Maytree Conversations

I just returned from a conference organized by Spanish think tank MENARA, a project of Fundación Tres Culturas. This transnational conference was one in a series of meetings this year that examined themes like the relationship between entrepreneurship or citizenship and diversity.

At the conference, I learned about the inspiring work of others, and shared what we’re doing at Maytree, in Toronto, across the country, and beyond.

Here are five Toronto ideas that inspired MENARA participants in Spain.

1. The idea of immigration, and the diversity that comes with it, is enshrined in Canadian laws, but it’s also embraced in our culture. We consider diversity and immigration Canadian values, like politeness. As a defining feature, immigration doesn’t become part of a political campaign. Canada has no political party running on an anti-immigrant platform.

2. We frame immigration and diversity as assets, not as a problem. They are not a social ill that needs to be managed, and immigrants aren’t viewed as an additional strain on resources. We quantify the contribution of immigrants, as we do the loss that results when they are not able to contribute professionally to the best of their abilities.

3. Immigration and diversity are not exclusively the concern of governments or the social sector. Solutions are proposed by business champions, making the work of immigrant integration and inclusion multi-sectoral.

4. We recognize that integration requires participation and interaction. That means ensuring that diverse voices and representatives are present in public spaces, able to make connections within society, and be active in civic life.

5. We know that within each community or neighbourhood there are potential leaders who can provide both representation and role models. Enhancing their development is a key strategy in our work.

But, of course, there is always more to learn.

Unlike most other OECD countries, Canada has no national housing, transit, child nutrition or child care strategies. While these would not be aimed exclusively at immigrants, they would certainly contribute to their integration and success.

We also have much to learn from each other – city to city. That is a my key take away from the MENARA conference. Government officials, foundation partners, students, academics and immigrants want to be connected to each other and to good ideas in immigrant integration. They will continue to look at Cities of Migration, in particular, as a platform for exchange.

Expect more stories and more connections from Andalucia.

Related:

• Building cities of inclusion: from Toronto to Almeria, Spain
• MENARA: La relación entre “Urbanismo y Diversidad” objeto de análisis por la Fundación Tres Culturas en Almería
• Cities of Migration publication: Good Ideas from Successful Cities: Municipal Leadership in Immigrant Integration

Cities evolve and are shaped by the people who inhabit them.

Immigration and the resulting diversity of its people are both a source of creativity and hold great potential, as long as urban leadership ensures full integration of the newcomer and long-time resident.

According to organizers of the conference “Urbanism Planning: An Instrument for Social Integration,” as cities become more diverse, policies and practices at the local level must be more inclusive. The process of integration is a shared and negotiated responsibility, it cannot be defined unilaterally.

The conference is organized by Spanish think tank MENARA, a project of Fundación Tres Culturas. It takes place in Almería, a city in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in collaboration with the Ministry in charge of Moroccans living abroad.

Within the last 13 years, the foreign-born population has grown ten-fold in Spain. In the province of the same name, Almería, the predominant group is Moroccan. Similar growth has been registered across Andalusia.

MENARA focuses on migration and the promotion of intercultural dialogue. Its mission is to understand the reality of Moroccan immigration in Andalusia and to generate intercultural dialogue, employing a number of strategies, including research. Through the creation of networks and the promotion of immigrant integration and belonging, the goal of the organization is to create cooperation and exchange between Andalusia and Northern Morocco.

This transnational conference is one of a series of meetings this year that have examined themes like the relationship between entrepreneurship or citizenship and diversity.

Presenters are focusing on good ideas and experience of city-led policies and practices – in areas such as urban planning, housing, public space and participation – that promote immigrant integration and maximize the potential of diversity in cities. The participatory event asks all attendees to debate issues and key points in the program (PDF).

Maytree was invited to participate alongside students, academics, immigrants and other international guests to share the Canadian experience of immigrant integration. We’re also bringing good practices in local immigrant integration drawn from Cities of Migration’s collection of over 150 stories from global cities, over 100 of them already published in Spanish.

The contexts may vary from city to city, but in substance, the challenge and opportunity of immigration and diversity are consistent, whether in Toronto or Almeria.

As a practitioner, bringing the experience of DiverseCity Toronto’s work to accelerate regional diversity in the Greater Toronto Area with practical interventions to promote diverse leadership, I expect to learn a great deal from the rich debate taking place in Almeria this week.

Related:

• MENARA: La relación entre “Urbanismo y Diversidad” objeto de análisis por la Fundación Tres Culturas en Almería
• Cities of Migration publication: Good Ideas from Successful Cities: Municipal Leadership in Immigrant Integration

Or, rather, cities learning from each other.

As we welcome the world to Toronto next week for our DiverseCity onBoard Learning Exchange, we are also sharing Good Ideas in immigrant integration from around the world.

Maytree’s Cities of Migration staff are in Baltimore at the National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC). This year, they brought copies of our latest publication, Good Ideas from Successful Cities: Municipal Leadership in Immigrant Integration.

Compiling nearly 40 international good practices from cities across Canada, the US, Europe and Australasia, Good Ideas showcases why municipal leadership on integration matters.

We’re sharing these good ideas for a simple and compelling reason. They’re examples of integration done well. They help fuel economic growth, spur innovation and talent renewal, create new knowledge, and promote an open, richer and more inclusive social fabric. Through ideas such as these, new forms of social, economic, cultural and political capital create benefits for thriving urban communities globally.

As Alan Broadbent, Chairman of Maytree, writes:

“Cities know and feel both urbanization and immigration profoundly. At the national and sub-national levels, urbanization and immigration are policy issues. At worst, they become xenophobic political issues as politicians stir fear of immigrants. At the municipal level, though, they are primary lived experience. And at the city level is where we find the political and community voices that embrace immigrants, knowing they bring strength, vitality, and innovation. So at the municipal level, in our cities and urban regions, managing the settlement and inclusion of newcomers is vital.”

Ratna Omidvar has spoken frequently about the essential and unique role cities have to play in the welcoming and successful integration of newcomers. As she says, “Cities are uniquely positioned to learn from each other and to import, replicate, adapt ideas… Done well, integration creates great benefits.”

The city government that understands this will ensure local, regional and national prosperity.

Related:

• Good Ideas from Successful Cities: Municipal Leadership in Immigrant Integration
• Alan Broadbent on cities and international collaboration
• The Three I’s of Immigration Integration
• Cities of Migration shares Toronto’s diversity experience with the world

The 2011 Census: Population and dwelling counts revealed that immigration “accounted for two-thirds of Canada’s population growth during the last 10 years.”

As expected, given previous reporting about settlement data and efforts by particular regions to attract immigrants, all growth was immigration related. Even Ontario grew, in spite of “lower immigration levels and increases in the number of migrants leaving for other parts of the country.”

According to Haroon Siddiqui, “Immigrants are our bread and butter and the census proves it.”

So, will population growth by immigrants lead Canada to prosperity? In general, the census reveals merely demographic numbers. The challenging realities of the labour market persist for newcomers to Canada, and most media stories about the census discuss both the immigration numbers and labour market challenges facing newcomers.

Where demographics and labour market intersect

The StarPhoenix

• “Immigrants are key drivers behind our country’s growth, according to 2011 census findings. Released last week by Statistics Canada, census figures indicate two-thirds of overall population growth is being fuelled by newcomers.
• While immigration should continue to play a large role in boosting our economy, it is particularly important that we put an emphasis on accepting skilled immigrants. In setting immigration policy and targets, it is important to know how well immigrants in various admission categories have fared in their initial years of Canadian residence.
• Immigrants who were admitted under the Federal Skilled Worker program had the highest median annual earnings among the four categories in all arrival groups. The median earnings of skilled workers exceed the earnings of other groups by as much as 56 per cent, in some cases.
• But there is also a story to tell about refugees who arrived at the same time as the skilled workers. They initially had low earnings, but over their first 10 years in Canada, male and female refugees in all groups consistently had the highest earnings growth rates. That is, their earnings grew the fastest.”

The challenge:

“It is important that Canadian immigration policy adapt to increasing global competition for skilled workers. During the past decade, European countries have introduced programs specifically aimed at attracting skilled immigrants. Canada cannot afford to be complacent in seeking to attract and retain skilled workers.”

Ottawa Citizen

• “Canada is well on its way toward becoming a nation of immigrants – figuratively and literally. While it’s no secret that immigrants have helped build this country and Canada has long celebrated its rich multicultural history, 2011 census figures released Wednesday by Statistics Canada indicate two-thirds of overall population growth is being fuelled by newcomers.
• Population projections suggest the trend will continue as boomers die off and that by 2031, immigration will account for more than 80 per cent of Canada’s overall population growth.
• While it’s not clear exactly how many of the 33,476,688 people enumerated in the 2011 census are landed immigrants, refugees or people here on study or work permits, all are included in Canada’s total population. All enjoy varying rights and privileges with respect to work, social programs such as health care and mobility, but none is eligible to vote in Canadian elections.”

The challenge:

“With an immigration system that’s placing a greater emphasis on temporary foreign workers and international students, combined with huge backlogs in applications for permanent residence and stricter citizenship requirements, it also raises questions about whether Canada may not just become a country of immigrants, but whether it may also become a country of non-Canadians.”

Toronto Star

• “It is immigrants who are fuelling population growth in every region of Canada. Even Atlantic Canada is attracting immigrants.
• It is they who are primarily fuelling the boom in population and real estate in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, the three metropolitan areas that account for 35 per cent of our total population.
• It is they who are also responsible for the growth of smaller cities — the 33 urban centres where more than 23 million Canadians now live.”

The challenge:

“Whereas Canada has always been dependant on immigrants, we are more dependent on them now than ever before. This is well understood by governments and businesses, even if not by a noisy anti-immigrant rump that keeps railing against immigrants. Yet we remain inept at managing immigration. The problems that have long plagued the system continue to.”

National Post

• “Canadians have long taken for granted that a constant stream of skilled foreign workers dream of the opportunity to immigrate here. The country’s growth model is essentially built on that assumption.
• ‘We’re one of the very few countries in the world where immigration is seen as a net plus when you poll the public,’ said Perrin Beatty, president of the Chamber of Commerce. That alone is a crucial competitive advantage, he explained. For workers of the world considering migration, Canadian cities are unusually welcoming. ‘We have a pluralistic, multicultural society,’ Mr. Beatty said. ‘There’s no more diverse region anywhere in the world than the GTA. It’s come as you are, and it works.’
• The country, of course, needs top talent to fill vacancies in professions and trades. Canada draws most of its immigrants from China and India. But those countries are intensifying efforts to retain skilled workers.”

The challenge:

“Although Canada has much to offer migrant workers, those looking for a reason to avoid Canada have much to choose from. The long-identified problems of integrating immigrants into the labour force persist and have begun to spoil Canada’s international reputation, Mr. Woo said.”

What’s to come?

Toronto Star: “The corporate sector and the self-regulated professions also continue to be a hindrance. They still do not readily recognize foreign credentials and experience, despite repeated promises by politicians at both the federal and provincial levels. This has led to underemployment or unemployment for immigrants, whose skills we should be using to the fullest, for our mutual benefit.”

Ottawa Citizen: “Nationally, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has identified immigration reform as a necessary prerequisite to building a stronger Canadian economy. He has signalled the government will put a greater emphasis on accepting immigrants into Canada who have a particular skill that is needed in the workforce. As new immigrants typically face disproportionately lower job participation, the hope is that newcomers will be able to hit the ground running and contribute more quickly to the country’s coffers which are facing mounting pressures related to things such as rising pension and old age security costs.”

We’re up to the challenge

Of course, we all know what needs to be done, and Maytree’s ALLIES project is on it.

This week, Maytree’s Cities of Migration staff are in Seattle at the National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC).

This year the conference hosts invited us to widen the field, to bring in new allies and partners, and take the conversation about immigrant integration on the road. It is in this spirit that, together with the J. M. Kaplan Fund, we host the Cities of Migration Marketplace of Good Ideas, highlighting outstanding immigrant integration practices and how they create cohesive, vibrant and dynamic communities across the globe.

We’re presenting ten immigrant integration success stories from ten great cities: five are winners of the E Pluribus Unum Award winners in the United States, and five more are outstanding international practices from Toronto, London, Barcelona, Kerpen, and Auckland. Each of these innovative practices has developed winning strategies and practical solutions to the challenges facing our immigrant-receiving cities. All of them are ready to be adapted and transferred to new cities and new audiences. They’re ready to travel.

We’re sharing these good ideas for a simple and compelling reason. They’re examples of integration done well. They help fuel economic growth, spur innovation and talent renewal, create new knowledge, and promote an open, richer and more inclusive social fabric. Through ideas such as these, new forms of social, economic, cultural and political capital create benefits for thriving urban communities globally.

Take a look at these good ideas. Start a conversation, ask questions, make new connections, and, maybe, you’ll find an idea to bring back to your community.

Read about good ideas in the Marketplace:

• Integration Workshops for Inclusive Cities – Kerpen,Germany. Presenter: Claudia Walther, Integration  and Communities  Program Manager, Bertelsmann Stiftung
• From Alpha to Omega: Innovating in the Workplace – Auckland,New Zealand. Presenter: Pauline Winter, Chairperson, Opportunities for Migrant Employment In Greater Auckland (OMEGA)
• Changing the Face of Leadership: DiverseCity onBoard – Toronto,Canada. Presenter: Cathy Winter, Manager, Diversity OnBoard, Maytree Foundation
• Banking on Affordable Credit – London,United Kingdom. Presenter: Stephanie Mestrallet, Head of Business, Fair Finance
• Reaching for the Stars: VIPs go to School – Barcelona,Spain. Presenter: Michaela Hertel, Director, Fundacion Bertelsmann
• Financing Immigrant Futures: The Latino Community Credit Union - Durham,United States (E Pluribus Unum Award winner). Presenter: Luis Pastor, Chief Executive Officer, The Latino Community Credit Union
• Interviewing the Up and Coming at Upwardly Global – Chicago, USA (E Pluribus Unum Award winner). Presenter: Nikki Cicerani, Executive Director, Upwardly Global
• Welcome Back to a Healthier Community – San Francisco,United States (E Pluribus Unum Award winner). Presenter: José Ramón Fernández-Peña, Director, and Kris Mason, The Welcome Back Initiative
• Language-Wise in the Global Classroom – New York City,USA  (E Pluribus Unum Award winner). Presenter: Claire Sylvan, Executive Director, Internationals Network for Public Schools
• Shelbyville’s Ambassadors of Welcome - Nashville,United States (E Pluribus Unum Award winner). Presenter Stephen Fotopulos, Executive Director, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition

Find out more about Cities of Migration is this short video.

Note: Cities of Migration is looking for outstanding examples of city leadership on immigrant integration. We want to know more about how local governments can facilitate the settlement and integration of newcomers, and promote immigrant and city success. Share your city’s story and be the next Big Idea @ Cities of Migration. Entries will be accepted until January 30, 2012.

Related links:

• Conference website: National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC)
• About Cities of Migration

We follow a lot of sources and send out links to many articles every day. But we know that your time is limited and you may not be able to follow them all. At the end of each week, we pull out some themes from the week’s headlines that are worth your time. If you’re interested in our daily news coverage (and more), follow us on Twitter.

Social cohesion, inclusion, diversity

The past week marked the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) and Wellesley Institute released a new report Canada’s Colour Coded Labour Market that found that “Despite an increasingly diverse population, a new report on Canada’s racialized income gap shows a colour code is still at work in Canada’s labour market.”

See the release from CCPA and Wellesley’s blog coverage.

The report received some media coverage, including the Toronto Star, Skin colour matters in access to good jobs: study, the Montreal Gazette, Discrimination to blame for prosperity gap: study and the Toronto Sun, ‘Colour code’ keeps Canadian workforce inequitable. A related opinion piece from the Hamilton Spectator, Oh, Canada: Diverse but not inclusive, wondered: “We are becoming more diverse as a society. But we need to ask the question: Are we more inclusive?”

During the week, the Regina Leader-Post asked: Racism: has it changed? and suggested that “Canadian institutions and organizations are now less likely to engage in overt discrimination on the grounds of race and ethnicity.” The Government of Canada, meanwhile, applauded talented youth working to build acceptance and fight racism.

The Toronto Sun wondered and rejected the notion that there are too many white people on city council.

It was perhaps timely that a review of Brokering Belonging: Chinese in Canada’s Exclusion Era should be published. “During the Exclusion Era (1885-1945), a series of increasingly draconian immigration laws limited Chinese immigration to Canada and the United States. Mar’s book illustrates the gaping holes in the immigration policy of the era and provides new insight into who filled those holes.”

In some ways, diversity and multiculturalism are, for many, still about markets and marketing. Who Are You? The Census Helps Demographers Know: “Some Canadians might balk at being thought of purely as consumers rather than citizens… [but] that’s how one of Canada’s most sophisticated geodemographic statistical systems, Environics Analytics PrizmC2, sorts all of us. We all fit into one of 66 neighbourhood-lifestyle clusters.”

In terms of neighbourhoods, Samuel Getachew’s big dream for a Little Ethiopia makes us ask, what is the tipping point when a neighbourhood officially becomes “little” something?

Supplier and employer diversity had some interesting coverage. As the Diversity Business Network discussed how Canada Needs Supplier Diversity Mentorship, word came of the 2011 Diversity Procurement Fair and that RBC Supports Diversity (OK, we totally knew that one already, but this story comes from Halifax, which is great!). As well, a diversity conference is being held in Burlington, ON and in British Columbia, Richmond celebrates businesses nominated for DIVERSEcity awards.

Also in BC, the Metropolis conference took place, which the Vancouver Sun told us was going to grapple with thorny immigration issues. “How can Canada stop immigrant groups from turning out religious radicals, with some bent on terrorism in the name of God? Given that many newcomers arrive from countries where homosexuality is illegal, how can Canada support immigrants who feel forced to hide that they are gay or lesbian? Are Canadians being too laissez-faire about whether fresh arrivals know English or French? Some believe the limited expectations Canada places upon new arrivals lead to ethnic enclaves. These are some of the long-disputed topics that will be debated at a massive Vancouver conference on immigration sponsored by Metropolis B.C., one of five Canadian think-tanks financed by governments to research and create dialogue on multicultural issues.” Woah, that’s a heavy load.

One of the first reports from the conference asked the provocative question: So just how valuable are our immigrants? According to the Vancouver Province, “UBC professor David Green said what few participants expected to hear. ‘The net economic impact of immigration is in fact zero,’ Green told the packed Grand Ballroom at the Sheraton Wall Centre on Thursday. ‘I’m very pro-immigration, but not for economic reasons. If you’re looking at it to be a major driver of economic growth, I think you’re looking in the wrong place.’ ”

We’re not entirely sure we’d agree, but this certainly brings the issue of nationhood more to the forefront, which we’ve certainly touched on before here: Building the nation – the value of family reunification and Build the City, Build the Nation – Part 1, Part 2.

Also from Vancouver came a piece suggesting that some immigrant and first-generation teens can’t define what it means to be Canadian. “They turn to buzzwords like multiculturalism, tolerance and acceptance. Some say it’s a passport or a card. Some say it’s ancestral. Others just don’t know. But while they can’t always express it, they live it.”

All of this raises an important discussion that isn’t happening enough. At what point do we start to see these not only as “thorny immigration issues” but also important inclusion issues? Definitely worth spending some time thinking on that.

An interesting question about inclusion came from the Canadian Education Association – Mandated Community Involvement: A Question of Equity: “A study involving 50 current and recently graduated Ontario secondary school students from widely divergent socio-economic settings found that, while students may donate equal amounts time, they do not have equal access to meaningful community involvement placements. Socio-economic status influences the time, resources and social networks available to students, and therefore the types of community involvement open to them.” And from across the pond, the Inequalities blog mused about social cohesion, diversity, and poverty, finding that “in deprived areas, diversity has no effect on trust among people that know lots of people in their neighbourhood. The largest effects are in non-deprived areas, for people that know no-one in their neighbourhood.”

Some great starting points for an important inclusion issue focus, don’t you think?

Immigrants, Innovation, Integration. Inclusion?

Some parts necessity, some parts inherent, innovation is always around us when we look at the newcomer story and experience. Mentoring new immigrants is important, we think that internships offer employers low risk with big return, employer-community partnerships can definitely help create innovation, but as is also always the case, immigrants create networks to help them help themselves. Really, why should our talented newcomers just wait for the Canadian system to move from “thorny immigration issues” to important inclusion issues? Supporting newcomer innovation and network-building is an important part of our leadership work.

Along the lines of innovative leadership, an age-old truth is confirmed again: Immigrants are on the digital vanguard, New Database Reveals Social Media Habits of Canadians. Download a PDF of the full survey findings. And, well-timed, a story about DiverseCity Voice Ray Cao, a local digital innovator, was featured in the Globe and Mail: Big name advisors championing start up businesses.

Finally, in a bit of a brain re-gain, CivicAction’s Emerging Leaders Network launched their Toronto Homecoming 2011 campaign to lure expat talent back to the GTA. It’s important to note that some of this talent is made up of people who immigrated to Canada, found a frustrating settlement and integration process, and took their globally valued skills elsewhere.

It’s great to see a project that can bring needed talent home, and re-welcome those who tried, but weren’t initially welcomed the first time around.

As the economy improves, many companies are once again searching for needed talent. While the competition isn’t as tight as it was before 2008, candidates with the right skills and experience are in high demand as business picks up. Organizations that can’t find the talent they need will be left behind.

One solution?

Create a direct line from your HR department to a broad pool of highly skilled talent with years of experience in international markets.

According to the ALLIES report Attracting, Retaining and Integrating Skilled Immigrants: An Analysis of Canada’s Leading Employers, that’s exactly what Bell Aliant has done in Halifax. The telecommunications company has a close partnership with Immigrant Settlement and Integration Services (ISIS). Bell Aliant HR sends job opportunities to ISIS and accepts candidate referrals directly from the organization.

Sounds perfect, right? The upside is that this innovative solution is easily replicated by other employers.

Working with job developers and other employment specialists at employment service agencies can connect you to pre-screened, workforce-ready skilled immigrant candidates. All you need to do is find an organization in your community to work with.

Finding partners in your community

Other organizations employers in the ALLIES report partnered with include:

• YMCA (national)
• MOSAIC (BC)
• Immigrant Services Society of BC (BC)
• ACCES Employment (Ontario)
• COSTI (Ontario)
• Micro Skills (Ontario)
• Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (Alberta)

The hireimmigrants.ca site can connect you with agencies across the country, in your city.

The impact

The ALLIES analysis of organizations shortlisted to the Best Employers for New Canadians competition looked at 28 employers in 2008, 33 in 2009 and 40 in 2010. Canadian organizations that lead the pack when it comes to the recruitment and integration of skilled immigrants are already increasing their recruitment efforts. Several employers said new practices for recruiting and retaining skilled immigrants help them to maximize the talent that already exists in their communities and saves them the trouble of recruiting internationally.

As I mentioned in my post on Tuesday, employers cited three main reasons for instituting practices to recruit and retain skilled immigrants:

1.    it’s just “the right thing to do” as a member of the community;
2.    the desire to be seen as an employer of choice; and, perhaps most importantly,
3.    it makes business sense to recruit and retain people who have the skills and experiences to help your organization be successful.

Learn more

If you want to learn more about successful practices to recruit and integrate skilled immigrant talent, sign up for the March 29 hireimmigrants.ca webinar Best Employers for New Canadians 2011: Best practices in recruiting and integrating skilled immigrants.

The free webinar will look at trends and highlight best practices from two winners of the 2011 Canada’s Best Employers for New Canadians.

You will learn how one company helps new Canadian employees attain their Canadian professional designations. Another leading organization will share how their buddy system helps new employees learn the ins and outs of the organization’s culture and practices.

We hope to see you there!

Related links:

• ALLIES resources for employers
• hireimmigrants.ca Roadmap
• Best Employers for New Canadians 2011
• Maytree blog posts about corporate Canada’s leadership in immigrant integration, mentoring and diversity in employment

What if you could hire a highly skilled and professional candidate on a trial basis, giving both your organization and the candidate a chance to see if the fit’s right, before you made a permanent commitment?

That’s exactly what SaskEnergy is doing with skilled immigrants.

Saskatchewan’s natural gas distributor, which has 1,031 employees, partners with Regina Open Door Society to find skilled immigrant candidates for short-term work placements. The placements can lead to full-time employment for the skilled immigrants, if the fit is right. Regardless, it helps skilled immigrants gain Canadian work experience and a Canadian work reference.

Internships are a low-risk way for businesses to test out potential candidates for fit and expertise. Ultimately, hiring a skilled immigrant as an intern will add skills and diversity to your workforce while providing highly-qualified and motivated individuals with their first Canadian work experience. But, some hiring managers may be reluctant to spend their own departmental budgets on an intern who might not become a permanent employee.

A novel approach

The Regional Municipality of Halton has addressed this concern by centralizing the cost of internships. Individual departments don’t bear the cost of an intern, providing further incentive for managers to bring in skilled immigrant interns.

Because the Region partners with Career Bridge, managers have access to many pre-screened, professional new immigrants to fill intern spots. That’s a win-win. And, employers are increasingly recognizing the power of internships, according to an analysis of organizations shortlisted to the Best Employers for New Canadians competition in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Best Employers for New Canadians – a summary of success

In examining 40 of the companies shortlisted in 2010, an ALLIES report found 55 per cent of them offered some form of internship or work placement for skilled immigrants. This was up from 48 per cent of 33 shortlisted organizations in 2009 and 43 per cent of 28 organizations in 2008.

In their report, Attracting, Retaining and Integrating Skilled Immigrants: An Analysis of Canada’s Leading Employers ALLIES found that, not only will employers continue to create and implement such practices, they have also enhanced recruitment and integration of skilled immigrants in their organizations.

When interviewed, employers cited three reasons for doing so. One reason is these practices are just “the right thing to do” as a member of the community. Another reason is the desire to be seen as an employer of choice, both with respect to their product or service and to attract and retain top talent.

Finally, most employers linked these practices to the bottom line. They employers to access a larger pool of candidates with specific skill sets that match business needs, reflect their customer base both in Canada and abroad, and increase innovation.

If you want to learn more about various practices to recruit and integrate skilled immigrants, sign up for the March 29 hireimmigrants.ca webinar Best Employers for New Canadians 2011: Best practices in recruiting and integrating skilled immigrants.

The webinar will look at trends and highlight best practices from two winners of the 2011 Canada’s Best Employers for New Canadians.

You will learn how one company helps new Canadian employees attain their Canadian professional designations. Another leading organization will share how their buddy system helps new employees learn the ins and outs of the organization’s culture and practices.

We hope to see you there!

Related links:

• ALLIES resources for employers
• hireimmigrants.ca Roadmap
• Best Employers for New Canadians 2011
• Maytree blog posts about corporate Canada’s leadership in immigrant integration, mentoring and diversity in employment

Successful economic integration of skilled immigrants requires leadership and innovation from our business community.

The business case for immigrant integration – Gordon Nixon, RBC

Each year, the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) recognizes companies and individuals through its Immigrant Success (IS) Awards. The awards recognize unique initiatives that break down employment barriers for skilled immigrants, showcasing leadership and innovation in both individuals and organizations. Over five years TRIEC has recognized 25 innovative employers and individuals.

This year’s winners

Toronto Foundation for Student Success – CBC Toronto Vision Award for Immigrant Inclusion. Internationally trained doctors – not yet pracitising medicine here in Canada – are employed to provide eyesight screening for kids in priority neighbourhoods.

Thales Canada, Transportation – RBC Immigrant Advantage Award. With 90 per cent of its business in the global marketplace, half the Toronto workforce is comprised of skilled immigrants to ensure its position as a leader in transportation systems worldwide.

Deloitte – Toronto Star Award for Excellence in Workplace Integration. Beginning on day one of employment, Deloitte administers a comprehensive suite of integration supports to connect newcomers to colleagues and professional development opportunities.

Nancy Steele, Director, American Express Canada – Canadian HR Reporter Individual Achievement Award. Nancy’s efforts have resulted in an unprecedented 11 hires in approximately two years and first-ever cross-cultural training for new hires and managers.

Related links:

• TRIEC’s IS Awards press room
• Toronto Star special online section – Immigration & Employment
• CBC Toronto hub (audio, video, text)
  

“While policymakers may change their messages from day to day and create a lot of news in the press, we actually see that making a policy or legal change takes a substantial amount of time. It then also takes time to implement that policy and then see the actual effects on immigrants’ opportunities in society.” Thomas Huddleston – Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Group

On February 28, Maytree hosted the Canadian release of the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX). This was the third MIPEX release of data that compares Canada to 30 other countries (mainly EU & the US).

Canada scored third, which is worth celebrating. But, as with all data, scratching below the surface tells us that we have areas for improvement.

You can view the recording of the online press conference below.

Here are the major points our webinar speakers discussed, some key data and links to more information. Featured speakers in the MIPEX press conference were Jan Niessen and Thomas Huddleston (Brussels), Howard Duncan & Jack Jedwab (Canada).

Background

MIPEX is the Migrant Integration Policy Index. Researchers reviewed 148 policy indicators in seven policy areas, covering 27 EU member states, Norway, Switzerland, Canada and the USA. Policy areas are labour market mobility, family reunion for third-country nationals, education, political participation, long-term residence, access to nationality, and anti-discrimination. Future reports will include Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

For a quick visual overview of the new report, watch this MIPEX online tour, which covers some background about the report and the major, interactive features of the MIPEX website.

Why MIPEX is important

Howard Duncan of the Metropolis Project commented how the policy areas covered by MIPEX are increasing in importance around world. There has been much anxiety recently related to immigrant integration, and how it differs from multiculturalism (especially in Europe). The European dichotomy between integration and multiculturalism is not as evident in Canada. To illustrate, Howard mentioned that Canada just recognized the 40th anniversary of official multiculturalism policy.

Howard went on to say that competition for migrants will be won or lost based on integration policies countries implement. With that in mind, countries are taking immigrant integration more seriously than ever before, but they’re also struggling and looking for help and advice.

Within the policy indicators and areas, MIPEX seeks to answer this key question: do all residents have equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities to help them improve their integration outcomes? It’s important to point out that this report is a discussion of policies, not outcomes, although the likelihood of outcomes is taken into account.

What can you do with MIPEX III?

• Analyze seven policy areas which shape a legal resident immigrant’s journey to full citizenship;
• Examine how policies compare against the standard of equal rights and responsibilities for migrants;
• Find out how one’s country’s policies rank compared with other countries;
• Track if policies are getting better or worse over time;
• Dig into real examples of how to improve policies; and
• Use it to design and assess new laws and proposals on an on-going basis.

The key findings include changes since MIPEX II. Comparative data is available in the Play with data section of the MIPEX site. You can also view country-specific reports. Start with how Canada did.

Where Canada leads

Canada has improved because of increased policy work on foreign credential recognition. Canada leads in labour market mobility, family reunion (but because of our backlog issue we scored the same as MIPEX II). Canada and the US have the strongest anti-discrimination laws and equity policies. European countries are catching up in anti-discrimination.

It is important to note that MIPEX measures integration policies (not outcomes or actual status) up to May 31, 2010. Time will tell if recent issues and legislative direction in Canada (such as changes to family reunification) will have an impact on our position in these standings.

Where Canada is weak

While Canada is generally strong, it is weak in some areas. We know that immigrants face challenges on the ground.

MIPEX points to the following important areas where Canada could improve:

• The need to remove the large backlog for processing immigrant applications; in 20 countries under study, there are legal time-limits to do so;
• The recognition that non-citizen residents should be given the right to vote in local elections; 18 EU Member States have extended this right to their non-EU residents; and
• The importance of giving leaders of immigrant associations the chance to inform integration policy through immigrant consultative bodies; 14 European countries and leading US states and cities have formal structures in place to seek the views of newcomers.

Our policies, in terms of legal framework, are generally free of discriminatory approaches. But, we can’t divorce this from the day-to-day experience of newcomers in Canada.

Webinar Q&A

How could the Canadian government respond to this report, especially in areas where we’re weak?

There is some value in debate being organized on issues about political involvement and engagement.  We need to do more work around policy involvement and engagement of immigrants in Canada.

Has health policy been considered for MIPEX?

Such a comparative study moves slowly, but has expanded from four to seven policy areas. It would take time to determine proper research questions. For example, what, specifically, would we want to cover regarding health? Some aspects, such as anti-discriminatory access to services are covered indirectly.

This is the third year. How did Canada do compared to previous years? Did this study take into account some of the more recent policy shifts in Canada?

Research reflects the situation as of May 31, 2010. Canada only went up one point because of the pan-Canadian framework on credential recognition. Researchers recognize that this is a massive undertaking. Very few other countries have been doing this kind of work on credential recognition.

Changes after May 2010 will be factored into the next MIPEX study, in two years time.

What were your findings of how well new Canadians (and immigrants elsewhere) fared in the job market?

The study looks are legislative framework, not actual labour market integration, unemployment rates, etc. This type of information is available from Canadian Census data, and other reports. However, the study encourages dialog around these issues, including expert exchanges between countries.

Which of the MIPEX indicators is most useful to addressing issues of immigrant integration in local communities?

Integration is not uniquely local, national policies are essential. Cities do have a big stake. MIPEX can be used to review national policies. Cities can lobby national government to enhance policies. When legal framework is in place, support is delivered locally.

Cities can create targeted measures, develop the systems, work to get funding to implement, work with local actors. Education is an example of provincial responsibility, which needs support nationally for even support across the country. National and local connections do exist.

Stakeholders can decide on the importance of a particular area and do their own weighting. Play with MIPEX data at www.mipex.eu/play.

Will MIPEX look at the gap between legal structure/policy framework and social and economic integration of immigrants in reality?

Yes. It is important to determine how good policy translates into good outcomes. This will be looked at during the upcoming Metropolis conference and other gatherings. Future plans include to connect policy inputs and policy outcomes.

Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) – International Press Conference February 2011

Related links:

• Canadian MIPEX immigration data released
• Canadian MIPEX: les données canadiennes sont maintenant disponibles
• Comprehensive MIPEX mainstream media coverage
• Join Maytree’s discussion about Canada’s immigration policies
• Building the nation – the value of family reunification