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Many newcomers to Canada are employed in positions that do not take advantage of their education and experience. Newcomers to Canada are highly educated. A Statistics Canada and Citizenship and Immigration Canada survey in 2001 indicated that 55% of immigrants reported having a university degree. This proportion was even higher among newcomers aged 25 to 44 years old. In this age group 69% reporting having a university degree. In comparison, during the time of this survey, 22% of Canadian-born individuals in this same age group held a university degree.
The 2001 Statistics Canada and Citizenship and Immigration Canada survey indicates that 6 in 10 immigrants work in a different occupation group after immigration. At the time of the survey, 39% of men were employed in the area of natural and applied science before immigrating to Canada, however, only 19% held positions in these areas after immigrating. For women, 43% held positions in business and social sciences and only 24% held positions in these areas after immigrating. Conversely, immigrants showed increases in other employment categories. About 12% of men and women reported holding positions in sales and services before immigrating and 25% of men and 37% of women reported holding positions in these areas after immigrating. About 4% of men and women reported holding jobs in processing and manufacturing before immigrating and 22% of men and 18% of women reported holding jobs in these areas after immigrating. These survey results indicate that immigrants are under employed in their areas of expertise.
International & Immigrant Education takes a leadership role in identifying and understanding barriers facing immigrants to employment and education, recommending systemic institutional changes, and providing programs and services to facilitate access to education and employment. We participate in numerous projects on advisement, language proficiency and credential assessment.
- Colleges Integrating Immigrants to Employment (CIITE): This project, supported by the Ministry of Citizenship and
Immigration of the Government of Ontario, investigates barriers to immigrants gaining employment and developing and implementing
Ontario college services that improve integration of internationally trained individuals into the workforce. Immigrant Education
participates in separate projects examining barriers and services related to advisement, language proficiency and credential
assessment. For more information on this project visit www.ciite.ca.
- Occupation Specific Language Project (OSLP): This project seeks to develop and pilot a process to align College programs with occupation-specific language skills required for employment corresponding to an internationally trained individuals’ skills, knowledge and experience. This project is supported by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration of the Government of Ontario.
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