Many newcomers bring an impressive professional background from their home countries, but often struggle to find employment in Canada.
From left to right: Dr. David Burns, Dr. Asma Sayed and Raj Brar formalize the partnership with the signing of a Letter of Understanding.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) is partnering with Progressive Intercultural Community Service (PICS), a Surrey-based non-profit organization, to offer streamlined pathways to education and employment for internationally-trained professionals.
"When these professionals come to Canada, their credentials or degrees are often not recognized here. Even when they decide to go back to university, it can be very difficult to know where to start," says Raj Brar, Director of Career Services at PICS. "Our collaboration with KPU will help bridge the gap so newcomers are able to get back into their fields of employment more quickly."
PICS supports new immigrants through a range of programs and services in areas such as education and employment. This new partnership, formalized with the signing of a Letter of Understanding, will include referral pathways to programs and courses at KPU, delivery of short courses and micro-credentials, and prior learning assessments for eligible learners.
At KPU, the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) option allows prospective students to receive academic credit for knowledge and skills gained through work experience, volunteer activities, professional training and more. Assessments can either be at the course or program level. By shortening the pathway to program completion, successful applicants can save on both time and costs.
For program-level assessments, prior learning is evaluated through a portfolio review, which includes samples of previous work. In some cases, the assessment may also involve interviews or demonstrations with faculty members. The application and assessment are free of charge.
The PLAR option is currently available for several programs including creative writing, journalism, policy studies and all programs in the Melville School of Business.
"PICS and KPU share a focus on the concrete needs of the community and on becoming a platform to empower personal and career growth," says Dr. David Burns, Associate Vice-President, Academic. "This agreement will help us make sure that there is a bridge between the vital newcomer services offered by PICS and the door-opening polytechnic education offered by KPU."
Another feature of the partnership includes joint initiatives on equity, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) and anti-racism with the Office of the Vice President, Equity and Inclusive Communities (OEIC) at KPU. The OEIC and PICS will be collaborating on an art exhibition exploring themes of racism, which will open on March 21, 2026 at Surrey City Hall.
"We are very excited about our partnership with PICS and are looking forward to launching a number of initiatives on EDI and anti-racism," says Dr. Asma Sayed, Vice-President, Equity and Inclusive Communities. "This collaboration will help us to further build bridges between KPU and our communities. The events and programs will raise awareness about current socio-cultural issues in a meaningful way."
For more information on flexible and personalized learning pathways at KPU, visit the KPU Flex page.
