GemGuest

Hello,

Signed up because I really need two questions answered ASAP, and cant seem to find anything on them!
I have a job offer in the Yukon, freind of the family has a bussiness and wishes to employ me, however the job requires to me to have a highschool diploma or equivalent.
Now I dropped out ouf school at 17, with 12 GSCE's and 3 AS levels (what you earn from 1 year of doing A levels). At GCSE I got one A, one B, seven C's, and two D's, and at AS I got two D's and an E.
I've read on this site's wiki page:
"Grade twelve is roughly half way between GCSEs and A-levels.
So GCSEs are roughly equivalent to grade eleven, that is, one year short of Canadian high school graduation.
A-levels, on the other hand, are about a year more advanced than the Canadian grade twelve."

If this is correct then, am I right in assuming that I won't need to complete my A Levels in order to accept this job?
Also, if it does come down to completing my A levels, would I need just one for it to be equivalent or will it require me completing all 3?

My other question is - how does the job offer thing work? Im sure in the US the situation is if a more suitable american candidate applies, the job must go to them, but is this the same in canada? As I said, a family friend has offered me a job but they also have canadian applicants for it, which us my reason for concern here.

Thank you for any help you can give me!

Aviator

They have to hire Canadian before foreign applicants.

Applying for the LMIA to hire a foreigner, costs them $1000, they have to demonstrate why they did not hire Canadian. Difficult if they have Canadian applicants. Also depends on the job, if there are lots of Canadians who can do the job, going to be hard to justify a foreign hire.

If you are under 30, you could try for the IEC and accept any job you like for 2 years.

GemGuest

Hello, thank you for the answer, really helps out.
Now I really need to know the answer to my highschool education question. That was the most important one.

Aviator

It is up to the employer what is acceptable, this is a question for them. Many jobs are posted as requiring a high school diploma. When it states 'or equivalent', it is usually referring to adult education high school equivalency qualification.

Photoplex

As Aviator suggested, if you are under 30 years old, your best bet would be to apply for the IEC work permit (International Experience Canada - basically the Working Holiday visa). That lets you come here and work for anyone, anywhere in Canada, for 2 years.

Your family friend can offer the job to anyone they deem qualified - it's their decision on educational and experiential requirements. With your IEC visa, they can offer you the job.

You are unlikely to get a regular visa/work permit/etc based on the little information you've shared so far.

Engineer_abroad

They are really a combined question. i.e. your main issue here is not if you have the right qualification level(as said by others, more determined by employer) but whether you can get an LMIA for the job.

As said the employer must try to hire Canadian first, if they have a higher level of education than you then it makes it even harder to justify why they couldn't hire the Canadian applicant. Whether they are equivalent or not is hard one to answer but in simple terms if a candidate had formal education to age 18 and another to age 17, it is likely, in very simple terms to say that the one in education for a year more is more qualified.

Aviator

I don't believe you mentioned what the job is? This could also make a lot of difference.

Almost Canadian

None of that matters for an IEC.

Engineer_abroad

agreed but, unless I missed it, OP does not mention age.

GemGuest

I have been offered a job but at the moment its all hypothetical.
I really just want to know what the conversion of canadian highschool to UK education system is so that I know where I stand at the moment and in the future. I would eventually like to immigrate to canada, but if its going to be hard for me to find a job without highschool, then I need to know if I've got it or how much more i need to do before I have. So that's really the answer I am looking for at the moment.

Aviator

Being offered a job and being able to take it up are quite different until the entry into Canada is approved, either by IEC or work permit and LMIA.

Nobody here can definitively give you an answer on whether your qualifications would be accepted or not. It is up to the employer understanding your educational standard.

scilly

If you want to know the conversion of the English to the Canadian system, education establishments usually follow this ..........

Canadian high school graduation occurs after Grade 12 has been completed and all necessary examinations passed ........ usually age 18.

That is equivalent to completing 6th Form and passing all necessary examinations in England.

GCSEs are not considered equivalent to Canadian graduation.


I'm not sure that you have enough to satisfy an employer unless you have some other training that he/she considers essential.

GemGuest

Hi, thank you. This was the only answer I was really looking for. Cheers.

Aviator

However, there are no definitive answers. High School diploma is rather subjective from an employers perspective, where overseas qualifications are concerned.

We put this statement in some job ads, mostly the entry level ones. If someone came to us with GCSEs O level from the UK, quite likley we would be OK with it. Professional qualifications are where it becomes more of a requirement.

It is very much employer specific and you would only know when you ask. My guess would be what you have would be acceptable to some employers.

Where you may find you would need to upgrade is if going for a university entry.

The only way you are going to know for sure is ask the employer. I only ever had a few O levels from secondary school.