|
Canada actively seeks out highly skilled immigrants as a means of maintaining population levels due to our low birth rate, aging population and labour market demands. Immigration accounts for more than half of Canada’s population growth and approximately three-quarters of our labour market growth. Statistics Canada predicts that by the year 2011, immigrants will supply 100% of Canada’s net labour market growth.
Unfortunately, once in Canada, internationally trained individuals encounter a complex and broad range of barriers to their labour force participation. For some, the transition into careers and positions that match their training and skills never occurs. The research continues to demonstrate that today’s newcomers face significant obstacles and are faring worse than their predecessors based on their source country. Research by Galabuzi and Teelucksingh reveals that this discrimination and racism not only affects parents of new immigrants, but also is also affecting second and third generation racialized groups born in Canada.
Integration of skilled immigrants into the Canadian workforce has been a major and on-going public policy issue for a number of years. While it is evident that the Canadian labour market and Canada’s future economic prosperity will depend on the increased contribution of skilled immigrants, it is sometimes less clear what pathways these individuals should take to find employment proportionate to their experience and education.
Part of the problem lies in the differences in the way Skilled Trades are defined in Ontario and other parts of Canada, as well as different parts of the world. To help make the certification and information finding process easier, the Government of Ontario has put together some useful pages on their website. In addition, new immigrants often encounter a range of barriers to entering professions and trades in Canada, particularly in fields that are highly regulated. Some challenges include: - Acquiring occupation-appropriate language skills
- Understanding requirements in the professional accreditation process
- No centralized accreditation process
- Temporary licensing
- No targeted services
- Employers don’t know how to interpret/assess newcomer’s education and previous work experience
- Educational background that may not be directly applicable or suited to the Canadian workplace
- No Canadian experience
- Requiring an understanding of the culture, context and practice of a profession or trade in Canada
- Discrimination and racism in Canada
As a result, a paradoxical situation has occurred where Canadian employers need more skilled and trained individuals to fill their vacancies, while there are highly skilled newcomers in Canada who cannot find employment or who are underemployed. There is also a mismatch between Canada’s immigration policy requirements and those of employers. The immigration policy, using a point system, indicates that immigrants’ education and credentials are in demand in Canada; while employers are saying that they do not recognize foreign credentials and that they require Canadian experience.
In addition, many prospective immigrants do not understand the realities of Canadian credentialing and employment system before they immigrate, thus leading to a feeling of betrayal upon arrival. If credential assessment were part of the immigration process then immigrants would have more realistic expectations upon arrival. This way, immigrants would be able to make more informed decisions regarding the types of employment opportunities available to them or any additional training needed.
One of the foremost determinants of immigrant settlement is employment. Hence, credential recognition needs to be a coordinated endeavor. If not, Canada will continue to struggle to maintain its labour force and newcomers will continue to work in precarious employment situations in low wage sectors; ultimately leading to poverty and social exclusion.
Download CASSA report Access to Trades for Newcomers in Ontario (2009) ReferencesAtlin, J. & Pond-White, J. (2000, March). Foreign-trained Trades people in Toronto: What About the Other Half of “Access to Professions and Trades”? http://www.skillsforchange.org/library/pdfs/foreign_trained_tradespeople.pdf
Internationally Trained Workers Partnership. (n.d.). Internationally Trained Workers An opportunity for Ottawa: A Strategy for the Integration of Internationally Trained Workers in Ottawa.
http://www.itwp.ca/site/files/itw_brochure_eng.pdf
Skills Without Borders. (n.d.). Connecting employers and skilled immigrants: Final Report. Sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (with support from Service Canada). http://www.skillswithoutborders.com/pdfs/SWB%20Final%20Report.pdf
Teelucksingh, C. & Galabuzi, G-E. (2005, May). Impact of Race and Immigrants Status on Employment Opportunities and Outcomes in the Canadian Labour Market. The Canadian Race Relations Foundation. http://www.wrien.com/documents/PolicyMatters22.pdf
Wayland, S. (2006). Unsettled: Legal and Policy Barriers for Newcomers to Canada. Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) and the Law Commission of Canada (LCC).
http://www.cfc-fcc.ca/doc/LegalPolicyBarriers.pdf |
