Internationally educated nurses (IEN) struggling to return to their profession in Canada now have a new hub to turn to for support in North York.
The Filipino IENs Society of Canada and CRD College of Health Care have opened a hub to support their transition into the workforce.
Located at 3678 Bathurst St., Unit 310, the Hub Space for IENs provides a place for nurses to practise their clinical skills while connecting with mentors.
These mentors then guide them through the challenges of entering Canada’s health-care workforce.
The facility also offers learning resources to help those returning to nursing after years away from practice.
The Hub Space is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A personal struggle started it all
For Filipino IENs Society of Canada founder Mark Gravoso, the initiative grew out of his own struggles after arriving in Canada in 2017.
“I didn’t know where to go. I didn’t know where to get support,” Gravoso recalled.
Having navigated the registration process himself, Gravoso wanted to establish a physical space where nurses could find guidance without facing the same uncertainty.
He said IENs often struggle with credential recognition, unfamiliar registration requirements and financial responsibilities that delay their return to nursing.
Some prioritize supporting their families before pursuing registration, leaving them out of clinical practice for years.
The hub aims to address these challenges by connecting nurses with others who have successfully navigated the Canadian system.
“We want it to rise (us all) together and we call it—in the Philippines—‘bayanihan’,” Gravoso said.
Free access to all IENs
The facility provides clinical practice materials to familiarize nurses with equipment used in Canadian health-care settings.
CRD College director Grace Lanceta, an IEN with 30 years of experience, said the partnership builds on years of supporting nurses transitioning into the profession.
She said the college provides the physical space, clinical equipment and educational expertise, while the Filipino IENs Society focuses on mentorship, community connections and registration guidance.
The facility includes training mannequins, intravenous therapy practice equipment and materials for practising procedures such as catheter insertion and chest tube care.
“We started with just IV therapy and I bought some hand mannequins for them to practice,” Lanceta said.
She added that Canadian-licensed nurses who were previously internationally educated have also volunteered equipment and expertise.
The hub is free to access, with no membership requirement, and welcomes internationally educated nurses regardless of nationality or immigration status.
An IEN supporting an IEN
However, specialized workshops and micro-credential certification programs offered through CRD College may carry fees.
Lanceta said the goal is to make additional training affordable, particularly for nurses who are unemployed or still navigating registration.
“If we can raise funds on our own so that those IENs who are just starting and are struggling can get it for free, I would be happy to do that,” she said.
Both founders emphasized that the hub serves a purpose beyond clinical training.
Gravoso recalled feeling isolated from his profession while prioritizing his family’s needs after immigrating.
Lanceta said nurses who have failed licensing examinations or spent years away from practice can also benefit from having a community that understands their experiences.
“It’s either they become a practical nurse or they become a registered nurse. The challenge is obtaining that license,” Lanceta said.
She hopes the initiative will help nurses prepare for employment while providing opportunities to rebuild their professional confidence.
The partnership also plans to track how many participants obtain nursing licences and secure health-care employment.
Lanceta said the organizations are considering bringing workshops to other Ontario communities, such as London, Ont.
For Gravoso, the long-term goal is to encourage nurses who have successfully entered the Canadian workforce to mentor those following the same path.
“Our call to serve is an IEN supporting IEN,” he said.
Luis Miguel De Castro is a Changing Narratives Fund-Local Journalism Initiative reporter at Mabuhay Canada and a journalism graduate at Humber Polytechnic in Toronto. Originally from the Philippines, he is passionate about community storytelling, multimedia journalism, and amplifying Filipino voices through meaningful local coverage.
