Fourth International Metropolis Conference Washington, DC December 7-11, 1999 Barriers to Employment - Part 1 Michelle Goldberg Government of Ontario Initiative Provincial Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Access to Professions and Trades Unit Economic Importance Meet the challenges of competing in the global economy of the 21st Century Benefit from the skills and talents of a diverse workforce and the substantial expertise and skills that immigrants bring with them Ensure that every qualified person who comes to Ontario has the opportunity to use their skills, learning and qualifications APT Research Project: The Facts Are In! An initiative to determine what helps and hinders qualified immigrants find suitable jobs in Ontario. CONTEXT Each year Ontario receives approximately 100,000 immigrants from over 180 different countries. 50% of all immigrants to Canada come to Ontario. On average, 61% of immigrants age 18-64 are highly educated and trained. Of these, 25% arrive in regulated professions and trades. THE FACTS ARE IN! PURPOSE The purpose of the study is to provide concrete information on the problems faced and success strategies employed by newcomers coming to Ontario in regulated professions in order to develop and improve policies and programs in the access to professions and trades area. RATIONALE Anecdotal reports indicate that immigrants have difficulty getting licensed and finding work in their occupations. More specific information is required to understand: where in the process problems occur; which success strategies are used; how to develop solutions. UNIQUENESS OF "THE FACTS ARE IN!" Talked directly to immigrants Successes & problems examined The entire Immigration, Licensure, & Employment process was researched Representative sample allows inferences and generalizations Randomly selected immigrants as opposed to only self-selected immigrants were used Interviews conducted in several languages PRELIMINARY RESULTS Barriers encountered before arrival in Ontario • Barriers in the Licensure Process • Barriers to Employment Results are preliminary based on analyses conducted to date Note: Data is self-reported information. BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT Immigrants have higher unemployment rates than the Ontario average of highly educated individuals (18.2% vs. 5.4%)* Problems Getting First Job Lack of Canadian Experience 26.0% Lack of Language Skills 15.3% No Contacts 6.3% Edu./Work Experience not Recognized 5.1% No Jobs Avail./Job is not in Demand 5.0% Lack of Licensing 4.8% Lack of Job Search Skills 3.5% Employment Status of Immigrant Professionals With Gender Breakdown n=609 Relationship of Current Job to Job in Country of Last Permanent Residence (CLPR) By Gender n=416 Current Employment Status By Year of Entry n=608 Relationship of Current Job to Job in CLPR By Year n=409 BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT Problems Getting First Job Lack of Canadian Experience 26.0% Lack of Language Skills 15.3% No Contacts 6.3% Edu./Work Experience not Recognized 5.1% No Jobs Avail./Job is not in Demand 5.0% Lack of Licensing 4.8% Lack of Job Search Skills 3.5% Barriers to Employment: Canadian Experience Barriers to Employment: Language Language is a barrier to employment even for highly educated and trained immigrants. Even though: most are selected as independent immigrants, 36% still arrive with poor or fair language skills. some are educated in English, they still arrive with poor or fair English language speaking ability. Barriers to Employment: Language Training Lack of relevant language training is a barrier to employment. The professionals felt language training was critical. 53% tried to improve their language ability after arrival in Ontario. The majority took ESL courses - 73.6% – and found them helpful or very helpful generally - 83.2% Immigrant professionals expressed the need for: More focus on oral communication including pronunciation – Occupation specific language training at an advanced level Barriers to Employment: Education Not Recognized Immigrant professionals feel their foreign education is not recognized thus go back to school to get Canadian degrees (n=117). Immigrant professionals who obtain some education in Ontario have lower unemployment and higher job levels (9.4% vs. 18.2%). Better mechanisms are needed to evaluate foreign education. Employment Status for Immigrant Professionals who took Education in Ontario* n=117 Relationship of Current Job to Occupation in CLPR for those who took Education in Ontario* n=82 Full-time Employment By Year For Those Who Have Taken Education in Ontario* n=62 CONCLUSION Major Barriers Are: Pre-immigration: Information Licensure barriers: lack of time – Canadian experience – Cost – Lack of information – Lack of language skills CONCLUSION cont... Employment Canadian experience – Language skills and language training – Education not recognized CONCLUSION cont... We know that skilled immigrants are coming to Ontario and having difficulty obtaining relevant employment. We know that all Ontarians benefit when these immigrants participate fully in the Ontario economy. These results of the "Facts Are In!" will inform the policies and practises in the APT area by helping to reduce barriers and speed up entry of foreign-trained into the labour market. Ontario is committed to working in partnership to ensure that every qualified individual who comes to Ontario will have an equal opportunity to enter and practise the occupations in which they have been educated and trained, and thereby contribute to the overall growth and health of the provincial economy and society.
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