Problem
Jobless Immigrants
Imagine that you have arrived in Canada from another country and have lived here for a few months. You have completed a university or college education in your country of origin. You may have a professional qualification, such as an engineering degree, a teaching loence, or an designation. You may also have several years of experience in your field. Prior to coming to Canada, your research on the country, its regions, and its industries have convinced you that your skills are needed. You are told this by many people, including Canadian embassy staff. You are confident that you will not have difficulty finding a job in your field.
However, after several months in Canada, you still are not working in your field, and other recent immigrants are telling you that your qualifications may not be recognised. You may be told that you need "Canadian experience, and although there is a serious shortage of skilled individuals in your field, you cannot seem to break into the labour market. The only work that you have found so far is a short term menial job through a referral from a friend. Your friend works at the same company and is also a professional from your country of origin.
This is the reality that many highly qualified new Canadians face. Immigrants are people who move from one country to another to establish a new life for themselves. Canada's major cities such as Toronto and Vancouver have high immigrant populations with 50% and 40% of the resident respectively having been born outside of Canada (Statistics Canada). Many come to Canada with little or no experience job searching in the way that Canadians traditionally look for work. They are often told to network with other people and develop contacts in their fields, only to find that their network does not include people who work in the area in which they are qualified. They are advised to develop resumes but may not have done this before in their home countries. If they do get called to an interview, they may not know how to present their skills to their best advantage. Finally, they may be unaware of where and how to field in Canada. Tragically, all too often highly qualified immigrants go unnoticed by employers who desperately need their skills and experience
Source: Statistics Canada. 2007. Immigration in Canada: A Portrait of the Foreign-bom Population, 2006 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 97-557-XIE, Ottawa, Ontario. May 16. (accessed July 29, 2013). Video Resource: Based on "Jobless Immigrants". The National, (May 6, 2011).
Questions
• What some ways in which Canadian employers can recruit qualified candidates from the pool of new immigrants in Canada? Think of innovate approaches that would enable you to access and attract qualified candidates in this labour pool.
• What would you have to keep in mind during the selection process when considering candidates who are new immigrants to Canada?
• How could orientation and training programs be adapted to more effectively engage new immigrants into your workforce? (Assuming that language proficiency is not an issue for your candidates.)
The response should include a reference list. One-inch margins, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space and APA style of writing and citations.