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.

An online poll finds first-time foreign-born electors feel uninformed about the process and their voting rights

A majority of Canadian immigrants, who are either first-time voters or have not voted in the past, feel they don't have enough information to vote with confidence in the upcoming federal election, a new unofficial online poll concludes.

The poll, conducted by Canadian Immigrant Magazine, found that 70 per cent of newcomers who are ready to vote for the first time feel like they don't know enough about the electoral process. Almost half of all respondents — which include first-time and repeat immigrant voters combined — also felt that they are not given enough information about the voting process in Canada.

Though the Canadian government has issued election information material in nearly 30 languages, the results of the poll suggest that candidates should reach out to newcomers more effectively to explain the election process and encourage them to participate. This approach could help improve the voter turnout in Canada which has, according to Elections Canada statistics, been decreasing steadily since 1988, especially amongst immigrant communities. Based on the results of survey, conducted by Decima Research in April 2002, a report by Elections Canada noted that electors’ lack of knowledge and information is one of the reasons for this decline in turnout.

As for how parties rank with the participants, according to poll results, the Liberal Party and Conservative Party both had 25 per cent of participants choosing them. The New Democratic Party (NDP) followed in third place with a 23 per cent backing from participants. The Green Party came in last with four per cent. Interestingly, 22 per cent of participants choose none of the above parties.

In the poll, participants were also asked to rank the following issues in order of importance: law and order, childcare, family reunification, healthcare, jobs, economy and environment.

Considering the current financial climate in North America and across Europe, 106 mentions ranked the economy as their first selection the most. Healthcare came in second (105 mentions), job skills and recognition came in third (85 mentions), law and order came in fourth (49 mentions) and family reunification came in fifth (42 mentions) place.

Of the top five mentions, two are key issues for immigrants —job and skill recognition and family reunification.

In its recent release, the Statistics Canada has reported that immigration accounted for a spike in the Canadian population during the second quarter of 2008 — the largest increase in 17 years — with new second-quarter records being set in Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Considering the growing immigrant population, perhaps it is time for political parties and their leadership to address newcomers’ social and economic needs, and take the topic of immigration to its rightful place among Canada’s primary political issues.

Given its political and economic impact, the vote of a new immigrant would play a vital role in this election. A 2004 government-sponsored study entitled "Counting and Courting the Immigrant Vote" states that, given the concentration of regional votes, "at no other time in our country's history has the foreign-born elector been so fundamental to whether there will be a majority or minority government 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).

Canadians show their clear support for government-sponsored amendments to Canada’s immigration laws

The results of a comprehensive survey on immigration show that Canadians are mostly satisfied with the recent changes to immigration guidelines enacted by the federal government last month.

This online survey of a representative national sample, conducted by Angus Reid Strategies, reveals that two-thirds of respondents, or 66 per cent, support the government-sponsored amendments to Canada’s immigration laws and favor granting the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration the power to fast-track immigration applications of skilled workers in categories that are in demand, and reject others.

A gender, age, and education based analysis of this two-third majority include 73 per cent of males, 69 per cent of Canadians aged 55 and over, and 71 per cent of those with at least one university degree. A region-based analysis tops Manitoba and Saskatchewan with 74 per cent, Alberta with 73 per cent, Quebec with 67 per cent, British Columbia and Ontario with 66 per cent each and Atlantic provinces with 56 per cent.

Two-thirds of respondents, or 65 per cent, believe the new rules will help ease labor shortages in Canada, and three-in-five, or 59 per cent, think they will effectively reduce processing times for immigration applications. However, half of Canadians, or 49 per cent, believe the guidelines will lead to unfair and arbitrary decisions affecting prospective immigrants, and two-in-five, or 41 per cent, fear they will negatively affect the process of family reunification.

More than two-thirds of Canadians, or 71 per cent, believe new immigrants should be encouraged to settle in rural areas rather than urban centers, and a majority of respondents believe Canada should attract immigrants primarily from industrialized countries (58 per cent) or people who come from English- and French-speaking countries (55 per cent). A slim majority of 51 per cent also voiced support for reducing the number of immigrants who enter Canada each year.

More than four-in-five respondents believe attracting high-skilled workers who want to immigrate to Canada (83 per cent) and attracting entrepreneurs and investors who can start business in Canada (81 per cent) are very or moderately important policies.

Having temporary worker programs to address specific skill shortages is third on the list with 72 per cent, followed by encouraging foreign students to stay in Canada after they obtain their degrees with 67 per cent, offering refugee protection to people who may be at risk in their countries of birth with 66 per cent, working to expedite the adoption of foreign children by Canadian citizens and permanent residents with 52 per cent, and reuniting foreign-born residents with family members who live abroad with 44 per cent. Attracting low-skilled workers who want to immigrate to Canada was regarded as a priority for just 25 per cent of respondents.

The survey shows that high-skilled foreign workers and businesspeople are seen as the cornerstones of the immigration system, followed by temporary workers, foreign students and refugees. Less than half of the respondents think it is important for Canada to reunite families and attract low-skilled workers.

Record number of foreign students helps drive enrolments in Canadian universities to all-time high

Enrolment in Canadian universities again surpassed the 1-million mark for the second consecutive year during the academic year 2005-06.

A recent Statistics Canada study, based on the data obtained by Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), shows that an estimated 1,047,700 students were registered in classes for the academic year 2005-06 that is 3 per cent higher than 2004-05.

This upward trend in university enrolment, as examined, is primarily driven by growth in the number of foreign students and young Canadian adults following urbanization, immigration, labor market demand, demand for graduate education, financial returns, socio-economic status and parental influence.

It has been determined that a record 80,200 students from other countries (foreign or international students) enrolled in programs at Canadian universities in 2005-06, up 6.0 per cent from the previous year. These foreign students represented 7.7 per cent of the total registrations, nearly double the proportion a decade earlier. Half of them were from Asia, where only China accounted for 46 per cent of these Asian students.

A number of factors account for the continued strength of foreign registrations. These include strong economic growth in leading Asian countries, such as China; new university marketing strategies to counter competition from institutions in other countries; changes in immigration policies; and provincial agreements with other countries to attract foreign students.

Provincially, Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec attracted almost 78% of international students. Numerically, the largest increases of international students occurred at universities in Ontario, where the gain was 1,400 and those in British Columbia, where the increase was 2,500.

Asian students accounted for the majority of the total increase in foreign students. Registrants from China rose 7% to a record high 19,200; the growth in students from China accounted for 28% of the gain in enrolment among international students. Canadian universities also continued to register significant numbers of students from India, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong, all of which increased in 2005-06.

Women have accounted for about 45% of all international students since 1999. In 1992, the proportion was about 39%.

Among foreign students, enrolments increased in all but two fields of study. The biggest decline was in the field of mathematics, computer and information sciences, where foreign enrolment fell by almost 4%. In the other fields of study, the numbers increased. The rate of growth had exceeded that of the prior year for three fields of study: education; humanities; and health, parks, recreation and fitness.

Another survey reported that just over 65 per cent of total foreign students, who are admitted to Canada annually to study, are intending to remain in Canada to embark on careers or pursue further studies.

A 2007 survey by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) showed that 69 per cent of schools offer scholarships targeted toward international undergraduate students and 62 per cent for international graduate students pursuing masters or doctoral degrees. This survey also found that 356 programs with an international focus offered at 61 niversities in 2006.

Canadian employers project a modest hiring climate in early 2008

According to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, the hiring climate in Canada will be positive between January and March 2008.

The survey of more than 1,700 Canadian employers reveals that 16 per cent plan to increase their payrolls while 10 per cent anticipate cutbacks for a Net Employment Outlook of +6 per cent. 72 per cent of those polled expect no changes of their staffing intentions for the first quarter of 2008 while 2 per cent are unsure.

Atlantic Canada employers project a moderate hiring climate as 14 per cent plan to hire while 9 per cent expect cutbacks for a Net Employment Outlook of +5 per cent. Ontario employers predict a flat hiring climate for first quarter of 2008 as 11 per cent plan to add staff and 11 per cent anticipate cutbacks. Quebec employers report a moderate hiring climate for the first quarter of 2008 as 18 per cent of employers plan to hire and 10 per cent project cutbacks for a Net Employment Outlook of 8 per cent. Employers in Western Canada once again predict the most active regional Net Employment Outlook for the country as 29 per cent expect to hire and 7 per cent project cutbacks for a Net Employment Outlook of +22 per cent.

In Atlantic Canada, Halifax area employers report the most robust hiring prospects with a Net Employment Outlook of +27 per cent. Job seekers in Ottawa and Toronto expect a conservative three months as both areas report a Net Employment Outlook of +5 per cent. Fort Erie and Barrie area employers report the most upbeat hiring intentions in Ontario with a projected Net Employment Outlook of +13 per cent and +10 per cent respectively. In Quebec, job seekers in Granby expect a healthy hiring climate with a reported Net Employment Outlook of +23 per cent. Employers in Sherbrooke and Quebec City anticipate a steady-to-moderate three-month period with a Net Employment Outlook of +10 per cent and +8 per cent respectively. Edmonton and Red Deer employers project dynamic hiring expectations in Alberta for the first quarter of 2008, as both report a Net Employment Outlook of +40 per cent. Calgary employers anticipate a bright hiring climate with a Net Employment Outlook of +30 per cent. Job seekers in Vancouver (British Columbia) and Regina (Saskatchewan) may look forward to a strong hiring climate with reported Net Employment Outlooks of +25 per cent. Employers in Victoria, British Columbia anticipate an upbeat hiring forecast with a Net Employment Outlook of +13 per cent.

Of the 10 surveyed industry sectors, Construction employers report the most dynamic results for the January to March period of 2008 with a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook of +40 per cent – the strongest among all of the industry sectors surveyed. Employers in the Mining sector anticipate another robust quarter with a Net Employment Outlook of +35 per cent.

Employers in the Wholesale and Retail trade sector expect a strong three months with a Net Employment Outlook of +29 per cent. Employers in the Services sector also predict an active hiring climate with a Net Employment Outlook of +22 per cent. The Public Administration sector anticipates a healthy first quarter, reporting a Net Employment Outlook of +20 per cent.

Employers in the Transportation and Public Utilities sector expect a steady hiring climate with a Net Employment Outlook of +17 per cent. Employers in the Education sector also expect a positive first quarter with a Net Employment Outlook of +16 per cent. Employers in Finance, Insurance and Real Estate industry anticipate a respectable quarter with a reported Net Employment Outlook of +14 per cent.

In the Manufacturing – Durable Goods sector employers project an upbeat climate with a Net Employment Outlook of +18 per cent – the sector’s strongest Outlook since the first quarter of 2001. Employers in the Manufacturing – Non-Durable Goods sector predict a hopeful hiring climate with a Net Employment Outlook of +10 per cent.

Canadian home prices to rise by 3.5 per cent in 2008

According to 2008 Market Survey Forecast of Royal LePage, Canada's leading provider of franchise services to residential real estate brokerages, the Canadian real estate market is anticipated to show steady, yet moderate growth in 2008 after the industry’s busiest year ever in 2007 characterized by strong average house price appreciation and record breaking unit sales.

Nationally, average house prices are forecast to rise by 3.5 per cent to $317,288 in 2008, while transactions are projected to fall slightly from this year's record high unit sales to 500,927 (-4.0 %) unit sales in 2008. Despite the year-over-year reduction in unit sales, the number of homes trading hands in 2008 is expected to remain higher than in all years prior to 2007.

With the most affordable major market homes in Canada, residents of Regina and Winnipeg are forecast to drive the greatest increases in house prices in 2008, as job opportunities and in-migration continue to soar in each city.

While Calgary and Edmonton will continue to boast healthy economies and high levels of home sale activity, the excessively fast run-up of home values in 2006 and the first half of 2007 priced people out of the market, causing inventory levels to rise late in the year. Alberta home price increases will be much more moderate in 2008 as the regional market continues to adjust to the new house value reality.

With the country's highest home prices, Vancouver's steadfast market will continue to expand on the back of a strong provincial economy ahead of 2010 Olympic games. Ontario and Quebec markets are anticipated to maintain their relative strength and vibrancy throughout next year, weathering stormy financial markets and adjusting well to the high value of the Canadian dollar.

In Atlantic Canada, a slight depletion of inventory coupled with high immigration levels will see the housing market growing at a strong and steady pace - Halifax is expected to have higher than national average growth in 2008.

The frenzied pace of price inflation that has characterized the real estate market over the past two years in the resource rich west were unsustainable and should ease substantially in 2008. In Central Canada, price increases peaked in late 2005, and have been moderating since.

From coast-to-coast, the homebuyer demographic is anticipated to swell with first-time purchasers, as many flock to take advantage of recently reduced lending rates, longer amortization periods and the resultant manageable mortgage payments.

Coinciding with the Royal LePage report came data from the Canadian Real Estate Association showing Multiple Listing Service home re-sales broke all previous annual records by the end of November. MLS activity in major markets totaled 345,577 units in the first 11 months of this year, 2.7 per cent more than the previous full-year record of 336,646 in 2005.

Canada is currently enjoying one of the longest housing market expansions in history; however, in 2008 it is anticipated that slowly eroding affordability will cause demand to ease, allowing the market to move toward balanced conditions of strong economic fundamentals, including high levels of employment, resilient consumer confidence, modest levels of inflation and the relatively low cost of borrowing money.