SIXTH INTERNATIONAL METROPOLIS CONFERENCE

WORKSHOP 54: Improving Earnings and Employment Outcomes of Recent Immigrants: An International Perspective

Thursday, November 29, 2001
16:00 - 17:30


ORGANIZERS

Louis Grignon
Director, Income Security and Labour Market Issues
Applied Research Branch
Human Resources Development Canada
165 Hotel de Ville, Hull, Quebec
Canada K1A 0J2
Louis.grignon@spg.org

Jean Lock Kunz (Ph.D)
Applied Research Branch
Human Resources Development Canada
165 Hotel de Ville, Hull, Quebec
Canada K1A 0J2
Jean.l.kunz@spg.org

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

Immigrants contribute significantly to the labour market growth of the host society. How quickly and easily they integrate into their new economic and social environments are critical for the productivity of the local economy, the cohesion of the society, and the well-being of immigrants. Newcomers often face a number of barriers as they navigate their ways through the local economy and society including language proficiency, the workplace culture of the host society, credential recognition and skills transferability. Immigrant receiving countries (i.e., the host society) have the responsibility to assist newcomers to integrate quickly and effectively. This is usually achieved in partnership among various stakeholders and through policy measures and programs.

The composition of immigrants changes overtime, and so do the demands of the labour market. Governments of all levels, non-government organizations, and the private sector must continuously adjust their strategies to bridge the gap between the changing demands of the labour market and the skills of immigrants. Language training and skills equivalency assessments are some of the measures used by some countries to assist immigrants to integrate to the labour market. Some measures are more successful than are others. Further, the success of these programs is dependent on the social and economic climates in the receiving country.

A primary objective of the workshop is to share, among immigrant receiving countries, best practices and policies, as well as challenges in assisting immigrants to integrate quickly into the labour market. The workshop will bring together an international panel of participants who are involved in immigration and settlement. Participants will address the following questions:

1. What kind of immigration policy, flows and approach to integration are practised in your country?
2. What are the main barriers faced by immigrants in your country?
3. What programs, if any, are in place to overcome these barriers?
4. How well are these programs/approaches working?
5. What kind of interventions works best for facilitating the integration of immigrants to the labour market of the host country?

DURATION: 1.5 Hour.

PRESENTERS:
Catarina Oliveira, The New University of Lisbon
Leleyanne Hawthorne, University of Melbourne, Australia