Employee Recruitment and TILMA

In April 2006, Alberta and British Columbia signed the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA). One of the objectives of this agreement is to facilitate the movement of all certified occupations, including teachers and skilled trades, between the two provinces.  We expect that this agreement will enhance British Columbia's pool of qualified teachers, particularly in the area of francophone education and in those districts along the Alberta border.

While the focus of the TILMA agreement has been on the teaching profession and mobility for teachers, this agreement covers all individuals in regulated trades and professions and should have a positive impact on our ability to recruit workers from Alberta.

We are hopeful that changes such as TILMA in conjunction with Make a Future– Careers in BC Education, will make the recruitment and application process more efficient and effective from the perspective of both the employer and the applicant. The Make a Future– Careers in BC Education site will allow applicants from other jurisdictions to access information about job opportunities, the school district, and the communities, while giving them the ability to apply electronically for these positions.

The following are common questions related to the implementation of TILMA and additional resources/information.

If an employee has an Alberta teaching certificate, can they apply for jobs in BC?

A teacher may submit the application to a BC school district; however, he/she will need to qualify for BC teacher certification before being employed in the BC K-12 public education system.

Does his/her Alberta teaching certificate qualify him/her to teach in BC?

The teacher will still need to apply for a BC teaching certificate through the BC College of Teachers in order to teach in BC.

How will this agreement improve our recruitment pool of teaching candidates?

Previously, Alberta teachers wishing to move to BC often had to complete additional courses in order to be eligible for a BC teaching certificate. Under this agreement, a teacher who is certified in Alberta will be deemed certified here in BC. This should facilitate the process for those teachers seeking employment in BC school districts.

One other change that may have a positive impact on our francophone teacher recruitment efforts is the change in the requirements for English proficiency.  Currently, some teachers are restricted to teaching in the French Language only pending the teacher meeting the required English language proficiency requirements. Under this agreement, English proficiency will no longer be required in order to obtain a non-expiring teaching certificate.

When do the changes for certification requirements take effect?

The changes came into effect April 1, 2008.

For additional information please see the following:

Ministry of Education: http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2005-2009/2007ECD0048-001632-Attachment1.htm

BC College of Teachers: http://www.bcct.ca/documents/TILMA_QA-teachers.pdf

TILMA website: http://www.tilma.ca/