2009 ALLIES Learning Exchange: Leading with Ideas

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Whether or not you were able to attend the 2009 ALLIES Learning Exchange, you may be interested in resources from the conference. These include presentation materials (PDF files) from the conference sessions, audio files of the sessions, and a photo gallery.

More presentations will be added as we receive them, so if you don’t find what you’re looking for, check back.

Keynote Addresses, Presentations and Remarks

Naomi Alboim, Maytree Associate and Fellow and Adjunct Professor, School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University: Immigration & Labour Market Trends
One of Canada’s leading policy experts on immigration issues analyzes the latest immigration statistics and trends and highlights relevant policy implications.

Alan Broadbent, Chairman, Maytree: No Time Like Now
Difficult economic times create an imperative to maintain a high level of commitment to the successful integration of immigrants. As a leader in business and philanthropy, Alan discusses the importance and timelineness of the work of ALLIES communities.

Bill Robson, President and Chief Executive Officer, C.D. Howe Institute: The Canadian Economy – What Lies Ahead
Hear from one of Canada’s leading policy thinkers as he shares his thoughts on where the economy is headed, the foreseeable economic and employment outlook, the prospects for employment for skilled immigrants in these uncertain times and the role skilled immigrants can play in the recovery of the economy.

Mike Harcourt: Vancouver – City of the Future
Former BC Premier Mike Harcourt shares his perspective on the role that immigrants have played in the economic growth and cultural development that make Vancouver a truly world-class city.

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Panel Presentations

Five Communities – Five Strategies – Immigrant Employment Councils at Work across Canada
Listen as representatives from immigrant employment councils across Canada (Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver) share their experiences establishing their initiatives – including the successes and the challenges.

  • Moderator: Karen Link, Director, Critical LINK Management Group
  • Panelists:
    Fred Morley    , Executive Vice President & Chief Economist, Greater Halifax Partnership
    Anne-Marie Marcotte    , Chargée de projet – Alliés Montréal
    Henry Akanko    , Director, Hire Immigrants Ottawa
    Elizabeth McIsaac    , Executive Director, Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council
    Kelly Pollack    , Executive Director, Immigrant Employment Council of BC

Engaging Employers in Immigrant Employment Solutions
What is the best way to convince an employer to come on board? What do employers expect from immigrant employment councils? How can employers contribute to the success of an immigrant employment council? Hear from some of Canada’s leading employers to understand why they came to the table and stayed there, and how they are taking an active leadership role in implementing immigrant employment solutions.

Moderator: Julia Deans, CEO, Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance

Large Employers Panel

  • Panelists:
    Sue Cummings    , SVP Human Resources, TD Canada Trust
    Bob Elton    , President and CEO, BC Hydro and Chair, Immigrant Employment Council of BC
    Yezdi Pavri, Managing Partner, Deloitte, Toronto

Small and Medium Sized Employers Panel

  • Panelists:
    Sheldon Leiba    , President & CEO, Mississauga Board of Trade
    Monica Kreuger    , President, Global Infobrokers
    Joëlle Stemp, President, YU Centrix

An Increasingly Important Player: Post Secondary Educational Institutions
This panel showcased interesting programs and partnerships in universities and colleges that are bringing about broader changes in our communities.

  • Moderator: Anna De Luca, Dean, Language Training and Adult Literacy, NorQuest College
  • Panelists:
    Terry Anne Boyles    , Vice-President, Member Services and Public Policy, Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC)
    Paul Davidson    , President, Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
    Phil Schalm, Program Director, Gateway for International Professionals, Ryerson University

Vibrant Cities and their Global Connections
This panel highlights national and international trends in the migration of skilled immigrants, the globalization of work and the place of large metropolitan regions as hubs for global companies.

  • Moderator: Stephen Huddart, Vice-President, J.W. McConnell Family Foundation
  • Panelists:
    Howard Duncan, Executive Head, Metropolis Project;
    Patricia Rimok, Presidente, Conseil des Relations Interculturelles, Quebec
    PDF of presentation
    Baldwin Wong, Multicultural Social Planner, City of Vancouver
    PDF of presentation

Promising Practices from Government
Immigration is an area of shared federal and provincial responsibility. However, the lived experience of immigrants is local. Partnering with all three levels of government is essential for the success of your initiative.

  • Moderator: Murray Coolican, Former VP, Manulife Financial Canada
  • Panelists:
    Katherine Hewson    ,Assistant Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
    PDF of presentation
    Randy McLean    , Manager, Economic Policy, City of Toronto
    PDF of presentation
    Ximena Munoz, Fairness Commissioner, Manitoba
    Silvano Tocchi    , Director, Foreign Credential Recognition Office, HRSDC
    PDF of presentation

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Marketplace

Participants visited various displays/booths to learn more about innovative immigrant employment programs and tools being implemented across the country.

PDF of Marketplace booklet

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Workshops

Nuts & Bolts: Getting Your Council Started
Identifying and implementing the processes and components that are necessary to establish an immigrant employment council can be challenging. Karen provides strategic advice on how to bring key stakeholders from both the private and public sectors together to work collaboratively. Peter shares the successes and challenges of establishing the Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network.

  • Presenters:
    Karen Link    , Director, Critical LINK Management Group
    PDF of presentation
    Peter McFadden, Executive Director, Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network (WRIEN)
    PDF of presentation

Bringing Skilled Immigrants into Your Company: How-to Workshops
To effectively recruit, hire and integrate skilled immigrants into organizations, employers need to be equipped with ways to identify cultural bias in their HR policies and practices.

  • Presenters:
    Navpreet Singh    , Manager, Training and Workshop Development, TRIEC
    PDF of presentation
    Michael Bach    , National Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, KPMG

Employer Resources at Your Fingertips: hireimmigrants.ca
hireimmigrants.ca provides employers with interactive tools and resources to accelerate the integration of skilled immigrants into their organizations.

  • Presenters:
    Kevin McLellan    , Program Manager, Employer Initiatives, TRIEC
    Laura Burke    , Learning Coordinator, ALLIES
    PDF of presentation

Listen Up! Designing, Implementing and Evaluating a Public Awareness Campaign
Emily and Ruth present strategies, tactics and programs that communities can use in building awareness around the importance of skilled immigrants.

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Policy Recommendations

During the Learning Exchange a number of participants expressed interest in establishing a policy role for ALLIES.  A number of policy issues affecting local communities were highlighted and summarized.

PDF of Policy Report

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Picture Gallery

Please visit the photo gallery on Flickr.

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Funded in part by the Government of Canada
Government of Canada 		The McConnell Foundation