ALLIES – Communities

Learn more about Immigrant Employment Councils across Canada and internationally.

Nova Scotia Halifax New Brunswick Fredericton and Moncton Ontario London Niagara Ottawa Toronto Waterloo Region

Quebec Montreal Alberta Calgary Edmonton Saskatchewan Saskatoon

British Columbia Vancouver International Auckland

Stephen Huddart on the role of philanthropy and immigrants in strengthening communities

Halifax, Nova Scotia

ALLIES has awarded Immigration Works in Halifax a Partnership Grant which will implement a comprehensive employer awarenss and engagement program. The initiative, led by the Greater Halifax Partnership, will raise awareness and change perceptions about the benefits of hiring immigrants; provide key decision-makers with the information they need to source, select, develop and welcome skilled immigrants to their workforce; and increase the business network of new immigrants so that they will be able to find employment in their areas of expertise. This third goal will be achieved through the Connector Program which will recruit “connectors” to refer immigrants to a minimum of three people in his/her network. Each of these people will be encouraged to refer the immigrant to another three professionals.Halifax is the thirteenth largest city in Canada and the largest city in Nova Scotia. The province’s population is aging rapidly -in 20 years, 40% of Nova Scotia’s population will be 55 years or older. In the next 5 years as these workers retire, Nova Scotia expects up to 68,000 job openings.

Contact:
Fred Morley, Executive Vice President and Chief Economist
The Greater Halifax Partnership
www.immigrationworksinhalifax.ca
www.greaterhalifax.com

Fredericton and Moncton

With support from the ALLIES National Mentoring Initiative (funded by TD Bank Financial Group), the New Brunswick Multicultural Council (NBMC) will develop a mentoring program for skilled immigrants which will be delivered in at least 4 locations across the province . NBMC has received funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada for the program development phase. In 2008 the New Brunswick government released a new growth strategy with the goal of increasing population by 100,000 by 2026. This growth strategy has four areas of focus which include increasing and targeting immigration and increasing settlement and promoting multiculturalism. The Conference Board of Canada predicts New Brunswick will lead the nation with 0.9% GDP growth in 2009 and will achieve 2.8 % growth next year. The sectors with the strongest employment growth in New Brunswick include accommodation and food services, construction, finance, insurance, real estate and leasing.

Contact:
Deborah Wybou, Acting Manager
New Brunswick Multicultural Council
www.nb-mc.ca

Montréal, Quebec

ALLIES has awarded a Start-up Phase One grant to La Conférence régionale des élus (CRE) de Montréal to lead Alliés Montréal. The CRE is an association of elected officials, community and business leaders focused on the socioeconomic development of the Montréal region. Alliés Montréal will be implementing solutions to find employment for skilled immigrants by improving the recognition of qualifications; providing career placements; investing in mentoring; engaging employers; and promoting public/employer awareness campaign to draw attention to the challenges immigrants face in the labour market and the value their skills bring to improving our economy.

Montréal is home to the third-largest foreign-born population in Canada (12% of the total foreign-born population). Between 2001 and 2006 Montréal’s foreign-born population increased by 19%, nine times the growth rate of Montréal’s Canadian-born population (2%). The employment outlook for Montréal is positive. However, a significant number of immigrants are having trouble finding work. The employment rate for immigrants was 59 % in 2006, compared to 52% for general population. The situation tends to improve after ten years, but Montréalers who have been residents for five years or less have an unemployment rate of 18 %, which is three times greater than the rate among Canadian-born.

Contact:
Anne-Marie Marcotte
Chargée de projet – Alliés Montréal
Conférence régionale des élus de Montréal
Alliés Montréal
www.credemontreal.qc.ca

London, Ontario

With 22% of the population comprised of individuals that are, or have been, an immigrant to Canada, the London-Middlesex Immigrant Employment Council (LMIEC) is bridging business to a world of local talent.  A project of the Employment Sector Council London-Middlesex (ESCLM), this employer-led council has representation from a broad range of industries to reflect the diversified regional economy.

Through the LMIEC’s action plan development phase, business leaders quickly determined that the regional tools are already in place for companies of all sizes to cost-effectively connect with immigrant talent.  Increasing the broader business community’s awareness and utilization of these supports was identified as the key challenge to be undertaken by the Council.

Business leaders recommended that in order to engage colleagues in their companies, networks and sector industries in leveraging international talent, employers themselves should proactively share their successes in utilizing recruitment and retention resources.  Skills International, the Mentorship for Newcomer Success Program, the Access Centre for Regulated Employment, Work Experience Placements, Global Talent, the Skilled Immigrant Loan Program and the Immigration Portal are among the resources being promoted in this endeavor.

This Employer Leadership Strategy, funded by the Government of Ontario, will be delivered through June 2010.   With the continuing support of the City of London and the London Economic Development Corporation, a growing pool of over 35 Employer Leaders is actively championing employment for internationally-trained individuals.

Contact:
Jennifer Hollis, Project Manager
London-Middlesex Immigrant Employment Council
www.lmiec.ca

Niagara Region, Ontario

NIEC is a region-wide multi-stakeholder collaboration of businesses, community organizations, immigrants, occupational regulatory bodies and three levels of government. NIEC’s mission is to enhance Niagara’s diversity and economic prosperity by strengthening its capacity to attract, recruit and retain internationally trained immigrants.

By 2011, Niagara will be largely dependent on internationally trained individuals for its labour force growth. Sectors such as healthcare and tourism are already experiencing critical needs for skilled employees. The problem will only become more acute because Niagara’s population growth is slowing as its population is aging, baby boomers are retiring and there is a low birth rate coupled with out-migration.

The challenges faced by internationally trained individuals are often overwhelming because the lack of Canadian work experience and the non-recognition of foreign credentials are barriers to employment. The absence of a clear pathway to immigrant employment will lead Niagara’s businesses to deal with looming labour shortages without an effective human resource strategy.

NIEC is at an early stage of development. It is focused on making a difference by developing and implementing best practices and solutions. NIEC’s first step is to develop a mentoring program for skilled immigrants in the Region.

Contact:
Niagara Immigrant Employment Council
www.niec.ca

Ottawa, Ontario

Hire Immigrants Ottawa (HIO) is a community-based initiative that brings together employers, immigrant agencies and stakeholders to create employment opportunities for skilled immigrants in the Ottawa area. HIO’s objective is to increase the number of employers in Ottawa who hire skilled immigrants.

Ottawa is the fourth largest city in Canada and second largest in Ontario. From 2001-2006 the foreign-born population in Ottawa – Gatineau increased by nearly 10%. Ottawa-Gatineau’s economy is forecast to grow by 2.7% in 2008 with gains in the high-tech sector and stronger job growth in the public sector. Job growth is expected to improve from 0.1% in 2007 to 1.3% in 2008.

Immigrants to Ottawa seek employment within a unique and challenging labour market context. As capital of the federal government, Ottawa’s employment opportunities have typically been concentrated within the public sector as well as in information and communication technology sectors. Ottawa has experienced limited economic diversification. In addition to the usual foreign credential recognition barriers experienced by immigrants, these job-seekers in Ottawa face additional hurdles in the form of language (bilingualism), citizenship and security requirements.

HIO will be focusing on implementing “workplace readiness” activities, managing a public awareness campaign, developing an employers guide for small and medium sized enterprise, and hosting an employer awards program.

Read the HireImmigrants Ottawa Story
HIO – Employer’s Guide to Integrating Immigrants into the Workplace

Contact:
Henry Akanko
Director
Hire Immigrants Ottawa
www.hireimmigrantsottawa.ca

Toronto, Ontario

The Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) is working to remove the barriers immigrants face when entering the labour market, while at the same time helping organizations benefit from the talents and skills immigrants bring with them to Canada.

Since 2003, TRIEC has facilitated collaboration among a diverse group of stakeholders including employers, post-secondary institutions, employment service providers, community organizations, regulatory bodies and all three levels of government.

The goal is to assemble these key players to find and implement local, practical solutions that lead to meaningful employment for skilled immigrants. By bringing together government representatives through TRIEC’s Intergovernmental Relations Committee, engaging employers through the Mentoring Partnership and hireimmigrants.ca and working with organizations in the community, TRIEC is finding solutions, ensuring action, and connecting partners in new and unique ways.

Read the TRIEC Story

Contact:

Elizabeth McIsaac, Executive Director
Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council
www.triec.ca

Waterloo, Ontario

WRIEN is a joint initiative of employers, agencies, governments, educators and foreign trained professionals working together to enhance the region’s image as a welcoming community to foreign trained professionals so it can:

• compete for the world’s best talent;
• foster an environment where the education, skills and experience of foreign trained professionals is fully employed to make the community economically and socially stronger; and;
• support regional employers in their efforts to attract, hire, engage and retain foreign trained professionals as strategic members of their workplace.

WRIEN recently launched the Waterloo Region Mentoring Partnership in cooperation with the Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA Cross Cultural & Immigrant Services. Skilled immigrants are matched with established professionals to create occupation-specific mentoring relationships. Over 80 matches have been made where mentors help mentees navigate the job search process by sharing their knowledge, experience and professional networks.

Contact:

Peter McFadden, Executive Director
Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network
www.wrien.com

Edmonton, Alberta

ALLIES has awarded the Edmonton Region Immigrant Employment Council a Start-up Phase One grant. Employers, citizens and institutions have come together to create ERIEC in order to deal with the region’s fast growing economy and significant labour market shortages.

Edmonton has the sixth-largest share of newcomer settlement in Canada and has the second-largest foreign-born population in Alberta (36% of Albertans). The foreign-born population in Edmonton grew by 15% between 2001 and 2006, outpacing the total growth of the CMA (11%) and the national growth rate of the foreign-born population (14%).

Edmonton’s economy is booming due to the strength of the energy industry, however it is experiencing significant labour market shortages. In 2007 GDP increased by 6.4% and overall employment increased by 6.2%, the highest increase over the last 30 years. According to the Conference Board of Canada’s forecast, employment in Edmonton will grow steadily for the next five years. By 2008 overall employment growth in Edmonton will slightly decrease to 2% and only to 1.9% by 2011. However, employment growth in Edmonton will exceed the Canadian average (1.2 % in 2008 and 2009).

ERIEC has launched a mentoring program that will match employers with immigrants in order to introduce them to their profession, create a circle of colleagues as well as provide coaching on securing a job.

Contact:
Doug Piquette
Executive Director
Edmonton Region Immigrant Employment Council
www.eriec.ca

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Although small in size compared to other Canadian cities, Saskatoon recognizes that if it is to grow its economy it needs to attract and retain skilled labour. The Saskatoon Community Foundation is leading the initiative which will create a synergistic movement to “think diversity, think globally” when discussing labour market growth.

Saskatoon is Saskatchewan’s largest city (with 24% of the province’s population) and is the 17th most populated CMA in Canada. While the share of recent immigrants in Saskatchewan and Saskatoon is relatively unchanged from the last census, Saskatoon has one of the fastest growing economies in the country. Economic output in the Saskatoon region expanded by 4.7% in 2007, the fastest for the region since 1997, as well as the fastest growing output in the country

Overall employment is forecasted to increase by 4.8% in 2008, nearly four times last year’s increase of 1.3% with major growth expected in the service sector. Value added food processing is one of the fastest growing industries in Saskatoon, which is considered the agriculture biotechnology capital of Canada. Mining is also an important part of the economy. The Saskatoon region is the world’s largest exporter of uranium, and nearly two-thirds of the world’s recoverable potash reserves are located in the region.

Saskatoon is at the early stages of developing its multi-stakeholder initiative.

Contact:
Don Ewles, Grants and Communications Manager
Saskatoon Community Foundation
www.saskatooncommunityfoundation.ca

Vancouver, British Columbia

The Immigrant Employment Council of BC (IECBC) will address the challenges immigrants face in finding employment that matches their education and professional experience. Spearheaded by the Vancouver Foundation and chaired by Bob Elton, President & CEO of BC Hydro, the Council will engage employers, government, settlement organizations,and other key stakeholders to develop solution-based actions that facilitate the labour market integration of skilled immigrants. The BC Government along with a start-up grant from ALLIES will support the work of the Council.

Vancouver is Canada’s immigrant gateway. Its foreign-born population has more than doubled since 1981 and today nearly 40% of the city’s residents are born outside of Canada. Immigrants are projected to account for two-thirds of British Colombia’s population growth by 2025. Shortages in skilled labour exist in all areas of the British Columbian economy especially in construction trades, health professions, transportation, energy and hospitality. BC will need to attract 30,000 workers per year from outside the province with specific skills to meet labour and skills shortage challenges.

Contact:
Kelly Pollack, Executive Director
Immigrant Employment Council of BC
www.iecbc.ca

Baldwin Wong on settling and employing skilled immigrants in Vancouver

Auckland, New Zealand

OMEGA (Opportunities for Migrant Employment in Greater Auckland) is a new collaborative initiative designed to ensure that qualified migrants find jobs that match their skills and experience. Omega recognises the unique barriers new kiwis face when entering the New Zealand labour force, and have launched a series of practical programmes to address these, while at the same time helping organisations benefit from the talents and skills immigrants bring with them. Funded by The Tindall Foundation and hosted for a period of three years within the Committee for Auckland, Omega is part of a larger effort to make Auckland a great place to live and work.

Contact:

Justin Treagus, Programme Director
OMEGA
www.omega.org.nz

Funded in part by the Government of Canada