Internationally Trained Workers

A Strategy for

the Integration of

Internationally Trained

Workers in Ottawa

Final report

moving forward >>

april 2004

Canadian Labourand Business Centre

The Internationally Trained Workers Project — OttawaThe unemployment and underemployment of internationally trained workers is one of the top ten economic challenges facing Ottawa in the coming decade.1 Without action, skilled and educated newcomers will continue to be underutilized at a cost to our local community.

Bridging this gap is crucial for the future of Ottawa.

To respond to this challenge, United Way/Centraide Ottawa, the Canadian Labour and Business Centre and LASI (Local Agencies Serving Immigrants)2 World Skills have partnered to deliver the Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa. Through research and community consultations, the partners have gained a greater understanding of the dynamics of this complex community challenge and have identified many of the barriers. Most importantly, they have begun to develop viable solutions that are based on Ottawa’s priorities and needs.

BRIDGING THE GAP

Immigration fuelled 38 percent of Ottawa’s population growth between 1996 and 2001 and the numbers are increasing. More than 50 percent of immigrants settling in Ottawa in 2002 had a university degree.

Meanwhile, the local economy faces current and projected labour shortages in a number of economic sectors and the required credentials frequently match those of Ottawa immigrants. Yet, recent immigrants to Ottawa aged 25 to 44 with a university degree are four times more likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to be unemployed.

The City of Ottawa noted in its 20/20 plan that Canada is losing an estimated $5.9 billion annually3 by under-employing internationally trained workers. A significant portion of this loss affects the Ottawa community.

To date, our research and consultation has shown there is no one single, overarching barrier that all internationally trained workers face but rather, a complex and broad range of barriers. The most serious obstacles include barriers to licensing and accreditation, a lack of access to Canadian workplace experience, difficulty in gaining recognition for international work experience, and a lack of information on how to access necessary programs. Finally, a serious and systemic barrier arises because of a lack of policy and service coordination among various government and immigrant-serving agencies.

Through a series of occupation-specific working groups linked to our labour market analysis, and a community forum with over 120 participants in February of 2004, the Internationally Trained Workers Project partners have begun to lay the foundation for a community-based strategy. Our goal is to better integrate internationally trained workers into the Ottawa economy, to meet Ottawa’s unique market needs and capacities.

1 Ottawa Works – A Mosaic of Ottawa’s Economic and Workforce Landscape, Report II: Profiling Ottawa’s Workforce, prepared by Center on Governance, University of Ottawa, p.62

2 Local Agencies Serving Immigrants: an umbrella group of six settlement agencies in Ottawa that have come together to sponsor WorldSkills.

3 Ottawa 20/20 – Economic Strategy. City of Ottawa, Business Development Branch, Development Services Department, April 2003, page 33

MOVING FORWARD

We now have a lot of knowledge about the barriers as well as some of the solutions. The time has come to act on that knowledge and for Ottawa to put in place a strategy that can be maintained over the long term.

Further, all stakeholders must be engaged in this strategy, as no one body or group alone can dismantle the barriers. Governments, education and training institutions, licensing and accreditation bodies, employers, unions, the voluntary sector, immigrant settlement agencies, and the larger immigrant community — all have a role to play.

The Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa is recommending that the first step toward building a local, sustained strategy be the development of a Leadership Council. This Council would direct action in a coordinated way, ensuring that we link immigrant skills with labour market needs on an ongoing basis; it would be a champion for immigrants and their skills among the region’s employers and it would help to raise public awareness about the great economic and social benefits to be gained by giving newcomers a fair opportunity to contribute.

Many individuals and organizations have demonstrated their interest and commitment to this community-wide challenge. This early interest and commitment is encouraging and now must be harnessed and mobilized. Quite simply, the future growth of the City of Ottawa will be dependant on the successful integration of internationally trained workers into our local labour market.

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TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1. What We Have Learned From Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2. The Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa: First Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3. Lessons Learned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

4. Building A Community-Based Strategy For Ottawa — Next Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Appendix A

Other Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Appendix B

Items Include: Program Agenda, Media Release and a Quick Fact Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

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“We must work harder and smarter as a community to benefit from immigration. Integration is critical to the future of this city.”

- Mayor Bob Chiarelli, Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa

February 16, 2004

The Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa is a joint initiative of the Canadian Labour and Business Centre, LASI/WorldSkills and United Way/Centraide Ottawa.

Members of the project management team include:

Arlene Wortsman, Canadian Labour and Business Centre

Mengistab Tsegaye, LASI/WorldSkills

Janet Whillans, United Way/Centraide Ottawa

Kelly McGahey, LASI/WorldSkills

Kathy Secord, Consultant

This report was authored by Arlene Wortsman, Canadian Labour and Business Centre, in concert with François Lamontagne and Clarence Lochhead, also of Canadian Labour and Business Centre.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The founding partners and project management team gratefully acknowledge the support, participation and cooperation of the numerous individuals, organizations and levels of government who have contributed far beyond our expectations and have brought us to this place.

They include:

The former Human Resources Development Canada, for providing the preliminary funding though their Voluntary Sector Initiative and for their on-going support to this project.

Members of the Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa Steering Committee:

Kamla Anantram Human Resource & Skills Development Canada

Nicole Besner Talent Works/OCRI

Cathy Blauer Disabled Persons Community Resources

Ken Clavette Labour Community Services of Ottawa

Patrick Donnelly Ministry of Training, Colleges, & Universities

Peggy Frederikse Ministry of Training, Colleges, & Universities

Marcelle Gibson Canadian Heritage

Cheryl Gorman Talent Works/OCRI

Bonnie Johnson City of Ottawa

Sharon Kan Catholic Immigration Centre Ottawa

Sevilla Leowinata Brown & Leowinata, Greater Ottawa Chamber of Commerce

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Kelly McGahey LASI/WorldSkills

Hindia Mahamoud Social Planning Council of Ottawa

Kathy Secord Consultant

June St. Pierre Human Resouce Development Canada

Lucille St-Onge Ministry of Training, Colleges, & Universities

Mengistab Tsegaye LASI/WorldSkills

Tammy Turpin-Loyer Human Resources & Skills Development Canada

Nityanand Varma United Way/Centraide Ottawa, Board Member

Janet Whillans United Way/Centraide Ottawa

Althea Williams Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Arlene Wortsman Canadian Labour and Business Centre

The Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa would also like to pay tribute to all those who, over the past two years, have lent their time, ideas and experience to this initiative including the more than 70 participants involved in the occupation-specific discussion groups and the 120 attendees of the Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa Forum, held on February 16, 2004. All along our path, we have seen an open exchange of ideas, the spirit of collaboration and an enduring commitment to finding solutions. This has been both enriching and inspiring and augurs well, we believe, for the future of our community.

In conclusion, we dedicate this report to the thousands of new Canadians and their families who have brought, and will bring, skills and talents to Ottawa. We welcome you and your participation in our community.

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moving forward: final report << 01

IntroductionIn recent years, immigration has become the major contributor to Canada’s population and labour force growth. Between 1991 and 2001, 71% of net labour force growth in Canada was attributable to immigration. By 2011, it is estimated that this figure will rise to 100%. Each year the province of Ontario receives over 100 000 immigrants, which is approximately 60% of all immigrants to Canada. After Toronto, Ottawa is the destination of choice for immigrants settling in Ontario.

The percentage of Canada’s immigrants who settle in Ottawa has remained at about 3% of all immigrants to Canada over the past few years. Between 1996 and 2001, immigration made up 38% of Ottawa’s population growth. More remarkable is the fact that 51% of those who immigrated to Ottawa in 2002 held a university degree. In the same year, 5.7% of all Canada’s new immigrants with a Ph.D. intended to settle in Ottawa, almost twice the overall Ottawa settlement rate of 3.1%. The number of immigrants with a doctorate in that year exceeded the annual number of Ph.D.s granted by the two local universities combined.

However, in Ottawa, as in many other urban centres across the country, recently landed immigrants have a considerably lower labour force participation rate and a significantly higher unemployment rate than the Canadian-born. This is despite a high level of language knowledge, and education levels on par with, or higher than, those of the Canadian-born. The failure to recognize their credentials contributes to higher levels of unemployment among them and to a poor match between jobs and skills. Recent Ottawa immigrants aged 25 to 44 with a university degree were four times more likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to be unemployed. Even more alarming is the fact that, for some recent immigrants, the transition from immigration to employment never happens. In light of the above, the case is increasingly clear that more can be done to facilitate the integration of immigrants into local labour markets.

Several recent studies shed light on the difficulties faced by immigrants, including highly skilled ones, in their attempts to join the labour force and participate fully in the country’s economic and social life. An analysis of the 2001 census data reveals that the length and intensity of unemployment among recent immigrants have worsened, compared to the Canadian average and to the situation that prevailed 20 years ago, amounting to “a transition penalty” (Canadian Labour and Business Centre, 2003). Another study observes that, despite an average level of education that was higher than that of previous immigrant cohorts and of Canadians as a whole, recent immigrants’ employment rate and earnings are lower than the Canadian average (McIsaac, 2003).

In an effort to address these labour market integration issues, the Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa has been developed under the partnership of United Way/Centraide Ottawa, the Canadian Labour and Business Centre, and LASI WorldSkills. The overall project goal is to develop a community-based strategy aimed at facilitating the accreditation and integration of internationally trained workers into the Ottawa economy.

<<02 >> moving forward: final report

1. What We Have Learned From OthersThe Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa began by identifying and initiating discussions with a number of key occupational groups. Although these occupational group discussions provide much information about barriers, solutions and best practices, the development of a local strategy designed to facilitate the integration of internationally trained workers into the local economy also needs to take into consideration past and ongoing initiatives aimed at easing the integration of internationally trained workers into the Canadian labour market. To that end, recent inventories of such initiatives (Maytree Foundation, 2001; Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2002) suggest that there is a depth and scope of efforts designed to ease the transition from immigration to employment. Whether they relate to information access, language assessment academic credentials and competency recognition, language training, bridging and internship programs, mentoring programs or financial assistance, these initiatives have successfully addressed one stage or another of the immigration-to-labour market integration process.

A quick scan of the literature makes it clear that reporting on all the relevant initiatives would go beyond the scope of this report. The focus, then, is on these existing provincial and national initiatives, and those pertaining to local strategies and models, that are of particular relevance to this Ottawa-based project.

1.1 BARRIERS TO THE SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF INTERNATIONALLY TRAINED WORKERS

Barriers to the integration of internationally trained workers into the labour market are well documented, as attested by the number of publications (Brouwer 1999) dealing with this issue, all of which describe in detail the difficulties facing Canadian immigrant professionals and tradespersons seeking employment in their fields of expertise. The following provides an overview of the barriers identified by the literature and confirmed in interviews:

• Difficulty in gaining recognition of international credentials due to regulatory bodies’, employers’, and academic institutions’ unfamiliarity with international educational, training, technological, and professional standards;

• Lack of timely information for immigrants before and during the immigration process about how to access a profession or trade. The entire process of obtaining information or feedback during the immigration or accreditation process is too long;

• Lack of coordination among and within the three levels of government, and among governments, accrediting bodies and educational institutions;

• Difficulty in gaining recognition of international work experience by occupational regulatory bodies and employers;

• Length of time necessary to remain in Canada before internationally trained workers can apply for their license;

• The absence of appeal processes for those who were unfairly denied entry to regulated occupations;

• Lack of access to adequate, occupation-specific educational/training upgrading, language training and testing;

• Lack of uniformity of standards in regulated occupations across provinces and territories;

• Lack of Canadian experience making it difficult to access employment, coupled with the challenge of getting employers to invest time in training;

• Piecemeal nature of interventions by non-governmental organizations in their support to internationally trained immigrants;

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• Insufficient information as to the costs and resources associated with credentials recognition;

• Complexity of the challenge: issues of translation and authentication of qualifications, and the autonomous nature of assessing institutions; and

• Cultural differences in the interviewing process.

More recently, the Government of Manitoba has undertaken a province-wide initiative that resulted in the adoption of a framework for a strategy on qualifications recognition. The framework is designed to address a range of barriers that can be summarized as follows:

• Access to information: information regarding qualifications recognition available to immigrants, and information available to institutions responsible for assessing qualifications;

• Qualifications assessment and recognition practices: problems with criteria and standards, unfair treatment, and inadequacy of assessment mechanisms and procedures creating barriers;

• Costs and resources: not enough information about the costs and resources associated with credentials recognition;

• Complexity of the challenge: issues of translation and authentication of qualifications, and the autonomous nature of assessing institutions representing additional barriers; and

• Attitudes and approaches: comfort with status quo, complacency and a lack of a sense of urgency, and the existence of ethnocentrism and stereotyping.

Another provincial initiative, a British Columbia-based roundtable on improving access to the professions and trades through the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) and on qualifications recognition held in March 2002, also reported on a long list of gaps affecting qualifications and experience recognition. The list can be summarized along several themes:

• Lack of funding;

• Lack of information;

• Cross-agency communication and lack of integration;

• Complexity of PLA and lack of understanding of issues;

• Growing lack of technically knowledgeable assessors;

• Lack of appropriate bridging;

• Lack of employer involvement;

• No national standards in trades;

• Lack of articulated agreements; and

• No national system of internships.

McIsaac (2003) has argued in a recent article that the “barriers that make access to the labour market difficult for immigrants are systemic.” She singles out the non-recognition of credentials and experience by Canadian employers, educational institutions, and professional regulatory bodies as a key barrier, while noting the significance of other obstacles such as: (1) a lack of information about labour market integration provided to applicants overseas before they arrive in Canada; (2) the requirement that immigrants have Canadian work experience; (3) the lack of effective tools to assess qualifications; and (4) the lack of labour market language training and bridging programs to address specific gaps in qualifications.


All of the above references suggest that much is known about the barriers to the integration of internationally trained workers into the economy. This observation would suggest that there is a need to take the discussion to the next level, that of policy development and implementation.

1.2 SYSTEMIC APPROACHES AND LOCAL STRATEGIES

A perusal of the literature (see Bibliography) makes it clear that there is a wealth of initiatives and programs in place, nationally and in some provinces, that have been designed to alleviate the barriers preventing internationally trained workers from getting their credentials and work experience recognized, and from matching their skills and qualifications to suitable employment. It is also clear, however, that most of these initiatives are either ad hoc, short-term, or focused on a single occupation/trade or region. Partly as recognition of that, a few recent initiatives have been deliberately put in place with a view to promote a more comprehensive, systematic approach to removing these barriers. The following provides highlights of two such initiatives.

THE MAYTREE FOUNDATION’S MODEL

The Maytree Foundation (2002)4 has argued for a more comprehensive approach to integrating immigrant workers into the Canadian economy. In Fulfilling the Promise: Integrating Immigrant Skills into the Canadian Economy, the Foundation, in collaboration with Naomi Alboim, proposes a systemic approach to the integration of skilled immigrants into Canada’s labour markets.

The proposed approach encompasses a number of “system components,” that can be summarized as follows:

a: incentives for stakeholders to collaborate in designing, delivering and evaluating programs and services, and for immigrants to access them;

b: services and programs in the areas of information, assessment services, expert advice, and bridging programs to fill identified gaps; and

c: leaders’ council to foster collaboration, identify priorities and linkages, and communicate results.

Information, assessment, and expert advice services also include access to an Internet portal, vocational counseling and learning plans, and mentorship by Canadian practitioners. For their part, bridging programs could include academic courses, workplace-specific language training, technical skills upgrading, and knowledge of Canadian workplace practices.

One of the central features of Maytree’s proposed approach is that it requires all stakeholders to work together to find and implement solutions. It thus offers an advantage over the current system of ad hoc initiatives offered by various stakeholders without much coordination or integration.

Another important contribution made by Maytree’s proposed model lies in the discussion of the potential roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders vis-à-vis the development, implementation and maintenance of this systematic approach to labour market integration. This breakdown of roles and responsibilities has the merit of being fairly detailed and comprehensive. It lists ten different categories of stakeholders and assigns to them, for each of the system’s components (Internet portal, mentorship, bridging, etc.) one or more of the following roles: information, access, funding, advice, lead, deliver, participate, support, beneficiary and provider. Such a breakdown represents a potentially useful starting point for any discussion of roles and responsibilities in relation to integrating internationally trained workers into the labour market.

4 The Maytree Foundation is a private Canadian charitable foundation that has been active in supporting the settlement of refugees and immigrants since 1987.

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From the perspective of developing a local strategy that would be suitable to the Ottawa context, the Maytree model comes a bit short in a number of areas. First, the model does not provide adequate treatment of the potential role played by unions and other workers’ associations in any strategy aimed at better integrating internationally trained workers into local labour markets. In regulated occupations and trades such as teaching, construction-related trades, and nursing, to name a few, unions and workers’ associations play a critical role on both the supply and demand sides of their respective labour markets and, as such, they need to be closely involved in the partnerships that are required to implement an effective strategy for supporting internationally trained workers.

Another piece missing in the Maytree model is the fact that it has been conceived as a national approach to integrating immigrant skills into the economy, with the result that it falls short on prescriptions for developing a strategy aimed at a local labour market. Although it is clear that some of the most significant barriers to the integration of internationally trained workers are systemic, and their removal beyond the capacity of local stakeholders, solutions need to correspond with each community’s uniqueness in terms of demographic characteristics, labour market needs and capacities, and industry trends (McIsaac, 2003).

The case for adapting solutions to a local environment is strengthening. In her review of recent Census data on immigrants, McIsaac (2003) argued that “multilateral agreements between municipal, federal and provincial governments would ensure that solutions reflect local priorities and help foster vertical and horizontal collaboration and co-ordination between governments and government departments.” She also pointed out that “solutions require an approach that is coordinated and engages all the relevant stakeholders,” and she provides a road map for local intervention: convene the relevant stakeholders, identify local priorities, provide advice to federal and provincial governments, and coordinate and integrate programs and initiatives.

TORONTO REGION IMMIGRANT EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL (TRIEC)

The case for a local strategy to integrate internationally trained workers into the labour market has also been made in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). As part of its efforts to more fully integrate its immigrants, the City of Toronto, along with key stakeholders, has promoted the concept of a local immigrant employment council (TRIEC).

To a large extent, TRIEC is a local adaptation of the Maytree national model, in that it brings together all the relevant stakeholders and seeks to find solutions that fit the local context (the Maytree Foundation has in fact acted as a resource organization in the proposed design of the Council, and will likely coordinate the creation and operation of its secretariat). Also worth noting are the following points:

• The TRIEC represents an attempt to address the ad hoc nature of other initiatives designed to ease the integration of internationally trained workers into the labour market. In principle, TRIEC is designed to have continuity by means of a flexible regional structure that brings together all the major stakeholders.

• Not unrelated to the above, the TRIEC model is trying to address the sustainability issue that has plagued so many ad hoc initiatives, by establishing a core Council and by seeking core funding for its operations. Obviously, it remains to be seen whether indeed the Council will be able to secure such funding and commitment from key stakeholders, but the approach it is using to tackle these challenges is most appropriate.

• The TRIEC is also being designed with flexibility in mind, thanks to its reliance upon working groups for tackling emerging or pressing issues, drawing as needed from the most relevant expertise and resources.

Examples of other initiatives can be found in Appendix A.


2. The Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa: First StepsThis project was funded under the umbrella of the Voluntary Sector Initiative by the former Human Resource Development Canada5. The specific objectives of the project were: 1) to develop a community-based strategy to support the integration of internationally trained workers into the labour market; 2) to establish a coordinated and sustainable approach to the assessment and recognition of skills and credentials; and 3) to help develop capacity in the voluntary sector. An essential project requirement was to focus efforts at the level of individual occupational groups, ensuring that there would be a match between supply of internationally trained workers on the one hand, and demand for workers in the occupations they were trained for, on the other. The project involved establishing occupation-specific working groups in five areas — teachers, engineers, doctors, nurses, and masons, with representation of each of the groups that includes people from the immigrant community, service agencies, employers, regulating bodies, training or educational institutions and others, who add expertise to this part of the project. These occupational groups were chosen because a reasonable level of (current or future) demand for workers in these occupations was predicted, and corresponding numbers of internationally trained workers existed in the LASI WorldSkills database.

Two or three meetings were held with each group, except for the doctors, for whom a focus group met in October, 2003. All meetings focused on the identification of barriers to labour market integration, and solutions to removing these barriers. The following provides an analysis of the process that underlies the occupational group meetings, describes the barriers and solutions that were common to the five groups, and finally discusses recommended actions and outcomes.

2.1 PROCESS

Beyond the specific knowledge to be derived from the identification of barriers, solutions and actions that come from the occupational group discussions, much of the project’s added value originates from its unique, occupation-specific approach to integrating internationally trained workers into the local labour market. Compared with proposed models or existing strategies designed to facilitate the integration of internationally trained workers into the economy, the Ottawa project presents some unique features that are worth discussing. The following describes the major steps that have so far been undertaken during the project’s life.

STEP 1: Project planning and management

One of the project’s central premises is the reliance upon local partnerships as a means to design and deliver an approach sensitive to local conditions and needs to build upon local talents and resources, and apply this to other areas experiencing similar difficulties. In Ottawa, this partnership includes United Way/Centraide Ottawa, the Canadian Labour and Business Centre, and LASI WorldSkills as leading partners, and other key stakeholders involved at the level of specific occupational groups. As well, a Steering Committee comprised of the three levels of government, labour, and local community agencies, guides and oversees the project. Members from this Committee have been working closely with those involved locally, particularly with the City of Ottawa and TalentWorks under the umbrella of Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) to ensure that the project builds on and integrates with other workforce development initiatives and the broad community planning exercises that are currently underway.

5 The former department of Human Resources Development Canada has been split into two: Human Resources and Skill Development Canada (HRSDC) and Social Development Canada (SDC).

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STEP 2: Analysis of local labour market supply and demand conditions

In order to meet one of the project’s requirements that it remain in line with the local labour market — a careful analysis of local labour market supply and demand conditions was carried out. The goal was to ensure that the professions and trades to be targeted for support met the following conditions at the occupational level: (1) a reasonable level of demand exists — that is, supply does not exceed demand — so that internationally trained workers would have a fair chance of finding employment in their field of expertise; (2) prognostics for growth in employment are generally favorable so that employment opportunities would reasonably exist in both the short-and the mid-term; and (3) there is a sufficient pool of internationally trained workers in the targeted occupational groups.

To understand the level of supply and demand, and growth in employment, the local HRDC office assisted in providing access to occupation-specific data. The obtained data were combined with that from other sources — historical Census and Labour Force Survey data — in order to produce detailed, occupation-specific analysis. On the supply side, the LASI database was used to complement other secondary data, and it allowed researchers to get a sense of the number of internationally trained workers living in the Ottawa region who were looking for employment in their field. Recent statistics from Citizenship and Immigration Canada were also obtained, and used to construct a profile of immigrants in the Ottawa region that included information on their demographic characteristics.

STEP 3: Identification of occupational groups to be targeted

By combining data on trends, supply and demand, the research team was able to come up with a short list of occupations that met the above-noted conditions. The following observations can be made about the challenges that were faced in trying to come up with a relevant list of occupations:

1: While the project team did make use of labour market data available, it is clear that more detailed, up-to-date, local and occupation-specific data is needed. This would significantly enhance decision-making and strategy development.

2: It is equally difficult to accurately portray immigrants who are qualified and willing to work in any given occupation, since existing databases are not designed to meet this labour market-related purpose.

Access to detailed labour market information is crucial for any approach designed to facilitate the transition of internationally trained workers on the basis of local needs and economic conditions.

STEP 4: Occupation-specific stakeholder meetings

The labour market and immigrant profile analysis resulted in five groups being selected for inclusion in the project. The next step was to form working groups for each of the occupations, whose role would be to identify and discuss:

1: Barriers and issues affecting the integration of internationally trained workers into the labour market;

2: Possible solutions to the identified barriers and issues; and

3: Recommendations or actions that could provide strategic direction for the integration of the workers, and elements of a local strategy.

The composition of each group varied, reflecting the specific regulatory and labour market environment of each profession/trade, but generally included representation from the following groups:

• Individuals who were internationally trained in the highlighted profession or trade, and who are employed or not;


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• Regulatory agencies or bodies responsible for accreditation;

• Educational institutions;

• Local, provincial and federal governments with responsibility for employment or for professional development;

• Professional associations or unions representing the workers; and

• Employers.

STEP 5: “Moving Forward” — Workers Ottawa Project Forum

In addition to the occupation-specific stakeholder meetings, a forum was held on February 16, 2004 with over 120 people representing various immigrant communities, three levels of government, educational institutions, business, labour, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders. At this forum, a draft copy of this report was distributed for discussion in break-out sessions, and recommendations were received for strengthening the report. (See Appendix B for a sample of Forum materials.)

PROJECT FRAMEWORK

Project planning and management: key project partners

Analysis of local labour market’s supply conditions and immigrant profile

Analysis of local labour market’s demand conditions and trends

Identification of five occupational groups to be targeted

Nurses’ stakeholder

meetings

Teachers’ stakeholder

meetings

Engineers’ stakeholder

meetings

Masons’ stakeholder

meetings

Doctors’ focus groups

Barriers, solutions and actions identified by occupational groups

Consultations with key stakeholders

Elements of a local strategy

444 4 4

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2.2 BARRIERS AND SOLUTIONS

A good proportion of the discussions held during the occupational group sessions focused on the specific barriers faced by internationally trained workers in their attempt to find employment in their profession or trade. The list of barriers is long and runs the gamut from difficulties in accessing labour market information prior to moving into Canada, to difficulties adjusting to the workplace once established in a job. In this section, we provide an overview of these barriers, focusing on commonalities among the various occupational groups. The discussion is organized according to the various steps that exist along the immigration-to-labour market integration spectrum.

1. Access to information

Lack of knowledge of/information on accreditation processes

Lack of knowledge of/information on licensing requirements

Lack of knowledge of/information on job opportunities

Lack of knowledge about available local agency services

Lack of knowledge about available government services

2. Licensing and accreditation

Bureaucracy

Difficulty in obtaining documentation from abroad

Heavy/unrealistic requirements regarding documentation

Financial cost of accreditation too high

Lack of availability of prior learning assessment

3. Access to expert advice, support

Lack of mentoring and/or apprenticeship

4. Upgrading and training

Lack of financial assistance/bridging programs

Difficult access to/lack of academic/basic skills training

Difficult access to workplace-based language training

Difficult access/availability of technical skills training

Difficult access to internships/in-residence programs

5. Knowledge of Canadian workplace practices

Lack of Canadian experience/job opportunities

Lack of knowledge of Canadian standards, regulations

Lack of knowledge of working culture, values

TABLE 1Barriers identified by the five occupational group participants

TYPE OF BARRIERS

BARRIER IDENTIFIED BY...

DOCT

ORS

NU

RSES

MAS

ONS

ENGI

NEE

RS

TEAC

HER

S

Severe/common barrier Minor/uncommon barrier


As one can see from Table 1, the range of barriers encountered by immigrants who were trained as teachers, masons, engineers, nurses or doctors is broad. This observation suggests that there is not a single most important barrier that all internationally trained workers have to face, and thus, there is no single solution that can be designed to alleviate these barriers. That said, the following comments can be made:

• Lack of information of available programs and services was identified by many participants. In addition, the importance of expert advice and support was identified as critical to success.

• Lack of employer contacts has been identified as a severe barrier by participants from four of the five occupational groups, ranking as one of the most important/common barrier. Clearly, working with employers will be central to designing a local strategy that can bring results.

• Equally severe is the lack of Canadian work experience leading to a lack of employment opportunities. Again, participants from four of the five occupational groups made mention of it as a common barrier to employment opportunities. Participants also noted the importance of understanding the culture of Canadian workplaces.

• Barriers related to licensing and accreditation — in particular, the bureaucracy, difficulty in obtaining documentation from abroad, and heavy or unrealistic requirements — have been identified by a large proportion of participants as common barriers.

• Lack of knowledge of local labour market information and employment opportunities was also cited as an impediment.

Perhaps the single most important generalization that can be derived from the above observations is that barriers are unique to each type of occupation or trade and, one might suspect, they also vary widely from one local labour market to the next.

6. Access to labour market/employment opportunities

Difficulty adjusting to/lack of knowledge of the culture

Lack of jobs/employment opportunities

Lack of assistance for addressing mobility issues

Cultural bias, racism at time of hiring

Lack of employer contacts

TABLE 1(Continued)

TYPE OF BARRIERS

BARRIER IDENTIFIED BY...

DOCT

ORS

NU

RSES

MAS

ONS

ENGI

NEE

RS

TEAC

HER

S

Source: Canadian Labour and Business Centre, Occupational Group Proceedings, 2003.

Severe/common barrier Minor/uncommon barrier

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2.3 RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS AND PROJECT OUTCOMES

Given the relatively large number of specific solutions identified and recommendations made by the various occupational groups, this section of the report focuses on those solutions that may have more universal application, even if they have not necessarily been reported by all (or most of) the occupational groups. The solutions are organized according to the type of stakeholders to which they are addressed.

Accreditation and licensing bodies

• Develop simple-to-understand flowchart of the accreditation process

• Have a 1-800-number that is widely known or a “government online”

• Ontario College of Teachers to revise its orientation package

• More effective, widespread use of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)

Educational institutions

• More effective, targeted language training

• Greater consistency for training; more compulsory programs

Employers

• Employers to make available information about shortages early on

• Employers to send information about openings to local agencies

• Promote coaching to help understand cultural aspect of the workplace

Internationally trained workers

• Some of them might provide mentoring to less experienced ones

• Offer to do volunteer work to know employers/get experience

• Form association/network to support and assist newcomers

• Attend seminars put up by employers, job fairs

• Try to meet employers/professors informally; strategic use of e-mails

Local agencies serving immigrants

• Form groups of local volunteers to support immigrants with process

• Organize occupation-specific conferences/workshops

Professional associations/unions

• Assistance with mentoring, job shadowing

TABLE 2Summary of specific solutions proposed to alleviate barriers by occupational group and by stakeholders

PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

SOLUTIONS IDENTIFIED BY...

DOCT

ORS

NU

RSES

MAS

ONS

ENGI

NEE

RS

TEAC

HER

S


One can see from the above table that, at one end of the spectrum, some of the solutions identified by occupational group participants find broader acceptance. At the other, some solutions are occupation-specific, to the point that they have little relevance to all occupational groups. In terms of the former, the following solutions have been put forward by four of the five groups: better access to language training adapted to the workplace; access to mentoring that would be supported by more established, experienced internationally trained workers; and availability of financial assistance programs that are better suited to the particular needs of internationally trained workers.

Beyond that, Table 2 shows that a significant proportion of the proposed solutions are of relevance to only one or two of the five groups. It is clear that solutions to the barriers identified by the various occupational group participants need to closely match the particular needs, conditions and circumstances of these individual groups, making it difficult to suggest a set of solutions that will address the needs of all groups and, at the same time, that would be specific/detailed enough to be useful.

TABLE 2(Continued)

PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

SOLUTIONS IDENTIFIED BY...

DOCT

ORS

NU

RSES

MAS

ONS

ENGI

NEE

RS

TEAC

HER

S

Source: Canadian Labour and Business Centre, Occupational Group Proceedings, 2003.

• Have unions involved in screening/assessment of candidates

Federal government

• CIC to provide occupation-specific information kits to new immigrants

• CIC to rely more upon Internet to ease access to timely information

• CIC to provide detailed lists of local agencies serving immigrants

• HRSDC to work with accrediting bodies to improve recognition

• HRSDC to raise awareness about its International Worker Program

Provincial government

• Make financial assistance programs better suited to immigrants

Others

• Need for better coordination between government agencies

• Develop incentive program for employers

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3. Lessons LearnedOne of the central lessons to be learned from the project is that the process of planning together, forming partner-ships, and gathering stakeholders on an occupation-specific basis can bring nearly as much value as the information on barriers and solutions that is generated from these meetings.

There were few surprises in terms of the nature of the barriers and the solutions that were identified by occupational group participants, although this type of information should not be discounted as unimportant. Clearly, the information can and should be used to provide a focal point for intervention at the level of individual stakeholders, on an occupation-specific basis. Beyond that, however, much value was derived from planning and undertaking a local process of identifying and removing barriers for the integration of internationally trained workers. In particular:

Informal information exchange: For example, during the course of several meetings, misconceptions about, accreditation or university admission requirements were cleared simply by having representatives from the various stakeholder groups present to explaining their position. Such exchanges proved more effective at conveying important, often complex information, than relying upon other means of communication.

Direct project-related outcomes: As a result of the project, formal and informal networks of contacts were developed, stakeholder visibility increased, and some specific outcomes emerged:

• The Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) received funding from HRDC to conduct an Immigrant Needs Assessment in Ottawa.

• Bridging Program for Teachers: The Ontario College of Education, The Ontario Teacher’s Federation, LASI/WorldSkills and Skills for Change in Toronto, along with partners among a number of school boards and faculties of education, will develop an 18-month bridging program for international teachers who are already licensed but need to supplement their training with some Canadian experience.

• Career Access for Newcomers (CAN): Building on the experience of this project, LASI/WorldSkills has instituted Career Access for Newcomers. CAN will provide sector-specific employment services for health care professionals, non-IT engineers, trades accounting/finance and teachers. The partnership includes licensing bodies, educational institutions, employers, professional associations, community partners and government.

Creation of local linkages: Although more difficult to measure, several of the stakeholders that were involved in the project have created linkages with other organizations, as a result of their participation in the occupational group discussions and subsequent trust building. The local HRDC office, the local Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities office, OCRI, the local colleges and universities, to name a few, are some of the organizations with which linkages were established.

Building of local capacity: By pooling together resources and sharing expertise, several organizations participating in the occupational groups have been able to develop their own capacity, either by internalizing newly-acquired knowledge and information, or by adapting their practice to account for new, more collaborative ways of working. Again, such capacity building is difficult to measure but anecdotal evidence suggests that it represents a significant project outcome.


Another crucial lesson to be learned from the project is the importance of targeting project interventions according to sound labour market analysis. There would be little point in designing interventions for occupations for which there is little demand, or where there is no available supply of internationally trained workers. Likewise, broad-based strategies designed around a universal approach, with little consideration for occupation-specific supply and demand conditions, would have, little chance of succeeding.

Finally, the need for an aggressive, comprehensive marketing/communications plan became apparent in order to raise public awareness about the contributions internationally trained workers make to the Ottawa economy and society. Additionally, there is a need to address the negative way in which immigrants and refugees are perceived. This marketing/communications plan would also serve to make the business case to employers as to the value of employing internationally trained workers.

On the whole, it is clear that the process of bringing all the stakeholders together yielded innumerable benefits.

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4. Building A Community-Based Strategy For Ottawa — Next StepsAlthough there is widespread recognition of the barriers to employment for internationally trained workers, there is less agreement as to the development of a more thorough solution. The settlement and integration process for immigrants is complex, involving many parties. It is fragmented and confusing. A more comprehensive approach situated in a community-based strategy would appear to be a more effective way to remove barriers to the integration of internationally trained workers.

4.1 THE CURRENT SITUATION

Currently more than 80% of Ottawa’s labour force growth is due to immigration. The declining birth rate and the aging workforce give increased impetus to hasten the integration of internationally trained workers. It is expected that in the next five to ten years, immigration will account for all of the region’s labour force growth. In a recent report issued by the Centre on Governance at the University of Ottawa, it was found that the unemployment and underemployment of internationally trained workers has been identified as one of the top ten economic challenges facing Ottawa in the coming decade6. Both the City of Ottawa through the recent Human Services Plan and OCRI’s TalentWorks have formally recognized the need to better integrate the many skilled immigrants into the Ottawa labour market if the city and region are to prosper and grow. In fact, in its 20/20 plan, the City of Ottawa noted that Canada is losing an estimated $5.9 billion annually by under-employing internationally trained workers and that a significant portion of this loss affects us here in this community. Speaking directly to this issue, immigrant employment was identified as a priority and endorsed by City Council in April 2003.

Over and above the specific barriers experienced by immigrants and described previously, policy and services lack vertical coordination. However, although the cities and larger municipalities are where immigrants settle, there is no formal and effective mechanism for municipalities or other key stakeholders to engage in the integration process.

There are currently many sectors of government engaged in some form of support. For the Federal Government, participation involves the Ministries of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Industry Canada, and Canadian Heritage. At the provincial level, there are the Ministries of Training, Colleges and Universities, and Citizenship and Immigration. The City of Ottawa provides a variety of support and services as well. Within governments, there are often a number of departments involved, but there is an obvious lack of integrated planning and coordination.

In addition to their own programs, the three levels of government, along with other funders, provide support to approximately 30 local agencies that offer services and programs to newcomers throughout the region. The problem is not a shortage of services, but rather one of duplication and fragmentation.

There are also the various requirements of educational institutions such as colleges and universities, and the regulatory and licensing bodies for each occupation or profession, that create additional hurdles.

6 Ottawa Works – A Mosaic of Ottawa’s Economic and Workforce Landscape, Report II: Profiling Ottawa’s Workforce, prepared by Center on Governance, University of Ottawa, p.62


The end result is frustration, underemployment and unemployment. Many immigrants to our city feel that those involved in facilitating their labour market integration have not lived up to their promises.7 Immigrants find that, despite their best efforts, they are prevented from practising the profession or trade for which they were trained.

The objective is to develop a strategy that builds on existing programs and services, while reducing duplication and fragmentation; a strategy would reinforce current linkages and create new ones. Most importantly, Ottawa requires a strategy that can be sustained over the long term.

An effective strategy must:

• Encompass a multi-stakeholder approach;

• Build on existing services and programs;

• Reinforce existing linkages and create new ones; and

• Be flexible to respond to changes in the economy.

4.2 THE STAKEHOLDERS

It is important that all stakeholders be engaged as no one body or group can, by itself, implement the necessary solutions to overcome all the identified barriers. A community-based strategy envisions a role for each stakeholder to facilitate the integration of immigrants into the local labour market. The following provides a brief description of the possible roles for each of the stakeholder groups.

Government

All three levels of government have responsibility for policies, programs or services which affect the ability of immigrants to work in their chosen profession or occupation. At the federal level the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, Canadian Heritage and Human Resources Skill Development have legislation and programs which are critical components. In addition, it is Industry Canada’s concern that Canada’s employers remain productive, efficient and competitive.

Within the Ontario government, the Ministry of Training, Universities and Colleges and the Ministry of Citizenship provide many of the necessary programs and financial supports. The Ontario government, through its funding guidelines, also dictates the eligibility of individuals for programs.

At the municipal level, the City of Ottawa’s Department of Employment and Financial Assistance and the Workforce Development Branch are responsible for the development of a skilled workforce for the city.

There have been successful partnerships between the different levels of government. For example, the former HRDC and the City of Ottawa’s Partners for Job Program is a best practice model for the delivery of employment support available to internationally trained workers who are unemployed or underemployed.8

However, with such a large number of partners, it is not surprising that it is difficult to coordinate activities and share information. Inter-government cooperation has not always been successful.

7 Privately and at the federal government level, Canada does a good job in recruiting and attracting skilled immigrants. The promise is broken once immigrants arrive in our country, for as it has been established, we have yet to address or institute a coordinated plan for integrating immigrants into local labour markets.

8 The City administers a targeted wage subsidy program for Employment Insurance and Employment Insurance Reachback clients, whereby employers are assisted in the cost of hiring selected individuals. The Partners for Jobs Program also administers employment development incentives, such as wage subsidies and training allowances, whereby participants pursue customized training that leads to jobs in the current job market.

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It is also all three levels of government that have the resources to obtain accurate labour market information, which has been shown to be a major building block for any strategy.

Therefore, governments are required to:

• Adopt a stronger and more effective role in increasing public awareness of the importance of immigration to the economic well-being of the region and the country;

• Facilitate greater coordination among all levels: City of Ottawa, Government of Ontario (Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, Ministry of Education), Government of Canada (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Canadian Heritage, Human Resources and Skill Development Canada, and Industry Canada). In some cases, this may require identifying lead departments within the government that has responsibility for coordination and integration of programs;

• Take a leadership role as an employer. For example, the Federal Government plays an important role as an employer within the City of Ottawa. But at present, internationally trained workers have difficulty accessing any job opportunities that might exist within the public service. Therefore, many view the present criteria for employment as too restrictive;9

• Develop strategy regarding labour mobility across the country, including mobility of credentials;

• Provide accurate, up-to-date labour market information, particularly before the immigration process gets underway. Governments need to liaise with industry to develop information on which sectors are saturated and those which have need for skilled workers;

• Work with employers to encourage the employment of immigrants, including the development of necessary programs to assist employers; and

• Recognize and provide the necessary financial assistance to employers and to the immigrants themselves.

Education and Training Institutions

Although there have been many improvements in recent years, the educational institutions, both universities and community colleges, still do not provide enough flexibility in programming for those immigrants who may need updating of their skills or a better understanding of the Canadian context. There are a number of innovative programs currently operating, such as the Foreign Trained Nurse Program at Algonquin College. But they are exceptions and they are not permanent.

Therefore, educational and training institutions are required to:

• Provide better access to existing bridging programs;

• Work with other stakeholders in creating new bridging programs; and

• Offer mainstream programs, so that courses are available for immigrants on an ongoing basis.

9 Immigrants face a series of frustrating deadends in seeking employment in the Federal Public service. First, in order to compete for postings, you must be a Canadian citizen. On average, attaining citizenship takes approximately three years. The conundrum is that, during the three years it generally takes to obtain citizenship, it is difficult to gain employment in their trained field, which means that when an immigrant is finally eligible to apply for federal public service positions, few actually have “recent job experience.” Secondly, federal government positions typically require bilingualism in our two official languages. For an immigrant already trying to overcome a language barrier to employment, the time and effort required to become proficient in two languages is too great. Lastly, immigrants are subject to enhanced security requirements, often requiring documentation from their country of origin, which is not always possible. This scenario has increased significantly following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. For these reasons alone, accessing employment within the federal government is a nearly impossible task for many newcomers to our country. As one of our country’s largest employers, our own federal government needs not only to take a greater leadership role in removing barriers to employment, but also to set an example for other employers.


Licensing and Accreditation Bodies

Ontario’s regulators have recently completed research on access to Ontario’s regulated professions by international candidates. The research identified the practices, challenges and needs of Ontario regulators with regard to the internationally trained candidates. The report highlighted the fact that, whereas each regulatory body in Ontario is responsible for determining whether candidates are qualified for that profession, they vary widely in how it is done. They also operate with different environmental contexts and pressures, and require different solutions. The regulators have identified four main challenges that may prevent or delay access to professions, all falling outside of their purview and speaking to the need for greater collaboration.

However, greater attention needs to be given to how assessments are conducted. Assessment for entry and practice should be based on the competencies and qualities that are reasonably necessary to practise the occupation.

Therefore, licensing bodies are required to:

• Provide greater coordination among stakeholders;

• Work with provincial bodies to develop mechanisms for mutual recognition and portability of assessments across sectors;

• Develop competency-based assessment tools; and

• Collaborate to bridge gaps.

Employers

In those occupations that are not regulated, immigrants face barriers resulting from the employer’s lack of knowledge about international education systems or the employer’s insistence on Canadian work experience. However few immigrants know that specific work placements exist. Immigrants also face barriers to employment resulting from a lack of occupation-specific skills. Employers are absolutely critical to the successful integration of internationally trained workers in all professions and occupations, in both the public and private sectors. Employers must become aware of the current and future demographic challenges and of the importance of the internationally trained individuals in tomorrow’s workforce.

Therefore, employers are required to:

• Become champions;

• Sponsor work experience programs (internships, job shadowing);

• Develop mentorship programs;

• Work with labour to develop workplace language programs;

• Identify specific requirements of public and private sector employers;

• Provide a reality check to government on which programs are most effective and which ones are of little benefit; and

• Develop the business case on the benefits of employing internationally trained workers.

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Labour

For the labour unions, the issue of how to better integrate internationally trained workers into the economy has not been of high priority. However, labour unions, like all other segments of the economy, find that their membership is rapidly aging. The average worker age within most unions ranges from mid-40s to 50s. Future membership will be dependent on the new entrants into the labour market, of which a substantial portion will be immigrants. It should be apparent that the labour unions do need to become engaged in this issue.

Therefore, labour unions are required to:

• Become active participants;

• Work with employers to develop workplace language programs;

• Promote and engage members in mentorship programs; and

• Promote internships within the workplace.

Voluntary Sector

For the voluntary sector, the issue is one of coordination among the various levels of government and the agencies themselves. The settlement agencies are often the first point of contact for new immigrants to the city. Therefore, it is critical that these agencies have the necessary information on the range of services and programs available. The agencies can also help make linkages between immigrants and the necessary other services.

Therefore, voluntary organizations are required to:

• Facilitate greater coordination among programs and services;

• Provide immigrants with information and links about training, accreditation, programs and services; and

• Respond quickly to changes in the community.

Immigrant Settlement Agencies

Ottawa is in the fortunate position of having an existing framework, which allows for an effective coordination of the six immigrant settlement agencies in the city. As a collective, Local Agencies Serving Immigrants (LASI) provides a structure for cooperation and sharing of information. They in turn sponsor WorldSkills as the central agency for employment services on behalf of the immigrant agencies within Ottawa. This structure provides a focal point for activities related to job readiness, job search and support programs for members of the immigrant community.

Therefore, immigrant settlement agencies are required to:

• Provide access to more bridging programs;

• Provide access to work-or occupation-specific language instruction programs;

• Provide assessment and counseling related to jobs/occupations;

• Increase the availability of programs to service the Francophone community; and

• Help to provide the immigrant voice in the process.


The Immigrant Community

There are many groups and small agencies that are not connected to the service providers or settlement agencies, but who also provide services and support to the immigrant communities. They are run by immigrants for immigrants. There are also a number of immigrant professional and industry associations that need to be represented in a more meaningful way.

Therefore, immigrant communities are required to:

• Provide an opportunity where the immigrant voice can be heard;

• Promote and participate in mentorship programs for newcomers; and

• Promote and provide internships for immigrants.

4.3 DEVELOPING A LOCAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL — A PROPOSAL

The challenge of developing a sustainable community solution represents one of the most important issues to address. Efforts to date have been largely project-based with a limited time span. But the nature of labour market integration is such that more sustained efforts will be required before the “transition penalty” faced by immigrants can be reduced. Ottawa has the advantage of learning from the successes of other areas such as Toronto and British Columbia that have also seen the need to develop a more coordinated approach.

Flowing from the research underlying this project, it is proposed that a local Leadership Council, with representatives from the stakeholder community, be established for the Ottawa region.

The Leadership Council would provide an ongoing, multi-stakeholder venue to:

1: Help create a vibrant and sustainable bridge that links immigrant skills with labour market needs in Ottawa;

2: Convene senior leaders and prominent spokespersons from a broad range of stakeholders to work collaboratively on action-oriented solutions. Members would include employers, labour, post-secondary institutions, occupational regulatory bodies, immigrant associations, community agencies, and all levels of government;

3: Champion labour market integration of immigrants among the region’s employers and residents; and

4: Play an active role in promoting a program to raise public awareness as to the economic and social benefits of internationally trained workers’ greater participation in the labour market.

The Leadership Council would oversee the work of project groups, which would be tasked with specific activities.

Suggested areas of activities include:

• Develop an inventory of existing programs and services.

There are many activities across the city, the province, and the country. The challenge will be to build on these activities and not duplicate efforts. One priority should be to map existing programs and services and identify the gaps. From there, it could be possible to fill gaps through the design and delivery of innovative labour market integration programs through current service delivery framework.

<<


• Undertake local labour market analysis to help identify intervention priorities.

Although a proposed Leadership Council would likely be involved in all aspects of integrating internationally trained workers into the Ottawa labour market, it clearly would not have the resources — nor would it be appropriate — to adopt a blanket approach to integration. In this context, it could make sense for a local leadership council to focus on the occupations for which there is current or anticipated demand AND an available pool of internationally trained, unemployed or underemployed workers. This will require up-to-date local labour market information.

• Co-ordinate activities with existing groups including TalentWorks and the City of Ottawa.

Both the City of Ottawa through The Ottawa Partnership (TOP) and OCRI’s TalentWorks have initiatives underway to address the future labour force requirements of the City of Ottawa. It will be important to coordinate the activities of the proposed leadership council with these activities.

• Coordinate the Ottawa initiative with those of other cities.

Ottawa should build on the experience of similar initiatives currently underway in a number of Canadian cities such as Toronto and Halifax. A number of innovative programs have been funded through the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. Could those programs be undertaken in Ottawa? The recent announcement of the Teachers Bridging Program sponsored by the Ontario College of Education, WorldSkills and Skills for Change is a good example of introducing best practices into the Ottawa environment.

• Estimate level and possible sources of funding that would be required to run the Council on a more permanent basis.

It was clear from the discussions that the issue of sustainability needs to be addressed if the issue of integration is to be adequately dealt with in both the short-and the long-term. In this context, it is essential to develop a good understanding of what is required to make the Council a reality.

• Carry out needs assessment activities for specific occupations or ethnic groups.

Although this project has shed much light about the specific barriers faced by certain occupational groups, there are gaps remaining in our knowledge of barriers faced by other occupational groups that attract a sizable proportion of internationally trained workers. Likewise, it may be that some groups of internationally trained workers as defined by ethnic or linguistics characteristics face particular barriers that other groups do not face. In light of that, it may be appropriate to gather further information for these groups, with a view to design and implement appropriate labour market strategies.

• Identify issues and methods of engagement pertinent to the Francophone community.

The focus of this project has been the Anglophone community and services. The approach of the Francophone business community is not identical to that of the English-speaking sector. It will be equally important to assess the needs and requirements of the Francophone immigrant community and, if necessary, to develop an appropriate strategy to engage that community.


4.4 CONCLUSION

Since this project began in September 2002, there has been a growing interest reflected in new programs and additional funding at all levels of government. At the federal level, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Canadian Heritage and the new Human Resources and Skills Development Canada are all working on a number of initiatives to improve the prospects for internationally trained workers, including a coordinated portal, which will provide information for those who are intending to immigrate to Canada. The Federal Government is also helping to coordinate a strategy for improved accreditation and assessment for doctors, nurses and engineers on a more sustainable basis.

In Ontario, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities continues to provide funding for many new innovative programs, including the recent announcement of a bridging program to prepare internationally trained teachers for employment in Ottawa, but they continue to be for limited periods of time. The City of Ottawa and TalentWorks are committed to find ways to remove the barriers permanently.

Despite these new activities, the challenge will be to develop a framework that can integrate all these programs, be sustained over the mid- to long-term horizon and, more importantly, engage those closest to immigrants groups, the people providing services in our community. It will be important to define a strategy that fits all but is still flexible to accommodate individual needs. Although this project focused on the five occupations, it confirmed what is known in other jurisdictions and in other professions.

One of the most illuminating by-products of this project was the opportunity to share experience and views. This, in turn, generated a number of creative and innovative proposals, including one which raises the question of the feasibility of a one-stop information centre for newcomers to the city. This proposal and others will need to be explored in greater detail in a Phase II study of the Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa.

This project has also demonstrated the interest and commitment of many individuals and organizations to see the implementation of a community-based strategy. The future growth of the City of Ottawa will depend on the successful integration of the internationally trained workers into the labour market. To continue moving forward, this early interest and commitment must now be translated into action, and each of us has a part to play.

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BibliographyAlboim, Naomi and The Maytree Foundation. Fulfilling the Promise: Integrating Immigrant Skills into the Canadian Economy. Caledon Institute of Social Policy, April 2002.

Canadian Labour and Business Centre. Tapping the Potential: A Statistical Profile of Ottawa’s Immigrant Workforce. CLBC Commentary by Clarence Lochhead, June 2003.

Canadian Labour and Business Centre. The Transition Penalty: Unemployment among Recent Immigrants to Canada. CLBC Commentary by Clarence Lochhead, July 2003.

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Ontario Regulators for Access. Access to Ontario’s Regulated Professions by International Candidates, Research Report and Compendium of Promising Practices. July 2003.

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Appendix A

OTHER INITIATIVES

The following provides some indication of recent initiatives in place in other jurisdictions that are interesting in terms of either their approach or their content. Though by no means exhaustive, these descriptions should provide some sense of what is underway to facilitate the integration of internationally trained workers into the economy.

British Columbia: Looking Ahead

This is a multi-sectorial initiative dedicated to improving the labour market integration of immigrants in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley of British Columbia. This steering committee has representation from the provincial and federal government agencies, multicultural and immigrant serving organizations, education and credentialing institutions, public and private trainers and private sector employers.

A Web site has been established to serve as a one-stop resource centre for people working in the field of labour market integration of immigrants (www.lookingahead.bc.ca).

Employment Access for Skilled Immigrants (EASI)

Employment Access for Skilled Immigrants (EASI) is an outgrowth of the Looking Ahead initiative. It is a system-wide approach to tackle the problems of entry for skilled immigrants into British Columbia’s labour market. Since March 2002, more than 60 key stakeholders have met on a regular basis to examine issues and develop system-wide solutions. This system-wide model is built on several components, including:

• A Leadership Council to foster collaboration, identify priorities, create linkages, and communicate results;

• Information, assessment and expert advice including developing an Internet Portal with up-to-date information on the British Columbia labour market and specific occupations and services for immigrants; and

• Integrated bridging programs to fill identified gaps.

Manitoba

As mentioned earlier, the Government of Manitoba has developed a framework for a Strategy on Qualifications Recognition. This framework is the continuation of efforts first identified in October, 2002 by the Minister of Manitoba Labour and Immigration, who announced the formation of a Ministerial Committee on Qualifications Recognition involving eight different provincial government departments. The resulting framework recommends that the Manitoba government takes a leadership role in the development of a strategy to address the issue of qualifications recognition and entry to practice of highly skilled immigrants.

At this time, the Strategy is scheduled to be finalized in the Fall of 2003, following a review by each participating department and ensuing recommendations. Over and above the development of this much anticipated framework, the Manitoba government and other provincial stakeholders have been engaged in more ad hoc initiatives aimed at facilitating the integration of internationally trained workers into the labour market for a number of years. While it would go beyond the scope of this report to list them all, the following provides highlights of these initiatives:

• The Manitoba government provides language benchmarks for certain occupations and provides individuals with an assessment of their standing against these benchmarks;

• The provincial government contributes up to $750 to credential assessment/licensing/exam fees for


internationally trained professionals, up to an annual budget allocation of $20-$30 000 (in 2001);

• Along the same lines, the government runs the Credential Recognition Program, which provides a wage subsidy to employers who provide employment to highly skilled immigrants. The subsidy is up to $4 500 for 6 months (in 2001);

• The government also funds the Manitoba Association of Doctors to provide information, advice and orientation to internationally trained doctors. A bridging program also exists — the Manitoba Licensure Program for International Medical Graduates — that includes a Clinicians Assessment and Professional Enhancement initiative; and

• Another initiative funded by the Manitoba government is a bridging program for engineers in partnership with a private AUTOCAD training company. It combines language training with technical skills, and experienced an 80% placement rate, in 2001.

Although the above list is by no means exhaustive, it demonstrates the province’s commitment to easing the integration of internationally trained workers into the province’s labour market. Although not definitive at this time, the proposed Strategy on Qualifications Recognition may provide a structure to what has so far been a range of innovative but uncoordinated initiatives.

Nova Scotia Immigration Partnership Initiative

This initiative is the outcome of a conference held in Halifax in April 2003, that brought together key decision makers and stakeholders. The conference provided an opportunity for those concerned about the province’s immigration climate to share information, observation and ideas and to explore how there could be greater collaboration. Over the past year, there have been a number of meetings to develop a specific proposal, but it is still in the early stages.

Ontario Regulators for Access

The Access Solutions Project was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Training to provide better information on access to Ontario’s regulated professions by candidates who were educated or trained outside Canada. The goal of the project is to improve access while still maintaining standards. It allows regulators to benefit from each other as well as to provide resources to help self-regulating professions integrate internationally educated workers. A compendium of practices and a Web site have been developed (see www.regulators4access.ca).

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Appendix B

MATERIALS INCLUDED HERE

1: Media Release

2: Quick Fact Sheet


MEDIA RELEASE MEDIA RELEASE

LOCAL PARTNERSHIP CALLS FOR LEADERSHIP COUNCIL TO HELP NEW IMMIGRANTS FIND JOBS

REPORT RELEASED TODAY CALLS UNEMPLOYMENT OF INTERNATIONALLY TRAINED WORKERS MAJOR ECONOMIC CHALLENGE FOR CITY

Ottawa February 16, 2004:

The Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa (ITWP-O), a partnership involving United Way/Centraide Ottawa, the Canadian Labour Business Council (CLBC), and Local Agencies Serving Immigrants (LASI)/WorldSkills; today released its draft report addressing one of this city’s top economic challenges. The ITWP-O has done some tremendous work examining the issue of unemployment of immigrants in the local labour market. “More than half of those who immigrate to Ottawa have a University degree,” says Michael Allen, President/Executive Director of United Way/Centraide Ottawa. “Yet new immigrants are four times more likely to be unemployed or underemployed. As a city, this is an issue that concerns us all and one that we must address.”

The interim report contains an in-depth analysis of the local labour market, immigration profiles, and the contributions that could be made by the talent pool in recent immigrants to the area. Fifty-one percent of those who immigrated to Ottawa in 2001 held a university degree. That same year, the number of immigrants with a doctorate exceeded the annual number of Ph.D.s granted by the two local universities combined. Despite this influx of highly skilled immigrants, employment rates and earnings for this group are lower than the Canadian average. “The report highlights many of the barriers faced by immigrants seeking employment. Lack of employer contacts, lack of Canadian work experience and difficulties related to licensing and accreditation, are all contributors to the unemployment issue,” says Mengistab Tsegaye, Executive Director of LASI/WorldSkills. “Having identified these, we now have the foundation for an Ottawa-based strategy designed to facilitate the integration of internationally trained workers into the local economy.”

Among the key recommendations contained in the report is the creation of a Leadership Council. “The Leadership Council will engage all stakeholders in the Ottawa region in an integrated and collaborative approach,” says Shirley Seward, Chief Executive Officer, CLBC. “It will champion the cause of internationally trained workers by creating that link between immigrant skills and the local labour market.” The Leadership Council would also coordinate the work being done by groups that work with immigrants, and to work with employers to improve training and identify job opportunities. Other recommendations found in the report include the development of an inventory of existing services and programs, and building on these activities.

The report and its recommendations will now be circulated throughout the community for feedback and ideas, beginning with the half-day forum. Individuals are also invited to provide feedback at ([email protected]).

Copies of the report can be obtained by calling 228-6733 or by visiting the following Web sites: (www.unitedwayottawa.ca) and (www.clbc.ca).

For more information please contact:

Eleanor McMahon Tim Woods Vice-President, Communications and Marketing Director, Communications United Way/Centraide Ottawa Canadian Labour and Business Centre (613) 228-6741 Cell: (613) 291-9262 (613) 234-0505

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MOVING FORWARD — INTERNATIONALLY TRAINED WORKERS FORUM

FACT SHEET ON OTTAWA’S IMMIGRANT WORKFORCE

How many immigrants settle in Ottawa?• In 2002, 7156 immigrants made Ottawa their new home. This represents about 3% of all immigrants coming to Canada that year. The 2001 Census tells us that 168 120 first generation immigrants live in the Ottawa Metropolitan Area.

• Compared with other cities such as Toronto or Montreal, the number of immigrants coming to Ottawa each year is relatively small. However, Ottawa attracts more immigrants than the cities of Winnipeg, London and Halifax — combined!

• Immigrants from all over the world come to live in Ottawa. In 2002, the most common source countries were the People’s Republic of China, followed by Haiti and India. Ten countries account for about one-half of Ottawa’s recent immigrant population. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of recent immigrants are members of a visible minority.

Immigration is a major contributor to Ottawa’s population growth• During the 1980s, 23% of the city’s population growth resulted from immigration. The latest Census shows that between 1996 and 2001 immigration made up an even bigger share (38%) of population growth.

Ottawa depends on immigration for Labour Force Growth• Between 1991 and 2001, the city’s labour force increased by 41 000, with 84% of the increase attributed to new immigrants. Between 1991 and 2001, the city’s labour force increased by 41 000, with 84% of the increase attributed to new immigrants. As impressive as these figures are, they actually underestimate the contribution of immigrants to labour force growth as they do not include the children of immigrants who join the area’s labour force after completing their education in Canada.

• Through their workforce participation, immigrants make a significant contribution to Ottawa’s economy. In 2000, Ottawa’s immigrant population generated a total of $4.1 billion in wages, salaries and self-employment income — money that feeds back into the community through the purchases of goods and services and contributions to the municipal tax base.

Immigrants Contribute to Ottawa’s Highly Educated Workforce• The number of new immigrants coming to Ottawa in 2002 with a Bachelors or Masters degree (2820) is nearly equivalent to the total number of Bachelors and Masters degrees granted by Carleton University in that same year (3163). Between 2000 and 2002, 572 immigrants came to Ottawa in possession of a Ph.D. This number is roughly equivalent to the total number of Ph.D.s granted by both Carleton University and the University of Ottawa during this same period (596).

• In total, 51% of new immigrants in 2002 held a university degree. A further 14% held some other form of post-secondary credential such as a non-university diploma or trade certificate. Immigrants are more likely than the Canadian-born population to have majored in the physical sciences, engineering and trades.

Untapped Talent• While most immigrants find success in the Ottawa labour market, an alarming number are unable to put their skills and education to full use. Too often, there are barriers and challenges in having internationally obtained qualifications and work experience recognized. This results in a costly and ineffective transition into the labour market and a dramatic underutilization of available talent.

• Ottawa’s university-educated recent immigrants aged 35 to 44 are four times more likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to be unemployed. Only after a period of ten years does the unemployment rate among university- educated immigrants fall to the same level experienced by the Canadian-born population.

The Internationally Trained Workers Project — Ottawa is working toward the development of a city-wide model for integrating and benefiting from the diverse skill and talent internationally trained workers bring to the local labour market. This Fact Sheet was prepared by the Canadian Labour and Business Centre.

Internationally Trained Workers

Documents

Transcript of Internationally Trained Workers