that's just come though the post I scored 8.5. Not bad concidering I went to the test centre straight from a 13 hour night shift! Worth a shot.
It's a shame they won't take military training and exams.

WES are on the list CIC provide for a ECA under the AIPP, god in the nicest possible way I hope you're wrong. Don't fancy losing that £

Fingers crossed.

christmasoompa

They are on the list, but they do also state on their website that they don't evaluate vocational qualifications, only academic ones. https://www.wes.org/ca/eca/

You might be lucky with the BTEC/NVQ, depending on the subject and if they were full-time study or not.

HTH.

Shirtback

I know I’m right about GCSEs: as Engineer_abroad pointed out, ‘A’ levels would be the closest & acceptable equivalent to a Canadian HS diploma, and the minimum (academic) qualification assessed by WES.

If you wouldn’t mind, backtracking a bit and describing the details of the steps you’ve gone through so far in your AIPP application might help us to help you more. I feel like *we* may be missing info, or you might be...

ETA: posted at the same time as Chr’oompa, who added what I forgot to say .

TheNorms

I guess I've been very lucky so far, I approached a couple of truck firms and have been offered a position and I've received my offer of employment document. I had already sat my IELTS test before my job offer came through. I have my letter to confirm my employer is approved as a designated employer via Aipp so I can start my settlement plan.

The only this that's holding me back from starting my settlement plan is the ECA. I wouldn't wish to waste people's time as I really need this sorted before I get my settlement sorted and for my employer to submit the endorsement to the province. Either I'm missing something or I'm not reading it probably as a worker it says I can use either a diploma, certificate, or a trade. I need to sit and fully read what each of them offer as I've given them a quick glance since you all said WES wouldn't look at my nvq, Btec or my trade certificates. So I now need to find out who will take what.

I really appreciate your help and guidance.

christmasoompa

That's not actually what we said - I just pointed out that WES state on their website that occupational qualifications won't be assessed, but I did also say that your BTEC/NVQ may be depending on the nature of study & subject.

Trade qualifications (i.e. plumbers, electricians) are asssesed a different way, is that what you have?

The cost of the ECA is a drop in the ocean when it comes to the thousands (tens of thousands usually) of the cost of emigrating, so IMO you might as well send them all off and see what you get.

Shakyuk

What is the full title of your BTEC and NVQ?


If the BTEC is a diploma, I'm 90% sure WES will assess that as usually diploma's are fulltime in classroom. If it's a certificate it's less likely as they're usually day release or evening classes with on the job training.