Employment Access for Skilled Immigrants - Canada

Source: Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services of British Columbia

• Introduction
• Strategic Goals and Priority Projects
• Year-One Projects and Measurable Outcomes
• Establishing the Leadership Council
• Executive Committee
• Project and Services Committee
• Secretariat
• Project Teams/Working Groups
• Structure
• Issues for Further Consideration
• Appendix

Skilled immigrants continue to face serious barriers in their efforts to gain access to employment in regulated professions and trades in British Columbia. Recent labour statistics suggest that emerging skill shortages will only grow in the coming years, despite the fact that BC has a large number of foreign-trained and educated workers who might help to alleviate this problem—if only they could have their credentials and skills fully recognized and gain entry to BC’s workforce. This on-going problem has been addressed over the past several years by the Looking Ahead Initiative and various other committees. As an outgrowth of this work, there is now a strong commitment to take a system-wide approach to tackle the problem since many different stakeholder groups have a role to play in finding workable solutions. This system-wide approach is called the Employment Access for Skilled Immigrants (EASI) Initiative.

Since March 2002, many of these stakeholder groups have met on a regular basis to explore not only the issues but also potential solutions to the problem. These stakeholders have included regulatory organizations, professional and trade associations, post-secondary institutions, non-government organizations, business and government. Between March 2002 and March 2003, this group developed two important discussion papers: EASI Strategy—Employment Access for Skilled Immigrants: a systems approach to facilitate the entry of skilled immigrants into the British Columbia labour market (June 24, 2002) and Leadership Council Discussion Paper (January 2003). Together these papers provide the foundation for the establishment of a Leadership Council that could systematically build on and disseminate existing best practices and create new pathways to enable skilled immigrants to more easily enter and contribute to BC’s labour market in their chosen fields.

On March 7^th and 26^th 2003 many of these same stakeholders met to take forward a series of strategies that would begin to systematically address this serious problem. They agreed to:

1. Establish an Interim Leadership Council
2. Identify three-year outcomes for the Employment Access for Skilled Immigrants (EASI) Initiative and determine specific projects and expected outcomes for first-year activities

The agendas for each of these meetings and the list of participants are included as Appendices 1 and 2.

What follows are the three-year strategic goals, year-one projects and a detailed description of the purpose, terms of reference, policies and structure of the proposed Interim Leadership Council.

Strategic Three-Year Goals

Working in three small discussion groups, participants identified four strategic three-year goals and potential measurable outcomes. There was a high-level of congruence among the three groups. Three strategic goals emerged across all groups:

1. Increase access to information through the creation of an internet portal
2. Identify and advocate for bridging programs including language (occupational and sector specific), academic, technical, workplace practices and experience, and cultural orientation
3. Raise the awareness of employers, workers and other stakeholders about the benefits of workplace diversity, and increase public awareness of attitudes, expectations, etc.

Several ideas emerged for a fourth Strategic Goal:

• Create sector cohesion agreements
• Find available and coordinated funding
• Develop case managed, career counseling and learning plans
• Develop and coordinate PLA/QR for skilled immigrants

During the subsequent plenary group discussion, it was generally agreed that the first two of these—create a sector cohesion agreement and find available and coordinated funding—were overarching goals or necessities for all projects under the EASI Leadership Council umbrella. Without funding or a sector-cohesion agreement, little could be accomplished.

The group stressed that sector cohesion agreements would provide the basic foundation for efficacy. Without it, there could be no buy-in, collaboration, sense of a shared vision or system-wide approach to solving the problem. The list of identified sectors included: educators (public, private and community based trainers), regulators, service providers (NGO and private), employers, governments and immigrant groups.

The case was made for the third suggestion: Develop case managed, career counseling and learning plans to provide an organized and individualized approach to moving immigrants through the system. It was envisioned that a project of this nature would provide immigrants with:

• Well informed counselors who have up-to-date information
• Accessible information, services, programs and courses
• Personalized plans of action focused on their individualized needs
• Links to employers in many different occupational areas
• Access to long-term services regardless of sources of income

The fourth idea, to develop and coordinate prior learning assessment services and qualification recognition for skilled immigrants, was seen to have two potential parts:

• Part 1: Collect examples of best practices of what’s already available in BC
• Part 2: Develop training programs for educational institutions, regulatory bodies, employers and others to enable them to develop and use appropriate assessment strategies

Each of these ideas for a "fourth strategic goal" was viewed as important by participants. It was suggested that these could be explored in more detail once the Leadership Council was actually established.

For each of these Strategic Goals, participants worked in small groups to identify Year 1 projects and outcomes by which the success of each project could be measured. In addition, the groups identified the stakeholders most responsible and the tasks or activities to be performed. The details of the Year 1 projects are provided below:

Strategic Goal 1: Increase access to information through the creation of an Internet portal

It was suggested that an Internet portal could provide accurate, up-to-date, and consistent information to immigrants, immigrant-serving employers, and all other stakeholders. This portal, participants stressed, would need to be marketed, promoted and made accessible to immigrants in Canada and overseas at Canadian embassies.

Educators, service providers, regulatory bodies, government, immigrant groups, business, and community agencies were all named as key stakeholder in this project.

The group recommended a three-phased approach to establishing the portal:

• Phase I: Planning of Internet Portal
• Phase II: Development and Implementation of Internet Portal
• Phase III: Maintenance and Evaluation of Internet Portal

Below is a Summary of the Year 1 Activities for this project by Phases.

Timeframe: Four months

Suggested measurable outcome: Project proposal completed; funders identified; tender selected; project funded

 

Key Activities/Tasks	Responsibilities
Create a project proposal for the development of the portal concept	Working Group of EASI stakeholders
Select tender	IQP to fund with potential partner
Manage and monitor outcomes	Contractor(s)
Report to funders and Leadership Council	Leadership Council to provide/be a source of information and approve Phase 1 recommendations

Phase II

Suggested timeframe: 6 months

Suggested measurable outcome: Site created, tested and running. Monitor number of "hits" as a measure of success of marketing/promotion/usefulness.

Suggested timeframe: 4 months

Suggested measurable outcome: Maintenance strategy developed.

Strategic Goal 2: Identify and advocate for bridging programs including language (occupational and sector specific), academic, technical, workplace practices and experience, and cultural orientation

Greater access to existing bridging programs and the creation of new bridging programs would foster a better-prepared workforce, and would enable immigrants to assess appropriate systems thus facilitating their integration into the workforce. A smoother transition into the workforce would enhance immigrants’ self-confidence and increase the likelihood of their success.

Participants working on this Strategic Goals suggested that bridging programs should be modular and competency based; that access to them should be facilitated; and that the EASI project could develop models for best practices that could be replicated elsewhere.

They further suggested the idea of an environmental scan and needs-assessment looking at regional labour market needs across 3 dimensions (language, cultural orientation and trade skills/work experience). Secondly, the project would include the support of effective competency-based programs in several designated areas, e.g., health care, trades, agriculture and manufacturing.

Support for immigrants, in the form of time and money, would be required. The key stakeholders for this project would include ISA, educators, government regulators and employers.

Suggested Year-1 measurable outcomes:

1. Communications strategy in place
2. Report for consumers of services re: guidelines for credible programs

Strategic Goal 3: Raise the awareness of employers, workers and other stakeholders about the benefits of workplace diversity, and increase public awareness of attitudes, expectations etc.

It was suggested that an extensive public relations campaign would help to improve the general environment for achieving the work of the EASI initiative. It was assumed that if employers, workers and other stakeholders were informed about the issues involved, it would be easier to improve access for trained immigrants to jobs that were relevant to their training and skills.

This project could help to provide information, increase awareness, and gradually change attitudes and expectations. Three distinct projects were outlined.

Timeframe: Complete by early May, 2003

Suggested Measurable Outcomes: Workshops attended. Presentation made. Package of materials for dissemination created.

Key Stakeholders: Employers

Timeframe: Year 1

Suggested Measurable Outcomes: Strategic Communications Plan created including list of target audiences. Survey conducted to assess success of communications.

Key Stakeholders: Businesses, Employees, and General Public

Timeframe: Year 1

Suggested Measurable Outcomes: Report of Best Practices created. Workshop resources assembled/created. Bibliography and Resource list of videos developed.

Key Stakeholders: Universities, Colleges, NGO’s, Employers

As described above, four additional ideas were presented for a fourth Strategic Goal. Although preliminary information was developed to describe potential projects for each of these, discussion was limited because of the time constraints of the day.

Throughout the year-long discussions, there was an implicit understanding that all stakeholder groups would need to come together to form a "coherent" unit by which to oversee, support and champion a wide range of projects and initiatives that would reduce barriers and maximize employment opportunities for immigrants.

It was agreed that the Leadership Council would not be responsible for the actual implementation of each project but rather would provide expert advice, perspective and support in an effort to ensure consistency and the desired "system-wide" approach. It was also assumed that each sector represented on the Leadership Council (e.g., post-secondary institutions, regulatory bodies, etc.) would need to work towards its own sense of cohesion, as well as seeking meaningful cohesion across different sectors.

At the March 26^th meeting, stakeholders unanimously agreed to establish an Interim Leadership Council. Its primary purpose will be to:

Support a diverse multi-dimensional system that will influence and promote change to enable skilled immigrants to integrate into the BC labour market in ways that are most relevant to their competence, education and experience.

The Interim Leadership Council will be an autonomous, membership-based group that reflects the interests of all major stakeholder groups including: post-secondary education (public and private), employers, unions, regulators, government and community organizations. It is expected that over time this Interim Leadership Council will evolve into the EASI Leadership Council.

All those who have contributed in one or more ways to the EASI Initiative over the past year will be invited to become members of the Interim Leadership Council. Those who do not wish to become members can elect to remain part of the EASI Network. As such they will receive periodic updates from the Interim Leadership Council and will be invited to contribute as new projects and/or directions are established.

Part of the responsibility of the initial members of the Interim Leadership Council will be to establish a system—within the first year—for determining the membership of the Leadership Council itself and actually inviting those individuals and/or organizations to serve as members.

The primary responsibility of members of the Interim Leadership Council, however, will be to "get things started" and "demonstrate success" through the implementation of a series of projects. This strategy, it is hoped, will bring the Interim Leadership Council both respect and support and, most importantly, encourage others to get involved.

The Interim Leadership Council will begin its work with preliminary Terms of Reference. These included the following:

• Members will maintain the momentum of the EASI Initiative by identifying strategic opportunities and facilitating planning and networking opportunities Members will identify, integrate and set priorities for action
• Members will actively contribute to the work of the Interim Leadership Council
• Members will demonstrate accountability by taking responsibility for ensuring that measurable outcomes are monitored, measured and, when achieved, celebrated
• Members will make an effort to connect locally, regionally, provincially, nationally and internationally with others engaged in similar work
• Members will work collaboratively and take responsibility to ensure open and transparent discussions at each meeting
• The Interim Leadership Council will work towards consensus-based decision making

The Interim Leadership Council will need to establish a range of operating principles, policies and guidelines. A number were agreed to:

• The Interim Leadership Council will operate in a systematic and formal way
• Each meeting will have a clear agenda and a written record of key decisions and action points
• Members will be expected to attend meetings on a regular basis
• A funded Secretariat will support the Interim Leadership Council (The functions of the Secretariat are described below.)
• The Interim Leadership Council will establish Project Teams/Working Groups that will have responsibility for carrying out project work relevant to the purpose of the EASI Initiative

At its first meeting, the Interim Leadership Council will need to elect a chair and a vice chair and set out the responsibilities for each. In addition, the Council may want to consider appointing a secretary and/or treasurer, as the work of the Council requires.

An Executive Committee will play a key role in setting priorities and planning the work of the Interim Leadership Council. In addition, this committee will have primary responsibility for external communications. The members of this Committee will be drawn from the Interim Leadership Council and will include the chair, the vice-chair, the chair of the Program and Services Committee (see below) and chairs of the Project Teams/Working Groups (see below), the secretary and/or treasurer, and a staff person. (Since participants at the March 26^th event did not have time to explore this in detail, it may be that the Interim Leadership Council will make other decisions regarding this group.)

A Project and Services Committee will oversee and monitor individual projects. It will work closely with project teams to ensure that each project is supported as fully as possible. This Committee will be composed of members of the Leadership Council and may include external people associated with each project, as necessary. (Again, the Interim Leadership Council will want to review this decision to ensure that it represents the best use of available human resources to monitor and support each project.)

To function effectively, the Interim Leadership Council will require a wide range of services and/or functions. It was suggested that these services could be "bought" or "contracted" from a company/organization that would be able to provide the wide range of necessary skills. The Secretariat will follow the direction or mandate as outlined by the Interim Leadership Council. The broad-based responsibilities of the Secretariat seem to fall into two primary categories: administrative support, and communication and networking. Examples of the services or functions envisioned are listed below:

At its first meeting, the Interim Leadership Council will need to decide how this and any related work could best be performed. It will also need to determine:

• The financial implications of establishing an adequate Secretariat that will be able to fully meet the needs and expectations of the Interim Leadership Council
• Terms of reference to clarify the functions, roles and responsibilities of the Secretariat, based on the details provided above

Additional details about potential secretariat functions can be found on Appendix B (page 11) of the January 16, 2003 Leadership Council Discussion Paper.

The Interim Leadership Council will establish Project Teams/Working Groups. In some cases these will have responsibility for overseeing specific projects; in others they will help to address priority issues, e.g. how to generate involvement and commitment from employers in the EASI Initiative. The primary focus of the Working Groups will be to "move specific agenda forward" on behalf of the EASI Initiative.

It is assumed that each Project Team/Working Group will be composed of Interim Leadership Council members and others external to the Council who have particular experience and expertise that will be critical to the success of a particular effort of the Council. As part of its initial terms of reference, project teams/working groups will be accountable for the results of the Interim Leadership Council’s work. In many cases this may mean working closely with diverse teams of people, monitoring progress, offering expertise and giving feedback on a regular basis.

Several potential models were considered; the one presented below was generally thought to be the most useful.

With the basic structure, terms of reference, operating principles and policies in place, the Interim Leadership Council is poised to move ahead and establish itself as a critically important vehicle for change in British Columbia, bringing far greater visibility to the EASI Initiative.

The Interim Leadership Council is also ready to implement the Year 1 projects defined as part of the challenging three-year goals and measurable outcomes set by the key stakeholders during the 2002-03 phase of the EASI Initiative.

A number of issues will require further consideration by the Interim Leadership Council too, as it seeks both to establish itself and gain recognition across the province. Many of these have been summarized below:

Membership: The Council will need to decide by the end of its first year how to determine membership on the EASI Leadership Council including sectoral representation. It will need to explore a range of strategies for attracting the people with the right expertise, a high-level of commitment and willingness to sustain the work of the EASI Leadership Council.

Fostering champions: To contribute to the overall visibility of the EASI Initiative, the Interim Leadership Council will need to consider how best to attract "champions," leaders and high-level policy makers to support and provide a public face for the work. It may want to consider establishing an EASI "Think Tank" which could meet once a year to explore issues and celebrate successes.

Engaging business: To be fully successful, the Interim Leadership Council will need to engage key players in the BC business community and or a significant number of businesses within sectors, e.g. health, tourism etc.

Sector cohesion: Fostering cohesion and collaboration within and across sectors will be an important aspect of actually establishing a "system-wide" approach to enabling skilled immigrants to make best use of their education, credentials, and work experience. The Interim Leadership Council may need to seek out examples of "sector cohesion" and establish a "road map" that will enable all stakeholder groups to work towards a shared understanding and common goals. For example, it may be helpful to explore the "affinity groups" that are forming on a sector basis as part of an Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) initiative. In addition, as work progresses, the EASI Leadership Council may want to seek memorandum of understanding with particular sector groups, following the model of groups such as the Multi-Lateral Task Force.

Structure, governance and operations: The Interim Leadership Council will need to address a number of outstanding issues related to its own structure, governance and operations. These include (but are not limited to):

• Clarification of the actual structure and the roles of the chair and vice-chair in facilitating the work of the Interim Leadership Council
• Clarification of the Secretariat function and confirmation of terms of reference
• Clarification of the Project Teams/Working Groups and the confirmation of terms of reference
• Clarification and development of other operating principles and policies including the development of a document outlining the policies for issues such as conflict of interest, control mechanisms, and removal of members
• Creation of a budget for the Leadership Council, the Secretariat function and other related expenses
• Identification of an organization that could serve as the fiscal agent for the Interim Leadership Council

Strategic Goals and Priority Projects: Equally important—if not more important—the Interim Leadership Council will need to begin to move ahead with its ambitious three-year goals. To do this, the Council will need to:

• Review the three-year goals and ensure that a majority of Interim Leadership Council members are committed to achieving them
• Develop initial Project Teams/Working Groups to begin to advance the work of the Interim Leadership Council
• Review, clarify and further develop Year 1 projects
• Seek support to achieve the Year 1 projects (This might include identifying financial, human and other resources and/or the development of request for proposals)
• Determine how, most effectively, to be a catalyst for change

The Interim Leadership Council has important and challenging work to perform. Change will not occur overnight but with strong leadership and a committed cadre of people involved in the EASI Initiative’s efforts, barriers will come down, access will be enhanced, and the lives of all of us improved.

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