The Future of Work – for those in human resources, employment, or academic services, this is a phrase that is becoming increasingly familiar. Shaped by factors such as technological advances, ageing populations, and increasing global mobility, the ‘future of work’ represents a time of both challenge and opportunity. Academic institutions are tasked with staying relevant […]
Louisville Forward is Louisville, Kentucky’s innovative economic development organization. The Louisville team met Canada’s Windmill Microlending at the 2018 Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) in Toronto. Windmill, a charitable microloan program for immigrants and refugees, was featured as a model for US organizations seeking new ways to integrate skilled immigrants. Windmill loans are offered to […]
In June WES Global Talent Bridge, its national partners, and the community cohorts in the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) participated in a working cross-border conference in Toronto. The delegates exchanged experiences and learned from each other and Canadian models, including mentorship programs, employer engagement, round table collaboration, and microlending. Canadian participating partners included: Cities […]
Newcomer Day 2019. Photo by Ramón Vasconcelos / New Horizons Media Inc. Every year the number of newcomers entering Canada rises. Toronto welcomes the majority of them. According to Statistic Canada, “In 2016, Canada had 1,212,075 new immigrants who had permanently settled in Canada from 2011 to 2016.” Of that number, the city of […]
The WES Gateway program has been chosen by the Pathways to Prosperity as a “promising practice” in the settlement and integration of immigrants in Canada. The Pathways to Prosperity Partnership (P2P) is an alliance dedicated to fostering welcoming communities that promote the economic, social, and civic integration of migrants and minorities in Canada. P2P includes […]
To address the skills gap, the Canadian government in 2018 announced a plan to explore “new and innovative approaches to skills development, identifying the skills employers will need now and in the future and sharing information to inform future investments and programming.” A recent article on Preparing Internationally Educated Professionals for the Future of Work, highlighted […]
Fanshawe College in London, Ontario is one of Ontario’s largest colleges. The college provides “flexible learning arrangements and experiential education opportunities” to ensure students are prepared for an ever-shifting labour market. In 2015, as Syrian refugees began arriving in Canada, Fanshawe saw a similar influx in their admission offices: “each of our admissions advisors was […]
Those who work in the immigrant serving sector may be aware that the economy is shifting. This shift includes roles becoming more automated, changes in skills needed by employers, and employers requiring more creativity and soft skills in the workplace. It’s imperative for those who work with internationally educated professionals that they understand the relevant […]
The prominence of the conversation on diversity and inclusion has risen over the last few decades across Canada. In Toronto, much of the progress can be attributed to the work of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) that has been driving this conversation for 15 years now. To mark the anniversary, TRIEC released the […]
The new WES Gateway Program reliably assesses credentials of immigrants displaced by conflict, environmental disasters, and economic turmoil when verifiable documents are not available. Almost 50 percent of the 47,000 Syrian refugees who escaped to Canada since 2015 attained college degrees in their home country, yet many of these individuals fled their homes without documents […]
Photo: The 2018 conference of the WC2 University Network at Ryerson University. Photo by Aurore Hochard. There is a felt shift in the public discourse on immigration across North America as ‘irregular migration’ joins our common lexicon and immigration increasingly becomes a topic of debate. The Honourable Ratna Omidvar, C.M., O.Ont., independent senator for […]
Digitization, cross-sector collaboration, and innovation are going to drive how Canada approaches immigration going forward. Those factors and others influencing the immigration process were among the key topics of discussion at “Strengthening Our Economy and Settlement Program,” a Conference Board of Canada summit held in May in Ottawa. The annual conference is an opportunity to […]
