Pathways to Prosperity: Canada

Monday, November 8, 2021
3:30 – 4:45 PM EST

1. IRCC Research Insights

Chair: Cédric de Chardon, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

IRCC continues to work to enhance its capacity to report on and analyze the outcomes and impacts of immigrants and refugees. With the increased availability of administrative data, including strategic data enhancements and linkages, research has been able to address some longstanding knowledge gaps, and produce evidence for the purpose of policy and program decision-making. This workshop will provide highlights from recently completed research projects, many of which are the result of an IRCC-Statistics Canada co-authorship model. Topics will range from examining international students as a source of labour supply, the selection variables that best predict the earnings of entering economic principal applicants, the recent evolution of the labour market outcome gaps between immigrants and the Canadian-born, and the integration outcomes of refugees in Canada.

• International Students as a Source of Labour Supply: Trends, Transitions and Retention (Download Presentation)
  Eden Crossman, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
• Which Immigration Selection Factors Best Predict the Earnings of Economic Principal Applicants? (Download Presentation)
  Li Xu, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
• Are the Gaps in Labour Market Outcomes between Immigrants and the Canadian-born Starting to Close? (Download Presentation)
  Feng Hou, Statistics Canada
• Integration Outcomes of Refugees in Canada: Findings from the 2016 Census (Download Presentation)
  Yasmin Gure, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

2. Perspectives socio-géographiques sur la diversification démographique des communautés francophones en situation minoritaire (CFSM) (Vidéo)

Présidente : Luisa Veronis, Université d’Ottawa

Alors que la diversification des communautés francophones par l’immigration croît de manière accélérée, il devient apparent que les expériences d’intégration et les formes de participation communautaire varient fortement selon les régions et les milieux. Cet atelier mettra en lumière les nouvelles dynamiques socio-géographiques qui découlent de la diversification des CFSM en adoptant des perspectives critiques et des approches méthodologiques diverses. Au-delà des discours inclusifs sur l’immigration, les CFSM sont-elles prêtes à se transformer pour devenir de véritables communautés d’accueil? Quels facteurs façonnent la cohésion sociale dans les CFSM? Quelles leçons peut-on retenir pour améliorer la rétention et l’inclusion des immigrants francophones?

• Analyse socio-économique des quartiers habités par les communautés francophones à Ottawa-Gatineau (Télécharger la presentation)
  Brian Ray, Université d’Ottawa
• Les immigrants noirs francophones et leurs communautés d’accueil minoritaires : un contrat social aux clauses inégales (Télécharger la presentation)
  Leyla Sall, Université de Moncton
• La francophonie anti-raciste au temps du racisme anti-noir (Télécharger la presentation)
  Amal Madibbo, Université de Toronto
• Les communautés francophones et leur pouvoir de rétention : quelles leçons peut-on retenir? (Télécharger la presentation)
  Suzanne Huot, Université de la Colombie-Britannique, et Luisa Veronis, Université d’Ottawa

3. Where Are the Homes? Welcoming Newcomers to Small and Rural Communities (Video)

Chair: Natalya R. Brown, Nipissing University

The workshop will highlight the scope of Canada’s housing market challenge in the context of increasing immigration to small urban centres and rural communities. Housing supply is not only a large-center issue; rather, this issue is nation-wide and is being experienced in rural and small centers across Canada. This session will raise awareness on the experiences of newcomers in the housing markets of rural and small centres and will explore recommendations for better aligning housing supply with the population growth levels needed to sustain these communities.

• The Housing Experiences of Syrian Refugee Families Who Moved to Southwestern Ontario (Download Presentation)
  Rana Telfah, University of Guelph
• Newcomers in Trades (Download Presentation)
  Sam Sanderson, Construction Association of Prince Edward Island
• Housing and Neighbouring Experiences of Recent Immigrants to Northeast Ontario (Download Presentation)
  Natalya Brown, Nipissing University

4. The COVID Cohort of Immigrants: Tackling Settlement and Employment Challenges (Video)

Chair: Yilmaz E. Dinc, The Conference Board of Canada

Immigrants who arrived or settled in Canada during COVID-19 have a unique path compared to their predecessors. The composition of immigration classes has changed. In addition, newcomers faced significant employment challenges as the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on certain immigrant-intensive sectors, such as accommodation and food services. Settlement service providers had to pivot and leverage new virtual and hybrid models to support this new cohort. This session will provide insights on the latest immigration and immigrant employment trends and share examples of how the settlement sector has adapted to support the COVID cohort.

• Recent Immigration Trends During Post-Pandemic Recovery (Download Presentation)
  Yilmaz E. Dinc, The Conference Board of Canada
• The Pandemic Impact on Immigrant Earnings (Download Presentation)
  Rupa Banerjee, Ryerson University
• Leveraging Technology and Futureproofing for Meeting Immigrant Needs (Download Presentation)
  Marco Campana, Freelance Communications Consultant
• Supporting Immigrants During COVID-19: A Case Study of Pivoting Settlement Service Delivery (Download Presentation)
  John Shields, Ryerson University and Aimee Holmes, ACCES Employment

5. A Gender-Based Violence Settlement Sector Strategy – Working Together Across Canada (Video)

Chair: Erin Whitmore, Ending Violence Association of Canada

This workshop will talk about how four organizations, with funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), built a national strategy to develop a shared base of knowledge between the settlement and anti-violence sectors. The goal of the national strategy is to increase our ability to respond to gender-based violence in the settlement and anti-violence sectors in our programs and services for newcomer, immigrant, and refugee communities. The four organizations are: The Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance – Alliance canadienne du secteur de l’établissement des immigrants (CISSA-ACSEI), Ending Violence Association of Canada (EVA Canada), Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI), and YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth.

• Kathryn Bates-Khan, YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth
• Valérie Auger-Voyer, Ending Violence Association of Canada (EVA Canada)
• Nina Condo, Elmwood Community Resource Centre (ECRC) & The Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance (CISSA)
• Margarita Pintin-Perez, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)

6. Advancing a National IEHP Integration Strategy (Video)

Chairs: Joan Atlin and Karl Flecker, World Education Services Canada

The needs of Canada’s healthcare system are growing, and we face a shortage of healthcare professionals. Internationally educated healthcare professionals (IEHPs) already play a key role in the sector but are woefully underutilized. In addition, grave race, gender, and human rights inequities remain unchecked. In the on-going wake of the pandemic, we need to create timely and equitable access to healthcare careers for IEHPs. This workshop will present potential remedies to a complex and long-standing problem. Speakers will address systems wide changes and policy commitments that are needed in the areas of immigration policy, licensure barrier and inclusive workplace integration.

• Naomi Alboim, Ryerson University and Queen’s University
• Joy Navaroj, Trillium Health Partners
• Tyler Downey, Service Employees Union International (SIEU)

Download Presentaion

7. Impactful Gifts – Sharing Our Cultures Social Enterprise (Video)

Chairs: Maggie Peyton and Sheldon O’Neill, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

The Impactful Gifts Social Enterprise provides vulnerable newcomer youth with practical employability skills, including: financial literacy, writing business plans, testing business ideas, marketing products, human resource management, communication, operating a business, promotion, and social networking. Through facilitated workshops, complemented by experiential learning through social enterprise, participants develop future skills in digital technology and entrepreneurship, as well as writing cover letters and resumes, preparing for job interviews, and understanding workplace culture. Acquiring these skills increases their participation in the labour market as employees/entrepreneurs. This program is in collaboration with the Centre for Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

• Sharing our Cultures Incorporated: An Overview (Download Presentaiton)
  Lloydetta Quaicoe, Sharing Our Cultures Incorporated
• Work Experience in Social Enterprise Program (Download Presentaiton)
  Sarah Croft, MUN Centre for Social Enterprise
• Impactful Gifts: Social Enterprise for Newcomer School Youth (Download Presentaiton)
  Emma Matthews, Impactful Gifts
• My Experience at the Impactful Gift Program 
  Yasmin Alsherif, Holy Heart High School and Impactful Gifts

Tuesday, November 9, 2021
3:00 – 4:15 PM EST

1. Overview of IRCC’s Anti-Racism Activities: Working Toward an Intersectoral Approach on Anti-Racism for the Settlement and Integration Sector, the Settlement Program, and the Sector (Video)

Chair: Tracey Donaldson, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

This workshop will provide an overview of anti-racism activities by the Settlement and Integration Sector (SIS) at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) related to the Settlement Program. Presenters will provide a high-level overview of recent federal initiatives on anti-racism, followed by examples of engagement and research activities that SIS is conducting with IRCC colleagues and Local Immigration Partnerships. The workshop will then provide participants with an interactive opportunity for dialogue on anti-racism and the initiatives that the Settlement Sector and workshop participants are leading to address this societal issue.

• IRCC’s Anti-Racism Research and Engagement
  David Hickey, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
• Settlement Program Anti-Racism Activities: Inward and Outward Facing
  Tracey Donaldson and Jeslyn Thibedeau, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
• Red Deer Local Immigration Partnership Anti-Racism Activities
  Ezgi Sarioglu, Red Deer Local Immigration Partnership

DOWNLOAD ALL PRESENTATIONS

2. L’attraction et la rétention des immigrants francophones

Présidente : Aurélie Lacassagne, Université d’Ottawa

Depuis maintenant 20 ans, le gouvernement fédéral a établi une cible de 4,4% pour l’immigration francophone au Canada (hors Québec). Cependant, cette cible n’a jamais été atteinte. Cette table-ronde se veut un lieu de discussion ouvert pour les fournisseurs de services, les chercheurs et les autres intervenants afin qu’il puissent partager leurs idées sur les moyens d’atteindre enfin cette cible. Quels sont les problèmes de notre système de sélection des immigrants? Quelles sont les bonnes pratiques utilisées par les acteurs locaux pour retenir les immigrants francophones dans leurs communautés?

• Yollande Dweme Mbukuny Pitta, University of Toronto & COPA National
• Cédric de Chardon, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
• Aurélie Lacassagne, University of Ottawa

3. Volunteer Engagement Within the Digital Settlement Context (Video)

Chair: Andrew Lusztyk, Together Project

Throughout the pandemic, many settlement and integration programs adapted by moving online. This posed a challenge not only for service providers, but newcomers themselves, many of whom lacked the digital access and literacy skills to fully benefit from this change. Already at risk of social isolation, some newcomers will continue to face barriers that make it difficult to navigate online settlement services. As we consider what is normal in a post-pandemic world, what have we learned about the long-term effectiveness of our adaptations, and for whom? What kind of social support can volunteers provide to help with this transition?

• Volunteering with Refugees and Refugee Claimants in the Digital Settlement Context (Download Presentation)
  Anna Hill, Together Project
• Centering Newcomer Voices in the Digital Settlement Context (Download Presentation)
  Natasha Comeau, Together Project
• Building Refugee Newcomer Women’s Digital Literacy in the Digital Settlement Context (Download Presentation)
  Mirna El Sabbagh, COSTI Immigrant Services
• Where Do We Go From Here? Lessons Learned and Potential Pathways to Improved Integration Outcomes for Refugee Newcomers (Download Presentation)
  Andrew Lusztyk, Together Project

4. Employer Engagement in Employment Services for Racialized Newcomer Women (Video)

Chair: Mélanie Pronovost, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

The Career Pathways for Visible Minority Newcomer Women Pilot Project is a pan-Canadian research demonstration project comprised of 11 employment services interventions for newcomer women who identify as a visible minority. The goal of the research is to test four models of employment services to learn what works to support participants in finding good quality employment. This workshop combines research findings and on-the-ground experiences of service providers to present strategies for and successes of employer engagement in the context of this project. Challenges and success stories will be highlighted.

• The Aspire Program (Download Presentation)
  Trang Nguyen, YWCA Metro Vancouver
• Milestones to Employment (Download Presentation)
  Heather Brothers, Achēv
• Employer Engagement in the Career Pathways for the Visible Minority Newcomer Women Pilot Project (Download Presentation)
  Julie Rodier, Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC)
• The Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot (Download Presentation)
  Mélanie Pronovost, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

5. Newcomer Navigation from Coast to Coast during a Dual Pandemic: Key Findings from a Pan-Canadian Needs Assessment (Video)

Chair: Mariah Maddock, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)

The dual pandemics of COVID-19 and the racial justice movement have highlighted the vulnerabilities of newcomers among health and social service organizations. Many organizations made commitments to improving Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), but struggled to actualize real change. From April 2020 to January 2021, National Newcomer Navigation Network (N4) engaged with over 40 organizations from across Canada to better understand their experiences as they supported newcomers navigating health and social services. N4 will present brand-new key findings from this report, including challenges, barriers, successes, and innovations, and discuss how N4 is applying these findings to support professionals in advancing EDI across Canada.

• Christine Kouri, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
• Sahar Zohni, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
• Andrew Tomayer, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)

DOWNLOAD ALL PRESENTATIONS

6. Language Training for Employment (Video)

Chair: Holly Skelton, Colleges and Institutes Canada

Canada’s colleges and institutes have long been important to newcomer integration, from providing connections to a newcomer’s new community to opportunities for credential recognition. Colleges also deliver language training for newcomers – from English as an Additional Language (EAL) to Occupation Specific Language Training (OSLT). These programs provide job-specific, advanced-level English training for the workplace by focusing on the language and communication expectations of specific occupations in Canada. George Brown College and Vancouver Community College will be joined by Colleges and Institutes Canada to present about employment related language training in different provinces and discuss how these programs can be scaled up nationally.

Language Training for the Workplace, College Models and Lessons from the Pandemic

• Holly Skelton, Colleges and Institutes Canada
• Pam Glaser-French, George Brown College
• Nora Ready, Vancouver Community College
• Michael Yue, Vancouver Community College

DOWNLOAD ALL PRESENTATIONS

7. The Powerful Role of Social Media in Resettlement (Video) 

Chair: Leah Hamilton, Mount Royal University

What is the role of social media in resettlement? Ju, Hamilton and McLarnon will describe results from their mixed-methods study examining how Chinese immigrants’ social media use influences their acculturation experiences. Next, Shuva will discuss the use of social media tools among Bangladeshi skilled immigrants in Ontario, Canada. He will highlight the role that ethnic community social media forums play in newcomers’ settlement into Canadian society. Veronis and colleagues will share findings on skilled immigrants’ experiences with labour market integration in Ottawa-Gatineau, focusing on the use of social media tools for building professional networks in a pandemic context.

• How Does Social Media Impact Chinese Immigrants’ Acculturation Experiences in Canada? (Download Presentation)
  Ran Ju, Leah Hamilton, and Matthew McLarnon, Mount Royal University
• Online Ethnic Social Media and Newcomers’ Settlement: Results from a Mixed-method Study on Bangladeshi Immigrants in Canada (Download Presentation)
  Nafiz Shuva, Western University
• Newcomers’ Labour Market Experiences during the Pandemic: The Role of Social Media for Network Building (Download Presentation)
  Luisa Veronis and Huan Wang, University of Ottawa