The Charest government will table legislation Wednesday intended to help foreign-trained doctors and other professionals enter Quebec's workforce more easily.

On Wednesday, Quebec Premier Jean Charest will table legislation aimed at helping foreign-trained skilled workers to get their skills accredited in Canada more easily. (Akira Suemori/Associated Press)

More than 4,000 foreign-trained workers seek to have their professional qualifications recognized in Quebec each year.

But doctors, engineers, and others are often turned down, because Canadian professional orders say the foreign training is not up to par.

The premier said Quebec's labour market needs those workers and their skills.

Among other features, the proposed legislation would improve communication between government and immigrants while their files are being processed.

It would also create a complaints commissioner to ensure the system is fair and applicants aren't denied simply because their training was in another country.

"We want to make sure there is something in the system that allows an individual to call regarding how their situation is being considered," Charest said Wednesday.

The move comes as a response to a key recommendation in the Bouchard-Taylor report on reasonable accommodations for minority groups, made just over a year ago.

Equal access to the labour market was one of the most common issues raised by minority groups during the Bouchard-Taylor hearings last year.