Accept higher immigration or have more kids: Kenney

By BRIAN LILLEY, PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU

OTTAWA - The Harper government is changing the mix of immigrants it plans to admit to the country over the next year.

While the overall target for permanent residents will remain between 240,000 and 265,000, the government will seek to admit more children and spouses through the family class and fewer economic migrants. The annual number of economic class immigrants selected for their job skills will drop by 5,000 to 6,000 while the number of family class immigrants will go up by between 1,500 and 2,500.

“Canada’s post-recession economy demands a high level of legal immigration to keep our work force strong,” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said in a statement. “At the same time, we are maintaining our commitment to family reunification and refugees.”

In 2009, Canada admitted 252,179 immigrants as permanent residents plus 178,478 temporary foreign workers and 85,140 students. The annual report to Parliament states that the number of foreign workers decreased by 7% as a reaction to the recession and lower demand for foreign workers, while the number of foreign students increased by 7%.

Between 2004 and 2008, the number of foreign workers grew by 71% from 82,151 to 192,519.

NDP immigration critic Olivia Chow blasted the government for what she sees as an unacceptably high level of temporary foreign workers.

“Instead of continuing the destructive trend of bringing in 178,478 temporary workers to Canada each year, the Conservatives should allow for even more families to join their loved ones in Canada,” Chow told QMI Agency.

Kenney said the immigration department doesn’t set out to bring so many foreign workers to Canada each year but instead responds to the demands of businesses who can’t find workers. In order to be given permission to bring in temporary foreign workers, businesses must show that they have advertised the job and cannot find Canadians who can fill the position.

“Within five years, there will be no growth in the Canadian labour market,” Kenney said while defending the level of immigration. “You cannot pay for our pensions, our health care and all the services Canadians want with a shrinking tax base.”

Kenney said that leaves Canadians with two options, accept higher immigration levels or have more children.

The Liberals say Kenney isn’t boosting the immigration levels fast enough.

“I think we can look at getting over the 250,000 mark up to approaching 1% of our population if not going beyond that,” said Liberal immigration critic Justin Trudeau.

Taking in 1% of Canada’s population in new immigrants would see Canada take in close to 350,000 new permanent residents annually.

From: http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/11/01/15910966.html

Presenting: Skills for Change - An Organization Dedicated to Helping New Immigrants Integrate Successfully into the Canadian Workplace

Source: http://www.travelandtransitions.com/interviews/skills_for_change.htm

March 3, 2006

Along the continuum of cross-cultural experiences, becoming an immigrant and deciding to live full-time in another culture provides the most intense cross-cultural experience. Issues commonly faced by immigrants are the acquisition of language skills, accreditation of academic and job credentials, job search, child care, cultural adjustment and many others involved in setting up a new life away from home.

I connected with Skills for Change about a year and a half ago and I think they do wonderful work in helping immigrants adjust to the Canadian workplace. Several of my full-time employees have come from Skills for Change and they are a testament to the dedication and commitment that new immigrants are often willing to offer to an employer.

Canada is a typical immigrant country and it is no exaggeration to say that in today's climate, the health and well-being of entire communities and societies depends on the successful integration of new immigrants. Skills for Change is a leader in its field and has been visited by a number of delegations from Europe to inform them about their unique programs.

Skills for Change has developed a number of outstanding innnovative programs to help foreign-trained workers adjust successfully in Canada. Here is Jane Cullingworth, Executive Director of Skills for Change, to talk about the mission and programs of this great organization.

1. Please give us an overview of Skills for Change. What is the objective of your organization? How is it funded?

Established in 1982 as a charitable organization, Skills for Change (SfC) provides learning and training to immigrants and refugees in preparation for entry to the labour market and the wider community. Over the years, the organization has evolved to meet the changing needs of newcomers and has enhanced its services by pioneering the design and delivery of innovative sector-specific, employment focused programs. We are funded by government (federal, provincial and municipal), by foundations (including the United Way), private donations, fundraising; we also charge for some of our services (for example, computer training courses).

2. Please tell us about the history of Skills for Change.

In 1983, the Toronto Office Skills Training Project was funded to provide language and clerical skills training to Indochinese women. By 1988, the training was opened up to all immigrant women; when the agency moved to its current location in 1989, part-time language/linked skills courses were offered to men and women, in partnership with the Toronto Board of Education. SfC is best known for developing and pioneering the sector-specific program and service model. With this model as a framework, the agency had introduced such services as Mentoring for Employment, sector-specific programming for internationally-trained professionals (1998) and the Ontario Network for International Professionals Online (onip.ca) web site (2003). In 2004, SfC developed and piloted bridging programs for internationally-trained teachers and tradespeople.

3. What type of people come to you for assistance?

Underemployed or unemployed immigrants and refugees in need of language, skills and employment-preparation training or services. Women and men of diverse cultural and racial backgrounds seeking entry into the workforce: unemployed immigrants or refugees/social assistance recipients.

4. What are some of the common issue that new immigrants face?

Language barriers, credential recognition, cultural differences, financial, systemic barriers, lack of Canadian work experience, lack of knowledge of resources, and limited access to bridging programs and education that can address specific skills gaps.

5. Please tell us about some of your programs in the clerical, finance, accounting and retail areas.

Intake, Assessment and Referral

·Assessment of language, training and employment needs

·Referrals to appropriate internal and external programs and services

Sector-Specific Employment-Preparation Programs/Services

Bridge to Success for Trades: 12-week program serves three trades: industrial electricians, construction and maintenance electricians and industrial mechanics or millwrights; participants are prepared for their Certificate of Qualification exams. Pilot phase has just been completed; now awaiting announcement re: Phase 2 funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Clerical Employment Services (CES): two-week job search program for clients seeking clerical, customer service or related employment

Customer Service Skills: six-week course; generic customer service principles and hands-on practice

Employment Preparation for Retail Services (EPRS): 15-week program with six-week placement at the Bay

Employment Resource Centre: self-serve centre provides job search resources, workshops and coaching to job seekers in the community

ESL/Accounting and Computer Skills for Immigrant Women: 11-week course in accounting principles, MS Office and business communications

Finance and Office Assistant Program (FOAP): 24-week program for social assistance recipients; four-week placement; funding ends in December 2005

Job Preparation for Internationally-trained Accountants and Bookkeepers (ITAB): funding ended March, 2005

Job Search Workshops (JSW): 18-hour program delivered in the evenings and during the day

Mentoring for Employment: matches job-ready clients in professions such as accounting, engineering, human resources, teaching and life sciences to mentors in their fields

Sector-specific Information Sessions: three-hour information sessions for engineers, accountants and teachers in association with the Professional Engineers of Ontario, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario and the Ontario College of Teachers

Teach in Ontario: six-week program for internationally-trained teachers; includes group information sessions, language assessment and training delivered in English and French, and help with job search strategies

TechSkills: These fee-for-service instructor-led courses train newcomers, the general public and SfC graduates in technical skills such as Quality Assurance and Control Training (QACT), Oracle and MCSE/MCSA

6. Please tell us about your language training programs.

Language Training

·LINC Levels 2 to 5, with a childminding service

·ESL/workplace skills courses offered in conjunction with the Toronto District and the Toronto Catholic District School Boards

·Language Upgrading for Internationally-trained Teachers (instruction provided by the Toronto Catholic District School Board)

·Enhanced Language Training (ELT) workshops for internationally-trained tradespersons and agrologists

7. Please tell us about your job search, coaching and mentoring programs.

Job Search Workshop for New Immigrants (JSW) is designed to assist Newcomers in finding employment in Canada.

Newcomers learn job search strategies, skills identification, resume and cover letter writing, labour market trends, accessing the hidden job market, interview skills, Internet and computers for Job Search purposes.

Mentoring is an employment preparation program for internationally-trained professionals in areas such as accounting, engineering, human resources, teaching and life sciences. Mentors work with clients to help them achieve their employment goals while they are seeking work. All participants in thee Mentoring program are successful graduate of employment preparation courses at Skills for Change or other approved agencies. Registration is done through Counsellor referrals and an interview process.

8. What type of settlement services do you offer to newcomers?

· Skills for Change in partnership with South Asian Women's Centre offers settlement services to newcomers such as information, Guidance and Advocacy. The following services are available to all drop-in newcomers:

· Assistance related to immigration and sponsorship

· Help and information regarding social assistance

· Information related to community resources, child care, health, housing and legal issues

· Supportive counseling

· Support and advocacy related to family violence

Monthly Settlement Information Sessions are conducted and thee topics include:

· Introduction to Community Resources

· Domestic Violence and Family Law

· Resources for Victims of abuse

· Mental Health, Stress Management and Coping

· Immigration, Sponsorship and Citizenship

· Introduction to ODSP, EI and Social Assistance

· Child Safety

· Regulation and Resources

One2one Coaching is a free service of Skills for Change and the Dufferin mall Employment Resource Centre (DERC). All coaching takes place at the Duffering Mall Employment Resource Centre. One2one Coaching is for job seekers looking for work in any field. You may need help with your work search documents, preparing for an interview or conducting an effective job search. Our coaching team can help you with resume critiques, cover letter reviews, mock interviews, and much more.

Currently our DERC is located at our 791 St. Clair Ave. W. location. The program will be relocating to another location in the next couple of months.

9. What type of services do you offer to employers?

Human Resources Services for Employers is specifically for corporate HR and Training departments. Designed to assist companies with recruitment, placements and professional development and retaining their diverse workforce.

10. What are the New Pioneer Awards?

Recognizing the Achievements of Immigrants and Refugees

New Pioneers Awards: an annual gala event honouring immigrants and refugees for their achievements

The New Pioneers Awards recognize the contributions made by immigrants and refugees and are awarded in six categories:

Arts
Community Service
Entrepreneurship (Business to be in operation for a minimum of three years and must employ staff)
Science and Technology
Youth
Skills for Change Graduate (restricted to those who have used the agency's programs and services)

We invite nominations of outstanding individuals who fits the following selection criteria:

Demonstrate through their residence, work and/or community activities a real and substantial connection to the Greater Toronto Area

Be born outside of Canada

Be an outstanding achiever

Have made contributions to the immigrant, refugees and/or wider community

Have overcome barriers in starting a new life in Canada

Be over 18 years of age (with the exception of the youth award that is open to individuals 16-24 years old or up to 29 if disabled)

The selection of the recipients is conducted by teams of volunteers who have knowledge and expertise in the field. The information given in the nomination form is reviewed and graded and the short listed candidates are interviewed. The nominees who are selected as the recipients are individuals who closely match the selection criteria of the awards.

The New Pioneers Awards are presented in March each year at a prestigious dinner event. Each recipient receives a handcrafted trophy from a sponsor representative. The Youth and Skills for Change Graduate Award recipients receive $1,000 respectively.

11. Please tell us about some of the success stories of Skills for Change.

Susan*, originally from China, came to Canada in March 2000 with an MSc in Computer Engineering from a university in Ireland. In March 2003 she became a client of Employment Assistance Services and spent several months under the guidance of her EAS employment counselor. The EAS Job Developer began to work with Susan in June.

The Job Developer immediately noticed that Susan had solid experience as an SAS Programmer Analyst. He suggested she focus on searching for jobs in that sector and gave her some ideas on how to research and cold-call companies.

One month later Susan informed the Job Developer that two cold calls had resulted in two interviews, one in Ottawa with Government of Canada and another with TD Bank in Toronto. She met with the Job Developer prior to the interviews. Both interviews went well, and Susan was offered jobs with both employers.

Susan decided to stay in Toronto and is now working for a large Canadian bank as a Business Information Analyst.

Susan wrote her Job Developer:

"Thank you so much for helping me on my job hunting. I benefited a lot from EAS, especially résumé correction, the mock interview and cold calling workshop. Without your help, I would not succeed today. I am really grateful to you for your help."

Joseph* is from the Philippines. He immigrated to Canada in April 2001 with the hopes of enhancing his already rich career and moving to newer horizons. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering, and a Master's Degree in Business Administration; he has enjoyed several professional development opportunities in project management, target selection, and quality/control management.

He had worked at reputable and internationally famous companies such as Siemens and UNISYS in his country, with his last job title being Senior Project Manager.

Networking and the Internet were the main sources that Joseph utilized to conduct his job search. When he joined the EAS Program, he had a résumé and cover letter that he had constructed on his own, getting assistance from books, Employment Resource Centres, and the Internet. Joseph participated in the EAS Work Search Strategies Workshop, and he benefited from individual résumé critique. He was proactive in researching and networking with companies.

Joseph's persistence and hard work paid off very quickly. Two months after he joined EAS, he secured a full-time permanent position as a Project Manager at a reputable telecommunications company.

13. Please tell us about the foreign delegations from countries like Sweden and Germany, who have visited your organization.

SWEDISH DELEGATES

On October 17, 2005 Skills for Change had the honour of hosting a delegation from Stockholm, Sweden.

The delegation was in Toronto for the Metropolis Conference and was interested in learning about how our agency provides programs and services to immigrants and refugees.

The party included representatives from Stockholm city government (elected officials - including the Vice Mayor - and civil servants), political parties, regional government, as well as a researcher from the Lund University.

We all enjoyed the opportunity for dialogue about the opportunities and challenges posed by integration initiatives in our two cities. Thank you to the City of Toronto for coordinating the event.

DANISH DELEGATES

A delegation from the Danish Federation of Trade visited Skills for Change on April 10, 2003. The group is studying Canadian integration policy, labour market and other related issues for immigrants. Most of the participants are members of, and working in, different Danish Trade Unions or in municipalities.

VARIOUS DELEGATES

Skills for Change hosted group of 19 delegates attending a conference entitled "Career Guidance: Bridging the Gap", who have expressed interest in visiting our site, the host of the conference is HRDC and the group will be visiting the HRC at St.Clair/Yonge prior to coming to SfC.

They were at Skills for Change on Oct.8, 2003. The delegation is comprised of Career practitioners, Policy Makers, and Academics from around the world. To give you a sense of the diversity: they come from Germany, Ireland, Korea, New Zealand, Poland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania and South Africa. Turkey.

Thank you, Jane, for giving us an overview of the various initiatives that your organization. We wish you all the best for your future initiatives in helping new immigrants successfully adjust to life in Canada

The Immigrant Success Awards

TRIEC is pleased to announce winners of the 4th annual Immigrant Success (IS) Awards, recognizing innovation and leadership in integrating skilled immigrants into the Toronto Region labour market.

Congratulations to this year's winners:

CBC Toronto Vision Award for Immigrant Inclusion:
Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP

Toronto Star Award for Excellence in Workplace Integration:
St. Michael's Hospital

RBC Immigrant Advantage Award:
Pitney Bowes and Samtack

Canadian HR Reporter Individual Achievement Award:
Michael Bach, National Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, KPMG

Read their stories > Go

Pick up the Toronto Star on March 25, tune into CBC Toronto, or read Canadian HR Reporter to learn more about the winners. Click here for more information > Go

The IS Awards are a program of TRIEC, sponsored by RBC with media partners Canadian HR Reporter, the Toronto Star and CBC Toronto.

For more information contact Claire DeVeale-Blane at 416.944.1946 ext. 271 or cdeveale@triec.ca.

Source: http://www.triec.ca/programs/is

What Employers Want: Strong Language Skills

Friday, January 30, 2009

What Employers Want: Strong Language Skills

There are many benefits to developing the language skills you already posses. These skills are often taken for granted once one comes to the point of fluency in a language, either as a child or an adult language learner. However, the ability to use a language is not the same as the ability to use it effectively and everyone can stand to improve.

Improper grammar and disorganized thoughts can cause the meaning of your writing and speaking to be lost. This can reduce your chance of obtaining an internship or reflect badly on you if you do land a position. Since no intern wants to make an unprofessional impression, we’ve compiled some hints and tips to improve your language skills.

1. Pay attention to proper form – Sentences and paragraphs are necessary to make text easily readable. These structures allow you to organize your thoughts and present them in a logical manner. Some people ignore the importance of these structures and submit cover letters that are one long block of text. These cover letters are usually ignored by employers. Templates for cover letters and business emails can be found easily online: remember to copy only the format and make all the information your own.

2. Do not use slang in professional writing - An individual who writes well comes across as a competent professional. This is equally true if you are writing an important report or a simple email. A well worded email to a colleague may get a prompt reply, while a poorly worded email may be misunderstood. You may use slang and informal writing to communicate to your friends but these things should never be used at work. Similarly, professional emails should not include happy faces or other emoticons.

3. Think before you speak – We’ve all heard this one before, and that’s because it’s true. If you are asked for your opinion in a meeting with colleagues and you present your thoughts in a well-thought manner, they will likely be impressed. If you ramble and begin to veer off topic they may not be convinced you’ve thought about the topic at all. You don’t need to plan what you will say word for word but a little bit of preparation can go a long way. Always keep up-to-date on work topics and take a moment to collect your thoughts before you speak.

4. Use dictionaries, thesauruses and writing guide books – Often we use these books while we are students and then let them collect dust. Their usefulness does not end with your studies. Keep an online thesaurus and dictionary bookmarked on your computer. When you are writing something and stumped for the correct word to use, it will only take a few seconds to check.

5. Develop your presentation skills – Many people can speak very well but become nervous during meetings, presentations or job interviews. Public speaking skills can be developed with practice. One option is Toastmasters, a low cost organization that will help you develop your ability to write and deliver speeches. You may not need to deliver speeches now but one day your boss could ask you to deliver a presentation, and if you’ve already developed your public speaking skills you’ll be able to impress your audience.

And finally, for current interns:

Ask your coach or mentor for help – All Career Edge Organization interns are assigned a coach within their host employer. If you are unsure of how to improve your language skills, or what areas need improving, ask your coach or mentor for their advice. A coach or mentor can provide a professional perspective, help you diagnose development areas and provide you with valuable resources and opportunities that will allow you to practice and hone your language skills.

Career Edge Organization

144 Front St. West

Toronto, ON

M5J 2L7

Study: Immigrants who leave Canada

The Daily, Wed, March 1, 2006

1980 to 2000

Migration to Canada for some immigrants is not a permanent move, according to a new study, which shows that many newcomers subsequently leave Canada. Among young males, those admitted to the country under the business and skilled worker classes were most likely to leave.

The study addresses the behaviour of men who were 25 to 45 years of age at the time they arrived in Canada. The analysis shows that their future profile in Canada is strongly influenced by a variety of measurable factors, such as their country of origin and their economic qualifications

A substantial part of migration to Canada is not necessarily permanent, with about a third of male immigrants (aged 25 to 45 at the time of landing) experiencing out-migration within 20 years after arrival. More than half of those who leave do so within the first year of arrival.

In addition, the business cycle had a strong impact. For example, the groups who arrived when the economy was relatively weak during the recession of 1990/91 had higher departure rates.

Profiles of residence in Canada, as indicated by income tax return filing behaviour, varied across source countries and immigrant classes. Emigration rates were especially high for source countries such as the United States and Hong Kong, and for those admitted under the skilled worker or business classes.

Significant proportion of working age immigrants leave

Most out-migration appears longer term, but there is a temporary component, as some immigrants seem to arrive, leave, and then return again to Canada.

Among male immigrants 25 to 45 years of age who landed in 1981, about one-third are inferred from their tax filing behaviour to have left the country within the first 20 years after arrival. Similar rates are also obtained from Census-based information.

Note to readers This paper analyzes factors that determine how long immigrants remain in Canada in their first spell in the country, and what happens thereafter. The paper focuses on males who were aged 25 to 45 at the time of arrival in Canada. The data set that forms the primary basis of this study is the Longitudinal Immigration Data Base, which provides information on all immigrants admitted in Canada since 1980. Whether an immigrant has left the country or not is inferred from the tax filing behaviour. Individuals are considered to have left if their tax behaviour follows one of two patterns. In the first case, the individual never files a tax return within the first five years of arrival. In the second case, the individual files a tax return within the first five years of arrival, but goes on to become a non-filer for four or more consecutive years. These two types of absences from tax files are used to infer absence from the country. The rate of absences from the country derived from tax filing behaviour is also verified through an analysis of Census information.

Similar rates of out-migration have also been reported for the United States.

Their absence from the Canada was not necessarily permanent, however. About one in ten leavers return to Canada within 10 years of first arriving.

Many immigrants leave within the first year of arrival

About 6 out of 10 of those who leave do so within the first year of arrival. This suggests that a large fraction of immigrants who leave choose to do so within a relatively short period of time after arrival.

Accounting for other factors, the departure rates were higher for those landing during business cycle downturns.

The highest out-migration rates occurred among the group that arrived in 1980 at the onset of a business cycle downturn, and those who arrived around the 1990 recession. The groups with the lowest out-migration rates were those who arrived in 1986 and 1993, periods of much more favourable labour market conditions.

Immigrants who arrived in 1990, for example, were about 50% more likely to leave than those who arrived in 1986.

Out-migration rates vary with country of origin, class of immigrant

The study found evidence that younger working age male immigrants admitted from different regions and under different classes had very different profiles of residence in Canada.

Canada's immigration system admits individuals on the basis of family ties, a refugee process, or through a points system that applies to a variety of immigrant classes, each with their own criteria for admission (business class, skilled worker class, and assisted relative class). The out-migration rate varies across these classes.

Controlling for possible differences in age, language, education, marital status, and year of arrival, the study found higher emigration rates among immigrants who were admitted in the business and skilled worker classes. About 4 in 10 of the newcomers who arrived in either of these classes left within 10 years after arrival.

Those in the assisted relative class had a lower departure rate (around 3 in 10).

Refugee claimants had the lowest out-migration rates (about 2 in 10).

Previous studies of newcomers in the United States showed strong differences by source country. This is also apparent for Canada, even after taking other important variables into consideration. Newcomers from the United States and those from Hong Kong had the highest likelihood of leaving Canada, with about half of them leaving within 10 years after arrival, as indicated by their tax filing behaviour. Newcomers from Europe or the Caribbean, in contrast, were about half as likely to leave.

From: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/060301/dq060301b-eng.htm

Newcomers experiences in Canada….

Please read these histories at http://www.thestar.com/newworkers and help us to give a successfully future to the newcomers in Canada. Let us help Canada be a better place for the future generations.

LinkedIn

The purpose of the site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections. Users can invite anyone (whether a site user or not) to become a connection.

This list of connections can then be used in a number of ways:

• A contact network is built up consisting of their direct connections, the connections of each of their connections (termed second-degree connections) and also the connections of second-degree connections (termed third-degree connections). This can be used to gain an introduction to someone you wish to know through a mutual, trusted contact.
• It can then be used to find jobs, people and business opportunities recommended by someone in one's contact network.
• Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates.
• Job seekers can review the profile of hiring managers and discover which of their existing contacts can introduce them.

The "gated-access approach" (where contact with any professional requires either a preexisting relationship, or the intervention of a contact of theirs) is intended to build trust among the service's users. LinkedIn participates in EU's International Safe Harbor Privacy Principles.^[7]

The feature LinkedIn Answers,^[8] similar to Google Answers ^[9] or Yahoo! Answers, allows users to ask questions for the community to answer. This feature is free and the main differences from the latter two services are that questions are potentially more business-oriented, and the identity of the people asking and answering questions is known.

The searchable LinkedIn Groups,^[10] feature allows users to establish new business relationships by joining alumni, industry, or professional and other relevant groups. LinkedIn groups can be created in any subjects and by any member of LinkedIn. Some groups are specialized groups dealing with a narrow domain or industry whereas others are very broad and generic in nature.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LinkedIn