The B.C. and federal governments agree to expand Settlement Workers in Schools program in its 2nd year

To help newcomer students and their families settle in their school and community, the B.C. and federal governments have decided to expand Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) program to 10 more school districts in the province with an investment of $8.6 million.

Under the SWIS program, settlement workers help immigrant and refugee children, in the K-12 public school system, adjust to school culture. The workers also increase parent involvement in their children’s education, while helping to build awareness of community and government resources. As well, a valued component of the program focuses on increasing cultural awareness and sensitivity in schools.

The program has been of great benefits to the newcomer families that have unresolved first year settlement needs. More than 5,000 newcomer students and their families have availed the benefits of settlement counseling since it began. Families with long term settlement issues or who need intensive support are referred to settlement agencies and other community services.

"The Settlement Workers in Schools program is invaluable in assisting new students to integrate more quickly, while giving their parents a critical connection to the broader community," said Murray Coell, B.C. Minister of Advanced Education and Labor Market Development. "Students and their parents experience a smoother transition into the school system and the ability to more rapidly participate in Canadian society in a meaningful way."

Began in the fall of 2007 in 10 school districts across the Lower Mainland and Greater Victoria, the SWIS program has been expanded this fall to include an additional 10 districts in the Fraser Valley, the Okanagan, Nanaimo, West Vancouver, Langley, Coquitlam, and the North, based on the percentage of English as a second language students enrolled in school districts.

"Prime Minister Stephen Harper and our government are committed to helping immigrants and their families succeed in Canada. Schools are one of the first services that newcomers access in their communities and the SWIS program is an ideal way to assist newcomer students and their families on their path to integration," said Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. "We are very pleased to be working in partnership with the Province of B.C. to support the expansion of this program to more communities in the province."

The Agreement for Canada-B.C. Cooperation on Immigration provides funding through the transfer of approximately $109 million per year from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to the B.C. government, which is responsible for administering settlement services, including SWIS, for new immigrants through WelcomeBC. WelcomeBC, which supports immigrants and their families in succeeding both economically and socially, helps immigrants in B.C. access services under one umbrella to assist them in better adapting to life in their new communities and builds on the province’s history of welcoming newcomers and creating inclusive communities.

A first of its kind immigration-specific social networking site launched on the Internet by David Cohen

Established only a few months ago, LoonLounge is a rapidly expanding online community and social networking website where established and prospective Canadians can meet and connect for the purpose of building a stronger Canada.

A brainchild of prominent immigration lawyer David Cohen, LoonLounge facilitates the creation of social and professional connections through community membership. The concept behind LoonLounge is based on the knowledge that communities create an informal social assistance system, which could help newcomers in their settlement process, affording them the opportunity to more rapidly contribute to Canada both economically and socially.

Being a global network of online communities, the LoonLounge will help prospective migrants learn from the experiences and advice of newly settled Canadians. While settled Canadians would benefit from developing new relationships with prospective migrants – whether for business or personal motivations – prospective migrants would enjoy the advantages of seamless integration into the Canadian community and economy.

Along with these contacts, services provided on LoonLounge include a job search function, online forums, blog posts, salary survey, immigration assessment, facts about Canada, success stories, access to experts, and links to organizations and more resources. The site lets users join communities based on common ties such as home country or occupation, and can host subgroups for, say, cricket. The new Citizenship and Immigration Canada list of 38 priority jobs and language testing are the two hottest topics on LoonLounge.

"Governmental initiatives just can't provide the kind of support that LoonLounge offers to new Canadians," says David Cohen. "People need a support system. They need a community to get them started in a new life, and they need it before and after they get here."

Although LoonLounge is launched officially this week, the Canadian immigration online community has already made an impact. Nearly 15,000 members from 191 countries have registered, indicative of a social movement over the net. And it is not just immigrants benefiting from this social networking tool, established Canadians and recently-landed immigrants also find the site beneficial.

Though a recent analysis of what works for immigrants by the think-tank Public Policy Forum didn't study LoonLounge in particular, author Winnie Wong points out that the few websites that are effective tools for newcomers involve Canadians rather than just immigrants, and are community-based rather than top-down.

Cohen, who spent two years working on LoonLounge, keeps a low profile on the site, which is run by six people in his Montreal office and doesn't charge any fees or accept advertising.

Immigration is the future of Canada and LoonLounge is your invitation to become involved. Watch a brief animated clip and join the LoonLounge online community today.

Nova Scotia unveils a new business loan program to help newcomers start, expand or buy small businesses

Nova Scotia has introduced a simplified business loan program for newcomers to the province who wish to establish their own small businesses and generate jobs.

The new Immigrant Small Business Financing Program (ISBFP) is a joint initiative of the Nova Scotia Cooperative Council, the Credit Union Council of Nova Scotia, local Credit Unions, the Department of Economic Development and the Office of Immigration. Administered by the Nova Scotia Cooperative Council, the pilot project will be available solely through credit unions across Nova Scotia to offer up to $150,000 loan to immigrants, who have lived in Nova Scotia for less than five years, to help start, expand or buy a small business.

Local credit unions will begin taking applications for this purpose in mid of January next year.

This simplified approach will not only help ensure immigrant entrepreneurs have the opportunity to become small business owners in Nova Scotia and generate jobs, but also help getting business loans in a timely manner, which is usually difficult in Canada as banks and other lending institutions generally do not recognize international credit history of many new immigrants.

"Access to economic opportunities are key factors in a new immigrant's decision to stay or leave the province," said Immigration Minister Len Goucher. "By setting up businesses, new immigrants will also establish stronger roots in local communities, roots that will help newcomers integrate and, ultimately, settle in Nova Scotia."

To support this business loan program, department of Economic Development will invest $2 million in a loan guarantee, which will be reviewed annually, while the Office of Immigration will provide $100,000 a year for operating and other costs, such as business counselling, administration, technical services and legal costs.

The ISBFP is an extension of the existing Small Business Financing Program, which is also administered by the Nova Scotia Enterprises Cooperative and delivered through credit unions. It has helped more than 350 companies create and maintain 2,300 jobs.

"We've helped establish new businesses and empower entrepreneurs with the support they need to create employment for themselves and others," says Dianne Kelderman, chief executive officer of the Nova Scotia Cooperative Council. "We have had great success and now, with a program for immigrant entrepreneurs, we see the opportunity for even greater growth."

In Nova Scotia, there are more than 30,000 small businesses, representing 92 per cent of all businesses in the province. In 2007, more than 150 newcomers interested in starting a new business sought assistance from the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association.

A new top 20 listing shows which Canadian employer is struggling in hiring and integrating newcomers

Canada’s largest publisher of employment-related periodicals and online directories, Mediacorp, and the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition, in partnership with the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC), have released a list of country’s Top 20 Employers who are setting the standards in hiring internationally trained immigrants, and ensuring their smooth transition into the Canadian workplace.

The Best Employers for New Canadians is an exceptional list of employers chosen out of 200 Canadian companies representing employment fields such as financial, high-tech, engineering, healthcare and academics. Large or small, all of these 20 employers are leading the way in opening their doors to newcomers.

Here are the top 20 best employers along with a brief overview of their policies for new Canadians:

i3 DVR International Inc. (Toronto, ON): i3 DVR hiring policy dictates that they hire the most qualified applicant by testing his/her technical skills, no matter what school, country or length of time in Canada. i3 DVR encourages new Canadian hires to develop their English skills on the job. The 50 per cent of i3 DVR head office workforce comprises of new Canadians.

Wardrop Engineering Inc. (Winnipeg, MB): Wardrop helps new Canadian employees obtain their professional engineering (P.Eng.) designation with formal technical mentoring and development programs.

University Of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, SK): UoS recently introduced an international medical graduate residency program to help new immigrant physicians obtain their licenses in Saskatchewan.

Toronto Transit Commission (Toronto, ON): TTC encourages internationally trained employees to have their credentials assessed by World Education Services (WES). TTC has recently joined TRIEC's Mentoring Partnership program while conducts regular outreach employment presentations for community centers, programs and agencies that aid new Canadians.

TD Bank Financial Group (Toronto, ON): TD provides the largest number of relationships in TRIEC's Mentoring Partnership program and has hired more than half of their Career Bridge interns since the program's inception in 2003. TD has also developed the financial services industry component of Ryerson University's new Professional Communication for Employment program, which helps new Canadians improve their soft skills. In TD’s management associate program, 50 per cent of trainees are internationally trained professionals.

St. Michael's Hospital (Toronto, ON): St. Michael’s runs in-house mentorship program, which provides internationally trained professionals with interview and communication skills’ training, and job shadowing opportunities in fields such as HR, laboratory technology, library science, IT and finance. St. Michael’s is a founding member of CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses, an agency that offers mentoring, job shadowing, work-related experience and exam preparation services to help foreign-trained nurses enter the nursing field more quickly. It also published mentorship guidebook called "Making Connections: A New Model of Mentoring or Internationally Trained Professionals."

Replicon Inc. (Calgary, AB): Replicon provides six-week work placements in a corporate training program, which helps immigrants gain Canadian work experience in their field of expertise. It also provides on-site testing during the hiring process to evaluate the practical skills of new Canadian candidates in addition to considering their international credentials.

Providence Health Care (Vancouver, BC): PHC encourages new Canadian hires to get their international credentials evaluated at point-of-hire by referring them to a provincially recognized evaluation service, and includes international work experience when determining the starting wage rate of new Canadian employees. PHC provides an intensive orientation and training program for internationally trained nurses, and provides ESL tutoring.

Manulife Financial Corp. (Toronto, ON): Manulife serves as a host employer with the Career Bridge internship program since its inception in 2003. It is currently hosting five Career Bridge interns and serves as a host employer in TRIEC's Mentoring Partnership program.

MDS Nordion Inc. (Ottawa, ON): MDS Nordion serves as an inaugural member of the employer council of champions for Hire Immigrants Ottawa. It provides intercultural training and language programs to employees.

Keane Canada Inc. (Halifax, NS): Keane recognizes international education and work experience through local agencies, provides an English-in-the-workplace program for new Canadian employees in conjunction with the Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre and the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association. It also manages an employee buddy program to help new hires adjust to life in Halifax.

KPMG LLP (Toronto, ON): KPMG serves as a host employer with TRIEC's Mentoring Partnership program for more than two years. It reimburses the cost of CA equivalency courses or assessments for new Canadian employees writing the CA reciprocity exam and operates a training pilot program on how to manage a culturally diverse workforce.

Island Hearing Services (Victoria, BC): IHS helps new Canadian employees obtain certification with Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (CASLPA) or other bodies through supervisory work agreements and pays the licensing fees for new Canadians seeking to gain certification in Canada. It also provides supplementary training to help new Canadians achieve Canadian equivalency.

Enbridge Inc. (Calgary, AB): Enbridge evaluates international credentials and education of new Canadian job applicants using services like WES and manages internal mentorship program that pairs new Canadian employees or interns with a mentor. Enbridge hired former Career Bridge interns to senior-level positions as project leaders, financial analysts, revenue analysts and IT and system support specialists. It also provides an on-site multi-faith room.

Ernst & Young LLP (Toronto, ON): Ernst & Young screens candidates on technical skills prior to interview in order to eliminate cultural barriers during the hiring process. It provides inclusiveness training workshops to all their recruiters and provides an in-house CA reciprocity exam for employees with international credentials. Ernst & Young also participates in TRIEC's Mentoring Partnership program.

CIBC (Toronto, ON): As an active participant in TRIEC's Mentoring Partnership program, CIBC have hired several former Career Bridge interns as senior financial analysts. It created newcomers to Canada internet portal on its careers website, which provides information on foreign credential assessment while works with WES to speed up foreign credential assessment and verification. CIBC also provides ESL classes to employees as part of the corporate training program.

Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc. (Waterloo, ON): Christie attends recruitment fairs and networking breakfasts specifically for internationally educated professionals and provides on-site ESL tutors to help internationally trained engineers develop their technical vocabulary. Christie has also revised interview process to accommodate cultures that have difficulty talking about their strengths.

CAE Inc. (Montreal, QC): CAE pays educational course fees for new Canadian employees looking to improve their skills or obtain Canadian equivalency, offers free in-house English- and French-language courses on weeknights, and recognizes international undergraduate degrees on par with Canadian undergraduate degrees.

Business Development Bank of Canada (Montreal, QC): BDC recognizes foreign credentials and experience when screening newcomers’ applications.

Associated Engineering Group Ltd. (Edmonton, AB): AE provides training and educational support to internationally educated employees obtaining their professional registration. It also provides mentoring so employees can receive Canadian experience to become registered.

Minister Kenney outlines his government’s policy on immigration and recounts newcomers’ integration efforts

Canada’s newly appointed Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, has avowed his government’s commitment for delivering a "dynamic" immigration program and integrating newcomers successfully.

Speaking at his first presentation on "Immigration & Integration: Keys to Canada’s Future" to Winnipeg’s Canadian Club on Thursday, Minister Kenney outlined his government’s philosophy behind modernization of the immigration system and highlighted some of the recent efforts that government has undertaken to facilitate the successful integration of newcomers.

"Just as immigration has been essential to Canada’s economic development, it is an indispensable part of our future economy," Minister Kenney told the audience when describing the background of recent changes in Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) through Bill C-50 earlier this year. "But let me be clear: our government inherited some very serious challenges in the immigration system that must be fixed if we are to ensure that immigration works well for Canada, and for newcomers, in the future."

Minister Kenney declared these changes a big step to better aligning immigration with labor market needs, and to reducing the massive backlog and unacceptable wait times. He also disclosed that, in a little while, he is releasing a list of those professions and trades which are most urgently in need of new workers, so immigrants abroad who apply to come to Canada as Skilled Workers, and whose experience or training match these categories, will have their applications processed on a priority basis.

He also noted recently announced Canadian Experience Class and the improvements in Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program as part of his government’s modernization of the immigration system.

When recounting the range of actions his government has taken in recent years to help new Canadians succeed, Minister Kenney highlighted the (a) improvements made in Provincial Nominee Programs; (b) Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) established last year; (c) 50 per cent cut in Right of Permanent Residence Fee; (d) strategic plan to encourage immigration in Francophone minority communities; (e) five-year, $1.4 billion plan to improve settlement services across the country; and (f) reduction in taxes to allow both new and established Canadians to prosper and make the best choices for their families.

"Newcomers will continue to be a source of growth and strength. And we must keep up our end of the bargain by doing what we can to ensure their successful integration into Canadian society," Minister Kenney told the Canadian Club of Winnipeg. "I think we can all agree that our immigration policy is a success when newcomers choose to become Canadian citizens because they know in their hearts that we live in a great country."

At the end, Minister Kenney announced the creation of annual Paul Yuzyk Award, which will be presented each year to an individual or organization that has demonstrated excellence in promoting the multiculturalism in Canada.

Study finds 41 per cent of immigrants remit money to friends or relatives abroad during their first four years in Canada

A latest survey report by Statistics Canada shows that roughly four in ten immigrants who arrived in Canada during 2000/2001 sent money to family or friends abroad at least once during their first four years in the country.

The Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC) was conducted jointly by Statistics Canada and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. It was designed to study the incidence of remitting, amounts and the characteristics of remitters that followed a group of 12,000 newcomers, aged 15 or older, who arrived in Canada between October 1, 2000 and September 30, 2001, over a four-year period.

This first national study of immigrants' remittances found that over the entire period of four years, about 41 per cent of immigrants sent money home at least once: Within 6 to 24 months of landing, 23 per cent of immigrants had sent remittances to their home country; within 2 to 4 years after landing, about 29 per cent had done so.

Among those who sent money home, the average amount was $2,500 in the first period, and $2,900 in the second period. Those who came under the economic class as skilled workers, investors and entrepreneurs topped the list by sending an average $3,000 abroad, compared with $2,700 for family-class immigrants and $1,900 for refugees.

It could be translated anywhere between $1.5 billion and $2 billion that Canadians remitted in each of the last four years.

The incidence of sending money varied considerably from country to country or by place of birth. Some 60 per cent of immigrants from the Philippines and Haiti sent remittances two to four years after landing. About 40 to 50 per cent of immigrants from Jamaica, Nigeria, Romania, Guyana and Ukraine sent money. However, less than 10 per cent of immigrants from industrialized nations like France, the United Kingdom and South Korea did so.

The likelihood of immigrants remitting depended on three additional factors — their income, family obligations in Canada and abroad, and demographics. Remittances accounted for 7.5 per cent of the remitter's annual personal income and 3.4 per cent of family income during a newcomer's first two years in the country. Immigrants who had family incomes of $70,000 or more were more than three times as likely to send money home as those with family incomes of less than $10,000. In addition, the amount sent by immigrants in families with incomes of $70,000 or more was about 45 per cent higher than the amount for those with incomes of $25,000 to $44,999.

At the demographic front, immigrants with three or more children at home were far less likely to send money abroad than those with no children. Moreover, women sent about 12 per cent less than men. Also, immigrants aged from 25 to 44 were far more likely to send money abroad, and far higher amounts, than those in younger or older age groups.

According to World Bank figures for 2004, remittances represent an important source of revenue for people in developing countries. They accounted for about 20 to 30 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in countries such as Haiti, Lesotho and Jordan, and for about 10 to 19 per cent in several others, such as Jamaica, the Philippines and the Dominican Republic. The worldwide money flows to developing countries increased to US$167 billion in 2005, an estimated 73 per cent jump from 2001. The top remittance-receiving countries in the world are India (US$21.7 billion), China (US$21.4 billion) and Mexico (US$18.1 billion).