The three-month training and job placement program for internationally educated health care workers provided workforce readiness training to its most recent cohort, eight talented, diverse, and multilingual immigrant fellows in the Greater Boston area. The cohort also completed a research administration course at Emmanuel College as part of the fellowship. The fellows were then matched to paid internships at Boston’s top hospitals. The fellows obtained U.S. health sector work experience, increased their confidence, and made connections in the health care and research administration field. Read more about the graduating fellows of the 2022 cohort below.

Profiles of ABN’s 2022 Immigrant Professionals Fellows

Anna Ngwananogu holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational management and administration from Makerere University in Uganda. Before she became a fellow, Anna had challenges accessing information and lacked experience working in the United States. The fellowship has allowed Anna to acquire firsthand experience in the research administration field at Massachusetts General Hospital where she interned. She says, “Research administration is a course I was planning to do before the fellowship, so the fellowship made my dream come true.” After completing the fellowship, Anna secured a full-time job with Massachusetts General Hospital.

Choarina Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in law, linguistics, and business administration from a university in Haiti and has 14 years of experience in auditing. However, when she moved to the U.S. three years ago, she encountered barriers to employment and could not find work commensurate with her skills and education. She saw the fellowship as an opportunity to obtain further training. Choarina interned as a Grants Specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), where she has since been promoted to full-time Research Administrator.

“If I had this opportunity the first year when I came here,” Choarina says, “I would have been further in my career. [ABN] gave me a hand of hope. I can see the light. I can see what the future has for me.”

Cissy Kinaaway Ayebi worked for many years as a trainer and advocate. She is a former Human Rights Officer for the United Nations and an HIV/AIDS Advisor for Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). She came to the U.S. from Uganda as a refugee with hopes of pursuing a career in public health. After receiving training and completing the coursework through the fellowship, she interned as a project coordinator in the Clinical Trial Office at Boston Medical Center. Cissy hopes her story will inspire others.

“We have so many skilled immigrants here. I wanted to get into this fellowship and show these people that yes, you are a professional with professional experience. You can penetrate the workforce.”

Jessie Ling obtained a law degree in China and has over 10 years of banking experience, but encountering language barriers and having a limited network have made working in the U.S. challenging. After completing the fellowship’s training and coursework, Jessie interned at Boston Medical Center’s Sponsor Programs Administration. She now has U.S. work experience and additional training and education to support her career goals. Jessie is grateful to ABN for hosting this fellowship.

Jessie notes, “I wouldn’t have such a good opportunity to build my career here without them.”

Jung aha Shin holds a master’s degree and has experience in the health care and science fields in Korea. She moved to the U.S. 12 years ago when her husband relocated here for work, but Jung’s own career has stalled without the support of a local network. Seeing the fellowship as an opportunity to refine her skills and learn more about the U.S. health care sector, Jung completed the training ABN provided and interned as a Research Administrator at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Jung says she appreciates how “this fellowship helped me not only earn knowledge and skills but also build up my professional network and gain the confidence [needed] to resume my career.”

Keevens Nepius holds bachelor’s degrees in accounting and law from Haiti and is currently pursuing a master’s in business administration in Massachusetts. As an immigrant worker in the U.S., Keevens struggled with language barriers and a lack of community. The ABN fellowship provided an internship placement at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where Keevens worked as a Grants Specialist conducting much of the department’s financial reporting, grant reviewing, and budget managing. Keevens valued his fellowship experience, particularly the opportunity it offered to meet other fellows and expand his network. “This network is the best thing you can have in the U.S. when starting a new job,” he says. He plans to continue working in the health care field.

Miguel Barbosa has many years of experience as a supervisor with large telecommunications companies in Cape Verde. However, seeking greater opportunity for learning and professional growth, he decided to move to the U.S. and find a position here. When he arrived, however, Miguel faced many obstacles to commensurate employment and had to “take what was available.” The fellowship helped Miguel to change his career trajectory and introduced him to a related field of work. He interned as a Grants Specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where he assisted with the pre-award process for research grants. Miguel says, “this program … can help a lot of people. Not only immigrants but the companies who hire them. They [immigrant workers] bring new perspectives to these businesses and industries. They have a lot of talent that deserves to be recognized.”

Noran Amir has a master’s degree and experience in the pharmaceutical field in Egypt. She came to the U.S. in 2019, hoping she and her daughters could “enjoy the freedom and have options in their careers, and live a happy life.” In spite of her education and experience, Noran faced many barriers to relicensure such as equivalency tests, employer bias, and language barriers. Although she did eventually obtain a license hoping to attain more U.S. work experience in health care. Through the fellowship, she interned as a Research Administrator in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She was offered a full-time position at the end of the fellowship.

Noran encourages others to apply to the fellowship, saying, “Go for it. Don’t be afraid. You are going to get all the support you need from ABN. It really helps change the lives of many families.”

ABN’s Immigrant Professionals Fellowship offers participants a comprehensive support system along with training, skills, and coaching to set participants up for success, both in their fellowship placements and their future professional goals. Fellows are provided access to much-needed work experience in the U.S. health sector, as well as additional skills training to open more employment opportunities in the field. In December, WES Global Talent Bridge Program Manager Mikaela Santos was able to participate in ABN’s fellowship graduation along with the fellows, their supervisors, employer partners, funders, and others.

Mikaela noted, “It was great to witness all the collaboration and effort that goes into making this fellowship a success.”

The eight fellows have been able to pursue their career goals in the U.S. and have proved to be hardworking health care professionals. We want to congratulate the 2022 fellows and cannot wait to see what they do next!

The post 8 Immigrant Success Stories and What They Teach about the Benefits of Fellowships appeared first on World Education Services.

In response to the ongoing Canadian labour crisis, WES launched #ImmigrantsWork to work with community partners in mobilizing local employers to co-design solutions that help identify, recruit, hire, and retain local immigrant talent. Building on the successes and learnings from a pilot phase, World Education Services (WES) is proud today to announce the names of the five new communities across Canada that will be joining the second phase of the #ImmigrantsWork initiative:

• Grey and Bruce Counties, Ontario 
• Lanark and Renfrew Counties, Ontario 
• Regina, Saskatchewan
• Tri-Cities (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody), British Columbia
• Winnipeg, Manitoba 

“We know that there has never been a greater need for scalable localized solutions that harness immigrant skills,” said WES Managing Director Shamira Madhany. “Communities in rural and northern Canada are particularly affected. That’s why we are so delighted to pursue these new partnerships with these communities.”

In November 2022, WES launched a call for expressions of interest (EoI) for the second phase of #ImmigrantsWork and in response received more than a dozen submissions from organizations representing communities all over Canada. Applicants had to meet certain criteria, including:

• Direct experience working with local employers, including small and medium-sized enterprises
• Ties to a network of strong, locally engaged partners and stakeholders
• Inclusion of immigrant- and refugee-led organizations

About the #ImmigrantsWork Initiative 

In late 2021, WES identified three pilot communities: the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, the Regional Municipality of Durham, and Greater Moncton. The first phase of the #ImmigrantsWork pilot program was successfully completed in 2022, resulting in the launch of Employer Playbook: Strategies for Immigrant Inclusion in Canadian Workplaces, a digitized and localized employer resource that was well received by employers and workforce development stakeholders across the pilot communities.

The upcoming phase of #ImmigrantsWork will sustain the momentum and build on the success of the earlier phase, testing the program in new communities that have different needs and capacities.

“The #ImmigrantsWork program reinforces WES’ commitment to addressing workforce shortages through an innovative community engagement initiative, anchored in collective action to drive systemic change in Canada’s labour market,” said WES Managing Director Shamira Madhany. “Insights gained throughout the work with local employers and communities will further enrich WES’ policy and programmatic work with national business associations and will have a long-lasting impact on immigration and labour policy.”

Interested in learning more about #ImmigrantsWork? Please see the case study paper that outlines the pilot projects’ key concepts and operational details.

#ImmigrantsWork Partners

Following a rigorous evaluation, WES identified five lead organizations that will act as the primary local point of contact and support the local #ImmigrantsWork network. They are:

• Grey Bruce Local Immigration Partnership: Building a more welcoming and inclusive Grey Bruce is the foundation of the Grey Bruce Local Immigration Partnership (GBLIP). In 2020, Grey and Bruce Counties received funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to administer the GBLIP—a collaborative community initiative designed to fill critical gaps in the local labour force by improving the successful integration of newcomers. The GBLIP works at the local level to foster a sense of belonging and supports various stakeholders in building their capacity, raising awareness of the needs of newcomers, and supporting community-level research and planning. The GBLIP recognizes that immigration will continue to play a key role in the economic future of Grey and Bruce Counties. Learn more about GBLIP at greybrucelip.ca.
• Local Immigration Partnership – Lanark and Renfrew: Funded by IRCC, its purpose is to bring together service providers, settlement agencies, community groups, employers, municipalities, and other key organizations to develop welcoming communities that are inclusive of newcomers. In Lanark and Renfrew Counties, the work of the Local Immigration Partnership is administered by Algonquin College – Pembroke Campus. For more information, visit liplanarkrenfrew.ca.
• Regina Region Local Immigration Partnership: Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs) work to develop a coordinated and collaborative strategy that enhances the engagement of newcomers in the local economy and community. LIPs are funded by IRCC and can be found in more than 80 communities across the country. The Regina Region Local Immigration Partnership Project (RRLIP Project) convenes partners to collaboratively address the needs of newcomers and enhance their successful settlement in Regina. Guided by the results of its most recent community consultation activity (the 2022 RRLIP Newcomer Survey), the RRLIP’s current action plan addresses local priorities for enhanced settlement outcomes. Labour market integration has consistently been identified as the top priority, and thus the RRLIP views the partnership with WES as a natural extension of this ongoing collaborative work in Regina as well as a source of support.
• S.U.C.C.E.S.S. (aka United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society): The Tri-Cities Local Immigration Partnership (TCLIP) brings community leaders and organizations across multiple sectors together to develop welcoming and inclusive communities where established residents and newcomers feel a sense of belonging and attachment. TCLIP supports the communities of Anmore, Belcarra, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody through engagement, capacity building, and collaborations to enhance newcomers’ and immigrants’ meaningful participation in the economic, social, cultural, and civic life of the community.
• Immigration Partnership Winnipeg: Immigration Partnership Winnipeg is a Local Immigration Partnership that exists to provide a collaborative framework to facilitate the development and implementation of sustainable local solutions for the successful integration of newcomers in the city. Its vision is to help make Winnipeg a welcoming and inclusive multicultural city where everyone finds the support and opportunities they need to realize their best potential. Find out more at ipwinnipeg.org.

Quotes

“The Grey Bruce Local Immigration Partnership is excited to be selected for the 2023–2024 #ImmigrantsWork program. Under the leadership and expertise of World Education Services, GBLIP will implement community-driven solutions, mobilize resources, and effectively support local employers in addressing barriers to hiring and retaining immigrant talent across Grey and Bruce Counties.” Deepikaa Gupta, coordinator, Grey Bruce Local Immigration Partnership

“We are grateful to be partnering with WES on Phase 2 of the #ImmigrantsWork initiative. Rural communities in Lanark and Renfrew Counties are struggling to meet labour market needs. Being part of the #ImmigrantsWork initiative will enable us to create a localized plan focused on supporting employers in their recruitment and retention of immigrant talent. Our communities must grow and become more diverse to thrive.” Sarah Hall, dean, Algonquin College – Pembroke Campus 

“The Regina Region Local Immigration Partnership is excited to partner with WES and to act as community lead in the #ImmigrantsWork 2023–2024 initiative. The RRLIP is committed to collaborating with key community partners to co-create a local strategy that encourages immigrant talent inclusion. Identifying and addressing the barriers that many local employers face when hiring and retaining newcomers will be the foundation of this plan.” Carol Brouwers, project manager, Regina Region Local Immigration Partnership

“The Tri-Cities Local Immigration Partnership is delighted to partner with WES on #ImmigrantsWork. With this initiative, local employers are engaged to better understand how to access the diverse talents and skills immigrants bring to the community, while strengthening inclusive practices to retain talent and foster innovation.” Ryan Drew, co-chair of TCLIP and director of Integrated Services for Newcomers with S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

“The partnership with WES will benefit the Tri-Cities community by enabling meaningful connections between employers and newcomer job-seekers that recognize newcomers’ unique skills, lived experience, and international work experience while supporting employers’ labour needs.” Claire MacLean, co-chair of TCLIP and chief executive officer of SHARE Family & Community Services Society

“We are excited to partner with WES as an organization that champions and supports newcomers in Canada and the United States. We think that their goals align with the work of IPW and that this partnership will enhance our work with Winnipeg employers to provide meaningful employment opportunities for Newcomer Communities.” Reuben Garang, director, Immigration Partnership Winnipeg

The post WES Partners with Five Communities Across Canada to Find Solutions to the Skills Shortage appeared first on World Education Services.

Expanding access to work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities is essential to improving post-pandemic employment outcomes for immigrant youth and helping to ensure their long-term success. When coupled with academic pursuits, early participation in the workforce strongly increases the likelihood of sustained labour force inclusion in occupations related to a student’s program of study, enabling students to apply and enhance skills acquired in the classroom.

Creating such opportunities is particularly important for immigrant youth, as studies have shown that, despite high levels of educational attainment, immigrant youth continue to encounter barriers to meaningful employment. This may be due, in part, to limited social and professional networks and minimal exposure to pre-employment programming related to their field of study. They may also encounter bias against non-Canadian work experience.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people, Canadian youth included, found their access to education and mental health services disrupted. Many WIL programs were cancelled or postponed, which led to learning gaps in skill building and career development.

With a goal of providing support to first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, and international students in their transition to the workforce, Accenture, Deloitte, the Business Career Hub (BCH) at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), and World Education Services (WES) brought the Community Consulting Project (CCP) to TMU students. This project involves connecting this diverse talent pool to practical skills-based employment programming where:

• Diverse skills, training, and experiences are acknowledged and amplified through inclusive recruitment strategies
• Students receive coaching and mentorship from analysts, managers, and directors of leading consulting firms like Accenture and Deloitte
• Participating non-profit organizations receive pro bono consultation support and viable corporate strategy suggestions

Scaling Success

With each cycle, a cohort of 15 to 20 students is organized into teams of four to research, analyze, develop, and pitch practical recommendations to be implemented by client organizations in the non-profit sector across Canada. Whether the assignment is a corporate website refresh, social media presence enhancement and engagement, or the development of a strategy to increase donorship, the students consult with their non-profit clients and consultant mentors to offer viable recommendations that are presented at the end of the program.

“The Community Consulting Project provided a unique opportunity for me to gain that real-life, hands-on, practical experience that you could never gain from a textbook. It gave me the opportunity to cultivate transferable skills that would have a lasting impact on my career.”

– Student participant

“As a fourth year, graduating student, the CCP allowed me to gain practical skills that would prepare me for life after graduation. Given the fact that we were still learning in a pandemic, the CCP provided another avenue to engage with fellow students and build meaningful relationships.” – Student participant

The Community Consulting Project recently launched its third iteration, allowing more students to build on existing competencies and further cultivate analytic, creative, and professional skill sets in preparation for commensurate employment.

“The Community Consulting Project has provided unique opportunities for students of immigrant backgrounds to get firsthand experience in the field of consulting and extend their networks through mentorship. We continue to be impressed by the expertise and enthusiasm that these students bring to the program! The students produce impactful work, supporting the non-profit partners in realizing their goals so that they can make the greatest impact for the communities they serve…”  – Deb Swartz, Associate Director, Canada Corporate Citizenship, Accenture

“WES is pleased to carry out the Community Consulting Project (CCP) alongside our partners: Accenture, Deloitte, and Toronto Metropolitan University. The success of the work-integrated model shows its potential to translate to other work settings. We’ve already seen the impact of this initiative on immigrant and refugee youth as well as international students who are now starting their careers, as they are already benefitting from the experience and skills they gained through CCP.” – Shamira Madhany, Managing Director, Canada and Deputy Executive Director, WES

“Deloitte is happy to participate and partner in catalytic programs such as the Community Consulting Project, that enable immigrant youth to apply and enhance their skills as emerging experts. We are excited to partner in initiatives that amplify the tremendous work that these students continue to do in preparation for the workforce.” – Tene Knibbs, Partner, Deloitte 

As a pilot, this early-career intervention aimed at immigrant youth has shown promise. WES is proud to play a role in such efforts to accelerate the careers of immigrant youth.

The Community Consulting Project is made possible through the participation of the following organizations:

Non-profit Client Partners:

Cycle 1 – Fall 2021:

• S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
• Success Skills Centre
• Wanasah
• WoodGreen

Cycle 2 – Winter 2021:

• Immigrant Women Services Ottawa
• Jumpstart Refugee Talent
• Lethbridge Family Services
• YMCA: Next Stop Canada

Cycle 3 – Fall 2022:

• Books, Art, Music (BAM) Collective
• Together Project
• Syrian Canadian Foundation
• YWCA Hamilton

WES welcomes organizations and companies interested in collaborating or learning more about innovative work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for immigrant youth. To learn more, please contact Ousama Al Khatib, Manager, Youth Initiatives.

The post Learning Beyond the Classroom: Securing Career Development Opportunities for Emerging Immigrant Talent appeared first on World Education Services.

Through the #UntappedTalent campaign, IMPRINT collaborated with partner organizations to highlight stories of immigrants and refugees—like Lubab Al-Quraishi, a Refugee Congress Honorary Delegate and licensed pathologist with 18 years of experience in Iraq who was forced to flee her country under dire humanitarian circumstances. Lubab explained that seeking safety in the U.S. came at the cost of her career. Barriers to licensure, including laws that failed to recognize credentials obtained in another country, prevented her from working as a doctor in the U.S. To support herself and her family, Lubab took a job at a restaurant drive-through. “There are many people like me – hundreds of thousands of us with the necessary credentials and education — who are ready to work. Until the U.S. government acts, none of our experiences matter here,” she said.  Lubab is organizing internationally trained immigrant and refugee physicians to call for alternative pathways for individuals with credentials from other countries to resume their professions in the U.S.

Highlighting the Need for Reform

“Immigrants and refugees—many of whom are people of color—hold the necessary languages and cultural capital that can address existing inequities when it comes to access to critical services, like health care.”

The #UntappedTalent campaign highlighted long-standing practices that led to inequitable outcomes, according to Dr. Mohamed Khalif, IMPRINT steering member and a Somali-born, Chinese-trained physician who founded the Washington Academy for International Medical Graduates (WAIMG). “Immigrants and refugees—many of whom are people of color—hold the necessary languages and cultural capital that can address existing inequities when it comes to access to critical services, like health care. Yet limited recognition of credentials and lack of investments in workforce development continue to prevent people like Lubab Al-Quraishi from resuming their professions,” Mohamed said. According to the Migration Policy Institute, gender, race, ethnicity, and immigration status are factors that disproportionately affect employment.  For example, Black immigrants and immigrants from Latin America and other Spanish-speaking countries who have a bachelor’s degree or higher are more likely to experience underemployment. In terms of gender, women immigrants are far more likely to be underemployed than men with the same credentials. This disparity increases even more for women with children younger than five.

Tiziana Rinaldi, founder and CEO of the JobUp, further elaborated, “Many people don’t have an informed perspective on how the U.S. labor market responds to immigrants and refugees who hold credentials from another country.” Tiziana noted that the JobUp joined the #UntappedTalent campaign to shed light on systemic challenges that prevent immigrants and refugees from resuming their careers in the U.S. “I had to participate in the campaign—I’m a journalist and an educator. It was too important to remain silent,” she added.

Mobilizing for Change

The campaign mobilized more than 200 institutions, representing non-profit, higher education, and government sectors, and contacted 70 U.S. senators during its Week of Action to garner support for the Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act, one of the campaign’s key federal legislative priorities. The measure passed Congress with bipartisan support and was signed into law in 2022. The Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act calls on the Department of Labor to study the factors impacting employment of internationally trained immigrants and refugees in the U.S. and to issue recommendations for reform. The study will also include an analysis of public and private resources available to internationally trained immigrants and refugees seeking employment in their fields in the U.S.

The implications of the passage of the Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act are significant, said Jina Krause-Vilmar, IMPRINT steering member and president and CEO of Upwardly Global. “The Department of Labor’s findings have the potential to encourage greater public investment in providing professional entry support to immigrants and to increase access to community colleges. These reforms could be game-changing for our economy and life-changing for immigrants and refugees, as well as our communities.”

Looking Ahead

“There is growing awareness of the need for reforms so that every immigrant and forcibly displaced person receives the recognition they deserve, can contribute their expertise, and meaningfully access economic opportunity.”

There is momentum for reform. More than 1.2 million immigrants and refugees with credentials earned abroad are unemployed or underemployed in the U.S. “To build an equitable workforce, the campaign provided a platform for workers who are directly impacted to share their stories and lead conversations that are critical in advancing workforce development policies,” said Jacki Esposito, director of the IMPRINT Coalition and U.S. policy and advocacy at World Education Services (WES). “There is growing awareness of the need for reforms so that every immigrant and forcibly displaced person receives the recognition they deserve, can contribute their expertise, and meaningfully access economic opportunity.”

As IMPRINT concludes the #UntappedTalent campaign, the coalition is gearing up its work in 2023 to continue raising awareness about issues affecting internationally trained immigrants and refugees while advocating systemic reform.

The post Momentum for Reform: More than 130 Groups Call for a More Inclusive Economy appeared first on World Education Services.

Immigrants and refugees make up 17 percent of the U.S. labor force, and nearly half of those who have recently arrived hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. According to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), an estimated two million college-educated immigrants and refugees are unemployed or underemployed in the U.S. At least 60 percent of these individuals hold credentials from another country.

In order to support immigrants’ and refugees’ full inclusion in the U.S. workforce, policymakers must address barriers to economic mobility, including systemic factors like the lack of access to effective workforce development training, educational programs, English language learning, and limited recognition of credentials from abroad.

WES offers five policy priorities for 2023 that can serve as a roadmap for states interested in promoting economic inclusion:

• Priority 1: Expand pathways to licensure for internationally trained physicians, nurses, and workers in allied health care.
  

  Advancing opportunities for internationally trained immigrant and refugee health care workers would improve health outcomes and save lives. The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the U.S. will face a shortage of 37,800 to 124,000 physicians by 2034, as well as a critical nursing shortage through at least 2030. At the same time, 165,000 immigrants and refugees whose health credentials are underutilized in the local workforces likely obtained their education in another country. State policy efforts to address health care provider shortages should include reforming licensing laws, establishing career readiness programs, and forming work groups or commissions to explore barriers and identify policy recommendations.

• Priority 2: Promote the inclusion of immigrant and refugee teachers.
  

  As educator shortages deepen throughout the U.S., policies should bring more educators into the workforce and increase educator diversity. Nationwide, more than 100,000 immigrants and refugees with teaching degrees from another country are unemployed or working in jobs that are not commensurate with their training and experience. States should implement reforms that expand pathways to accommodate internationally trained educators and foster the professional development of immigrant and refugee teachers in local communities.

• Priority 3: Support communities that champion immigrants and refugees.
  

  Immigrants and refugees can contribute valuable education and experience to local workforces, but many states lack a central hub to facilitate the coordination of services, outreach to service providers, and development of policies aimed at promoting social, cultural, and economic inclusion. State Offices of New Americans (ONAs) are an effective way to foster state-level, cross-sector immigrant and refugee inclusion initiatives. Policymakers should establish state ONAs tasked with supporting immigrants and refugees, promoting economic opportunities, and ensuring access to programs such as English language learning courses.

• Priority 4: Invest in workforce development and adult education.

  In light of remarkable numbers of job openings and labor turnover, workforce investments are vital to country’s economic recovery. Yet workforce and adult education programs rarely consider the unique needs of immigrant and refugee workers. States should provide greater public investment in programs that support immigrant and refugee workforce inclusion and adult education.

• Priority 5: Make in-state tuition and financial assistance available to refugee and otherwise displaced students.

  In many states, displaced students who do not meet state residency requirements or who have temporary immigration status are not eligible for in-state tuition for higher education, and out-of-state tuition is often three times higher. Tuition equity laws that expand access to in-state tuition and financial assistance to refugees, asylees, asylum seekers, humanitarian parolees, Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) recipients, and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders upon their arrival in the U.S. are vital to ensuring the successful inclusion of displaced students in local communities and workforces.

States should prioritize the development of pathways for immigrants and refugees to achieve their education and career goals. Implementing policies that promote equity and economic mobility offers a promising way forward for states committed to addressing workforce shortages and building inclusive communities.

The post Advancing the Economic Inclusion of Immigrants and Refugees: State Policy Priorities for 2023 appeared first on World Education Services.

To better understand why this breakdown occurs, and more importantly, what can be done about it, World Education Services (WES) has seized the opportunity to not only conduct critical research on the matter, but to support the career development of these youth through an internship experience. Work-integrated-learning (WIL), when done well, accelerates school-to-work transitions by enabling access to meaningful work opportunities and career development support.

Last year, WES welcomed its first youth cohort to participate in what has come to be recognized as the WES Summer Experience Internship Program, a new WIL program specifically for youth of immigrant backgrounds including first- and second-generation immigrants, refugees, and international students. Having completed the second year of the program, WES is committed to learning how to make it a success for both the students and the projects they support.

The WES Summer Experience Internship Program is:

• A paid internship opportunity: Students are compensated for their time, work, and commitment. Unpaid placements often pose a significant barrier to youth who may be navigating their academic and emerging professional experiences without traditional safety nets.
• A meaningful, work-integrated learning model: WES interns don’t get the coffee. They are integrated as team members and make entry-level but real contributions to initiatives that impact the communities we support.
• An avenue for bridging theory and practice: Students are engaged in hands-on experiences and reflection; they are better able to connect knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world situations.
• A mentorship and support network: WES is committed to fostering an inclusive environment for learning and professional development (PD). “Wisdom Chats” are organized with senior leaders as well as with co-workers, during which interns identify and explore PD areas they want to learn more about. This approach gives students additional learning opportunities beyond their day-to-day work, and in turn, exposes the organization to new ideas and fresh approaches.

“At WES, we believe in providing opportunities that help people meet their educational and career goals,” said Beth Clarke, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships. “Working in a professional setting helps immigrant youth become job-ready by providing them with an on-the-job experience that builds their skills and confidence to begin their career journey. We are proud to share this work with others and hope it will inspire employers to create work-integrated learning opportunities in their own organizations.”

Here’s what our students have said about the program:

• Ani Gurtsishvili, Program Delivery, and Integration: Recent Bachelor of Science Graduate in Systems Analytics at York University

Getting started at WES, I was extremely excited to share and apply my expertise from working with immigrants and newcomers and had set goals for my internship. I wanted to initiate conversations about lived experiences, improve my presentation and public speaking skills and provide quantitative analysis on team projects. All my goals were achieved! Throughout my role, I was thrilled to learn about Salesforce and use this cloud-based software to improve the accessibility of shared data across different departments, and actively participated in and led Salesforce one-on-one meetings. Through effective communication and collaboration across various teams, I managed to input 79 new leads, 64 new contacts, 58 new organizations, 126 new tasks and events, modified over 120 pieces of information, and over 30 campaigns with contacts. I became a Salesforce Champion and provided firsthand Salesforce support to my fellow interns. Outside of Salesforce, I researched and worked on the WES Partner Referral Program logic and the Master Diagram. With the Agile approach and collaborative efforts, the diagram has been simplified to reflect the core processes. Key takeaways from the Summer Experience program include the power of effective communication and your life story being your career motivation.

• Gorad Muhumed, Global Talent Bridge: Fourth-Year Undergraduate Student in International Development and Program Management, University of Guelph

As an intern, I supported both the Global Talent Bridge and Strategy, Policy & Research teams by engaging in strategic partnership mapping initiatives and facilitating evaluation mechanisms across the team. With lived experience as a refugee student, I have always been passionate about humanitarian work related to immigration and settlement services, community development, and opening doors to education. Through my participation in the WES Summer Experience Program, I was able to apply my skills and build my network while gaining new experiences working in a different environment.  I plan to continue my efforts for systems change that will enable access to education for immigrant and refugee youth globally.

• Karen Kai Lun Wang, Employer Initiatives: Third-Year Dual-Degree Undergraduate Student in Applied Math and Computational Sciences at Duke University and Duke Kunshan University

My expectations going into this internship were underscored by the fact that this was my first time working a full-time job, and my first time being in an office or corporate environment. The reality of the internship was in line with my expectations, such as learning how to take concise notes and attending staff meetings. A pleasant surprise for me was that I had the opportunity to I expected. My goals were to learn about policy and government relations, especially as they relate to educational initiatives. I also wanted to develop my soft skills such as communication, professional writing, and time management. I appreciated the opportunity to work on various projects with my team, including identifying resources for the Employer Playbook, helping with the Moncton Playbook Launch event by designing breakout sessions, and editing social media tool kits. I enjoyed researching Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs) for phase two of the #ImmigrantsWork initiative, where I gained interesting insights into cities across Canada as well as learned more in-depth knowledge about immigration policy. My long-term goals for the future include working in the tech industry before pursuing graduate school in education policy and human-computer interaction, and I know that what I learned this summer at WES will help inform my choices for my future career.

• Sarah Klein, Knowledge Management and Mobilization: Master of Global Affairs Candidate at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto

I joined WES as the Knowledge Management & Mobilization Intern on Immigrant Solutions (GTB Canada). Through this role, I hoped to get out of my comfort zone, learn something new, and gain insight into what energizes me. The Summer Experience internship was incredibly valuable. I learned so much about WES’ work, both on the evaluation and social impact sides of the organization. It was my first time working in the non-profit/social enterprise sector, and I found it to be both engaging and rewarding. I was also able to gain exposure to program development, which is an area of work I might like to pursue after graduation. Throughout the summer I had the incredible opportunity of participating in the beginning stages of WES’ international student strategy development. I was able to conduct an environmental scan of Canada’s international student landscape, looking at trends and identifying gaps in the network of service providers, advocacy organizations, and provincial and federal policy. Following this extensive research project, I had the chance to present my findings in front of team members from both Canada and the U.S., including several members of the Senior Leadership Team. In addition to my work with international student strategy development, I conducted research related to knowledge management and mobilization, youth programming, and more. I was also able to help with WES’ social impact alignment process. As I look toward graduation in spring 2023, my time at WES will play an integral role in determining what career I plan to pursue, hopefully within the non-profit or humanitarian sector. Thank you, WES, and thank you to the people who have made my time here so meaningful!

• Shahene Patel, Managing Director’s Office: JD Candidate at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Toronto Metropolitan University

As the Data and Policy Analysis Intern in the Managing Director’s Office, I learned about current and emerging challenges facing employers and skilled immigrants entering the labour market. Working closely with the Managing Director of WES Canada, I had the opportunity to conduct environmental scans on the labour market and workforce development trends such as Express Entry reforms and the growing immigration backlog with the intention of influencing government policy. I hope to work in the labour and employment, immigration, or government/public law areas with a focus on advocating for those who may not be able to advocate for themselves.

WES welcomes organizations and companies interested in collaborating or learning more about innovative work integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for immigrant youth. To learn more, please contact Ousama Al Khatib, Manager, Youth Initiatives.

The post How WES Canada Supports Immigrant Youth in Building Their Careers appeared first on World Education Services.

EPIC previously received technical assistance through the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP), an initiative of WES Global Talent Bridge. Connecting with EPIC graduates was therefore a welcome opportunity for Mikaela. Encouraged by Genevieve Halkett, academic transitions instructor and program lead, EPIC program alumni—nervous and excited in equal parts—sat down with Mikaela to practice their English networking skills and to talk about their experiences. The group expressed gratitude for the opportunity the program offered them.

“I didn’t know how or where to begin my career journey, but my EPIC instructor helped me in every single step,” Vianey Mohr from Mexico voiced.

Several participants reported that they are now working in K-12 schools or pursuing other promising career pathways. The skills learned, connections made, and mentoring received not only led to increased English skills and better job prospects, but also offered hope for the future. Many of the program graduates arrived in the U.S. with extensive training and experience, but they were met with few work opportunities that offered a sustainable future.

Their testimony is supported by national data. In 2020, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) published a report, Leaving Money on the Table: The Persistence of Brain Waste among College-Educated Immigrants, and concluded that despite an aging U.S. population and rising job vacancies, strategic advances to tap into the talent of internationally trained immigrants have been few and far between. As a result, many internationally trained immigrants in the U.S. are unemployed or underemployed. Per an MPI policy fact sheet published in December 2022, “2 million college-educated immigrants in the United States worked in jobs that require no more than a high school degree or were unemployed as of 2019.” This number is further complicated by a lack of networks, mentor programs, and industry-specific English courses.

MPI recommends that the resulting underutilization of international (and U.S.-born) college graduates could be alleviated through greater investment in “bridge courses that efficiently fill gaps in workers’ prior schooling and experience, and the expansion of options to test occupational English in selected professions (e.g., nursing).”

Since oral and written English language proficiencies are major predictors of success for internationally trained immigrants and refugees (MPI, 2022), adult education programs, community colleges, and other non-governmental organizations are ideally positioned to make a difference by offering contextualized English courses. Unfortunately, most ESOL providers face funding and capacity challenges that make it difficult to initiate or maintain such courses.

Chemeketa Community College did not let these obstacles get in the way of developing a program that could make a unique contribution to the community in and around Salem, Oregon. Led by Genevieve Halkett, the wraparound program is open to all internationally trained immigrants and refugees residing in the Willamette Valley Region of Oregon.

Immigrants make up 9.9 percent of the state’s overall population, and according to a 2019 data report by New American Economy, they paid $4.2 billion in taxes that year, revenue that would be considerably higher if more internationally trained immigrants and refugees were hired at levels commensurate with their skills, experience, and education. While the largest share of immigrants in Oregon works in agricultural, landscaping, and hospitality jobs, high income earners are found in such occupations as engineering and software development.

Immigrants with teaching, health care, or other international training remain largely underemployed, despite the need for these occupations to be filled.

To help bridge this gap, the ESOL department at Chemeketa Community College decided in 2019 to allocate funds and local business support to start its first EPIC cohort of internationally trained immigrants and refugees.

During the program’s two 10-week terms, participants receive assistance with credential evaluations, employment and career mentoring, and an internship in their field, or they gain experience through the college’s Cooperative Work Experience (CWE) program. EPIC participants also receive high-level ESOL instruction and can take advantage of many of the other workforce programs at the college. Working with a few local businesses has allowed participants to practice their interviewing and networking skills. Mentors from local school districts provide insight to aspiring teachers in the program about the complexities of the U.S. school system. Since the completion of the first cohort, word of mouth has led to prospective student interest.

The program has made an impactful and lasting difference in the lives of its graduates. One alumna, a bilingual speaker, teacher, and assistant principal in her home country of Latvia, Irina Shirinkina secured a full-time position as a Special Education Instructional Assistant in the local school district. She is finally able to pursue her passion—teaching—and give back to her community in a meaningful way.

Another graduate, Modesta Ongweso, had earned a degree in commerce and worked in business development for more than 10 years in Nairobi, Kenya. When she arrived in the U.S., she worked at a meat processing factory and lacked the confidence to get a job that would utilize her skill set. She credits the mentoring, credential evaluation guidance, and interviewing skills training she received through EPIC with helping her land a job in her field. She now works as a Financing Support Officer for a local company.

Despite the success stories, limited resources for staff, outreach, and materials present barriers to the success of the program. “We need 30 students to continue … which is hard to achieve with limited capacity to market the program,” Genevieve explains. Limited resources and capacity also translate to limited opportunities for outreach to and engagement with business partners, who could potentially help to support the program through mentorships or financial means.

Despite the program’s uncertain future, Genevieve is grateful for the support she has received, particularly through the SIIP community, which offered technical assistance, help with structuring the program and finding potential funding resources, as well as a network of passionate program providers.

When asked how the SIIP program supported her in her role, Genevieve replied, “It was very helpful to hear from other program managers and to know that I am on the right track.”

Earlier last year, Genevieve was able to co-present with WES Global Talent Bridge at the National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE) conference in Portland, Oregon, promoting the program and calling attention to the educational and career needs of internationally trained immigrants.

The EPIC team continues to be committed to its students and hopes that more community partners will help spread the word that supporting internationally trained immigrants and refugees offers a win-win to individuals and the community.

Back in one of the ESOL classrooms at Chemeketa College, the program alumni continued to elaborate on their individual pathways and the opportunity the program has offered them. When asked what they would change about EPIC, the graduates unanimously came up with only one recommendation: “We wished more of us knew about this program.”

Learn more about this program and many more via the WES Global Talent Bridge U.S. Program Map, a directory of more than 100 programs and services that foster the economic and professional development of internationally trained immigrants and refugees in the U.S.

The post Spotlight on Salem: A Small Community College ESOL Program Leaving a Lasting Impact appeared first on World Education Services.

“Investing in immigrant and refugee inclusion is investing in the future of America.” —Eva Millona, Assistant Secretary for Partnership and Engagement at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Eva Millona, a panelist at the World Education Services (WES) Economic Inclusion Forum, captured the prevailing sentiment at this gathering of nationwide partners, immigrant and refugee advocates, policymakers, and organizations in Washington, D.C., in late October. The forum’s discussions and breakout sessions centered on the power of collaborative partnerships as well as the successes, opportunities, and challenges involved in making progress toward immigrant and refugee inclusion in the U.S. workforce. 

Esther Benjamin, CEO and Executive Director of WES, and Monica Munn, Managing Director for Social Impact at WES, also emphasized the overarching theme of partnership. As Esther noted: “We recognize that scalable change only happens when many partners work together.” 

Monica echoed this statement, asking: “How can we expand our impact and reach together?” She reminded attendees of their collective power to influence systems and change policies to accelerate immigrant and refugee economic inclusion. She identified five themes that anchored the day’s sessions: 

• Championing people-centered immigrant leadership initiatives to ensure holistic support and long-term success.  
• Considerations of supply and demand to obtain the resources necessary to bolster capacity. 
• Gaining access to more flexible funding. 
• The importance of nuance in describing immigrant and refugee experiences. “There is no one immigrant or refugee journey. We need to be nuanced in how we design and do our work and in how we partner.” 
• The capacity to effectively bridge from policy recommendations to implementation. 

The opening plenary, “Federal and State Policies Fostering the Economic Inclusion of Immigrants and Refugees,” featured a panel of practitioners and government officials who described in detail innovative programs, policies, and partnerships that champion economic inclusion.  

Following the session, attendees had the option of going into one of three breakout rooms. Below is a summary of the key points discussed in each breakout session: 

Engaging Employers in Workforce Inclusion Efforts

This session, moderated by WES’ Daniel Cervan-Gil, featured a panel with the following employers and practitioners: Emmanuel Owusu of the African Bridge Network, Rochelle Cooks of The Welcoming Center, Kimberly Cohen of Upwardly Global, and Anson Green of Tyson Foods. The panelists observed that employers do not consistently recognize the expertise (and often multilingualism) of immigrants and refugees within their workforce. Yet many employers care about DEI goals and retention. Providing clear, transparent career pathways for all workers can help employers capitalize on immigrant and U.S.-born talent alike. 

“The stakes are really high for employers,” said Anson Green, who oversees upskilling for frontline workers at Tyson Foods. “We need to do more to support employers to acclimate and grow workers within their systems.”

He added that employers often do not know how to engage with non–profit education and workforce providers, and that’s why it’s so important for them to have a dedicated person on staff “to work effectively with upskilling partners.” By partnering with immigrant workforce organizations, employers can also make strides toward achieving their DEI goals. 

Kimberly Cohen of Upwardly Global discussed the invisible barriers immigrant and refugee workers face from online applicant tracking systems (ATS) and human resources screening processes more broadly. If ATS don’t allow for international experience or credentials, job seekers are automatically screened out. 

Reducing the Barriers Faced by Internationally Trained Health Care Workers

This session, moderated by WES’ Fatima Sanz, covered state-level innovative workforce development efforts and policy initiatives that support the inclusion of internationally educated immigrants and refugees in the local health care workforce. The panelists—Illinois State Representative Theresa Mah, Mohamed Khalif of the Washington Academy for International Medical Graduates (WAIMG), Yende Anderson of the Minnesota Department of Health, and Mathew Mengesha of the Spring Institute—agreed that we must push to have existing pathways to licensure expanded, and that pursuing residency, a long and often costly process in the U.S., shouldn’t be the only option for internationally trained physicians. Therefore, advocates should focus on alternative pathways to licensure. 

Mohamed Khalif, Executive Director and Co-Founder of WAIMG, noted the importance of advocacy on behalf of this underemployed population, and of also educating employers, policymakers, and the public about the value of health care education obtained abroad. He observed: “We need to advocate for communities to not be underpaid because that devalues the license.” 

Yende Anderson, IMG Assistance Program Coordinator at the Minnesota Department of Health, emphasized the importance of providing culturally competent health care in the U.S., a gap often filled by internationally trained health care workers (who may also be multilingual). She explained that poor cultural competency in health care translates to higher costs for the patients affected and can result in increased medical errors, prolonged lengths of stay, avoidable hospitalizations, and over- and under-utilization of procedures. 

The Future of Refugee Economic Inclusion

This session, moderated by WES’ Nomzana Augustin, focused on forging innovative partnerships to support economic opportunities for new arrivals at the local, state, and national levels. Panelists included Ali Aljundi of Refugee Congress, Sarah Krause of the Community Sponsorship Hub, Karen Phillippi of the New Americans Office of Global Michigan, and Tiffany Jaramillo of Emily Griffith Technical College. They discussed how, through partnerships, their organizations and states have been able to quickly respond to emerging needs, leverage referral networks, and ensure more inclusive communities. 

Much of the session focused on the private sponsorship of refugees. Private sponsorship has had much success in Canada and is poised to launch as a pilot in the U.S. in the coming months. Panelists talked about the benefits and pitfalls of such an initiative. Sarah Krause, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Community Sponsorship Hub, noted the importance of bringing immigrants and refugees in “not only to advise but also to design programs.”  

Thanks to all who joined us at the WES Economic Inclusion Forum, which convened more than 150 advocacy organizations, coalitions, and programmatic and grant partners to learn together and collaborate on a shared agenda of advancing the economic, social, and workforce inclusion of refugees and immigrants.  

If you missed it, read a summary of the highlights and major themes from the SIIP Convening, held in conjunction with the WES Economic Inclusion Forum. 

The post The WES Economic Inclusion Forum: Building a Future for Immigrants and Refugees in the U.S. appeared first on World Education Services.

Historically, immigration has been the driver of population and labour growth in Canada. In the 2010s, immigrants accounted for 84 percent of growth in the total labour force. Today, we are almost 100 percent dependent on immigration for net labour force growth and by the 2040s immigration will be the sole driver of population growth.

In his newly released plan for immigration levels for the next three years, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced that Canada will admit close to 1.5 million permanent residents by 2025 to address demographic, economic, and regional needs. This is an all-time record for immigration, setting immigration levels at a rate of almost 1.2 percent of the population. The planned targets had been less or around 1 percent for the past three decades.

Changes to the selection of economic immigrants are underway to enable record levels of newcomers to swiftly meet the urgent needs of the economy. For the most part, however, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has provided only the broad strokes of the changes, leaving many questions unanswered.

This policy analysis provides an overview of the planned changes, raises questions for debate, and recommends strategies for devising an immigration system that is transparent and predictable while also promoting inclusive and commensurate labour market integration of immigrants.

There are planned changes in two key areas: (1) the Express Entry system and (2) pathways for persons with temporary status to secure permanent residency.

Upcoming Changes to the Express Entry System

Under the current Express Entry system, immigration candidates are given points based on factors such as their language competency in the two official languages, educational credentials, and work experience. Candidates are then ranked under a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), and those who rank highest receive an invitation to apply for permanent residency. Draws are usually conducted on a regular basis (about every two weeks). Each cycle includes newcomers whose score was above the cutoff number for that cycle. This system does not always result in a match between a newcomer’s skills and abilities and the pressing needs of the economy.

To respond to economic, demographic, and regional needs more effectively, Bill C-19 was drafted to amend the Immigration Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). The bill introduces major changes to the current Express Entry system. It became law on June 23, 2022.

As a result, the immigration minister now has greater authority to use a vehicle that operates outside of parliament. The minister can issue Ministerial Instructions to select candidates from the Express Entry pool who meet specific economic needs. A higher CRS score would not necessarily increase the likelihood of a candidate’s being invited to immigrate to Canada. Starting next spring, candidates who have specific skills or work experience will be prioritized.

The bill does not define which occupational categories will be featured. Minister Fraser will identify which occupational groups will be prioritized based on economic needs for each round of invitations. In one of his recent press conferences, Minister Fraser has signaled that building trades, health care, and the services sector will be targeted. These are also the sectors with the highest job vacancies.

The economic goal of each invitation round and the eligibility criteria will be published on the IRCC website. The minister will report to parliament annually on the outcomes of these targeted draws.

The targeted Express Entry draws are expected to begin by spring 2023.

Bill C-19 requires Minister Fraser to engage in public consultations with stakeholders to determine which occupations are most critical Canada’s economic goals. Stakeholders include provinces and territories, industries, unions, employers, workers, worker advocacy groups, settlement provider organizations, and immigration researchers and practitioners.

Public consultations started on November 28 and stakeholders can provide their comments by January 8, 2023. IRCC is seeking feedback and suggestions in four major areas: selecting candidates based on work experience in a particular occupation or sector, transitioning international student graduates to permanent residence, transitioning work permit holders to permanent residence, and selecting Francophone and bilingual candidates.

However, there is still scant information about how the economic goals will be formulated and whose interests will be prioritized. As seen in the past, consultations generally mobilize specific business interests. The goal of immigration policy has long shifted from nation-building to short-term economic needs. But apart from economic calculations, immigration goals should consider how commensurate employment would be achieved. Underutilization of immigrant talent has been a serious and long-standing problem. Many immigrants are not able to find work in the same sector and at the same level as that of their previous work experience. Without a concrete plan to address this problem, upcoming changes to the Express Entry draws and immigration levels may add more immigrants to a precarious labour market supply.

Upcoming Changes to Pathways to Permanent Residency for Those with Temporary Status

There are also plans to utilize the revamped Express Entry system to make the path from temporary to permanent residency easier.

The one-time Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence (TR to PR) Pathway offered in 2021 during the height of the pandemic will not be reinstated. This special program was developed so that different categories of migrant workers, frontline workers, and international graduates could transition to permanent resident status. Like other immigration pathways, TR to PR Pathway had a complex, time-consuming application process. Those without the technical skills, education, and competence to navigate the application portal were left with few options. Settlement organizations could not help them, because temporary status makes these individuals ineligible for such assistance.

Minister Fraser has indicated that a new approach to work permit holders will review the points awarded for Canadian work experience and education, and the government will consider holding draws targeting international graduates and work permit holders.

There are approximately 1 million international students and temporary work permit holders, a portion of whom could be eligible for permanent residence under the targeted draws.

Holding draws focused on individuals with temporary status could help to shift the language from “high skills” and “low skills” and to focus on “essential skills.” In the current system, workers in so-called “low-skilled” jobs are disproportionately racialized. These workers have a slim chance of receiving an invitation to permanent residency mainly because their education levels and language skills are not high enough to obtain competitive CRS scores. But as the pandemic has shown, these workers are essential to the economy and fulfill long-term needs in sectors with ongoing demand.

What Do These Changes Mean?

While the changes to the Express Entry system are both welcome and necessary, there are reasons to be concerned.

Transparency

Targeted draws can come at the cost of transparency. For example, what will be the frequency of the consultations? Who or what would determine the major labour market and regional needs? Would there be a representative and balanced committee formed to provide recommendations?

When the government make use of Ministerial Instructions the goal is to act swiftly, but the cost of swift action is little meaningful parliamentary or public oversight. The Council of the Canadian Bar Association notes that while “Ministerial Instructions can increase the speed with which the Minister can implement changes to the Canadian immigration system, [they] also decrease the system’s predictability and transparency.” Reporting to parliament on an annual basis after the fact reduces accountability. Critics call for the creation of an arms-length oversight mechanism that would scrutinize how IRCC is managing the Express Entry system and the immigration system generally.

Predictability

The existing Express Entry draws provide candidates with predictability regarding their likelihood of receiving an invitation to immigrate and how to increase their CSR points. This gives them the ability to plan for the long term. For example, a candidate may acquire additional educational credentials or may improve their language skills to increase their chances of being selected in one of the regular draws. The Ministerial Instructions changes reduce predictability and impact candidates’ ability to plan for the long term. Candidates are also unclear about whether details will be announced in advance, leaving them in the dark about possibly needing to adjust their migration plans.

Candidates need greater transparency and predictability than the IRCC is currently offering.

Underutilization and Access to the Labour Market

We know from existing research that immigrants face significant barriers to employment in Canada, including the devaluation of their educational credentials and experience, bias in favor of Canadian work experience rather than assessment of competencies, limited social capital, and overt and covert xenophobia and racism. For example, despite the health care workforce crisis, nearly half of internationally educated health care workers are either unemployed or employed in positions that do not make full use of their skills, education, and experience. Only one in five internationally trained engineers in Canada works in their field of training.

Immigrants, especially those who are racialized, are overrepresented in jobs with low educational requirements and pay despite possessing university credentials. The number of university-educated immigrants working in jobs requiring a university degree fell to 38 percent in 2016 from 46 percent in 2001, compared with 60 percent for Canadian-born workers, according to Statistics Canada.

There is a fundamental mismatch between the immigration policy, which assesses the value of an immigrant’s skills and experience, and the value that employers place on those skills.

Changes to the Express Entry system need to be coupled with concrete policies addressing the underutilization of immigrants’ skills and which strive for commensurate labour market integration. Without addressing the labour market integration needs of immigrants already here and planning for an additional 1.5 million to enter the labour market risks accelerating underutilization.

Although the government plans to make the transition of international graduates and work permit holders into permanent residency through targeted draws, these individuals are not eligible for IRCC-funded settlement and employment services. This ineligibility erects additional barriers to gaining valuable Canadian experience, which would enhance their chances of becoming a permanent resident and provide access to essential support for social integration. Also, the restricted eligibility criteria deprive this group of assistance to complete and submit their permanent residency application.

Recommendations

The recommendations below call on the government to develop an immigration system that is transparent, predictable, and responsive to the settlement needs of immigrants. Adapting an integrated approach that focuses not only on bringing immigrants to Canada but also on commensurate labour market integration can improve policy objectives and outcomes.

Create an accessible, transparent, and ongoing consultation process, and make a concerted effort to consider the interests of stakeholders representing different groups in the development and implementation of the groupings. Ensure that targeted draws are not only responsive to the needs and demands of business; instead, they should be guided by the principle of nation-building which includes the development of a strong economy, a nurturing society, and resilient, welcoming communities.

• Create an independent oversight body to monitor targeted draws and report to parliament.
• To increase the predictability for all stakeholders, including the candidates, release the targeted draw plans for each quarter in advance, and report on the profile of candidates in the Express Entry pool after each round of invitations (for example, the number of candidates with a particular NOC code).
• Improve access to timely, disaggregated labour market information and tools so that immigrants and businesses are able to make informed decisions about training and employment options.
• Collaborate with provincial or territorial governments and regulatory bodies to create pathways to ensure that immigrants who have regulated occupational experience can be quickly and effectively assessed and integrated into the labour market.
• Increase investments in newcomer-centred employment programs and allocate adequate funding for settlement services. Further, extend the eligibility of IRCC-funded settlement and employment services to international students, international graduates, and work permit holders.
• Communicate employment opportunities to new immigrants through enhanced pre-arrival information.
• Promote competency-based assessment and hiring practices among employers as critical keys to recognizing needed and available talent.
• Take concrete measures to address persistent and rising xenophobia and racism. Also, develop accountability measures and provide funding to community-based anti-racism and anti-hate initiatives.
• Conduct evaluations of the Express Entry system on set intervals to assess the effectiveness of the system in terms of immigrants’ labour market integration and the country’s economic needs.

Conclusion

The objectives of the targeted Express Entry draws cannot be fully achieved without creating a transparent and predictable implementation system, and without addressing the issue of underutilization of immigrant talent. Coupling targeted draws with these two measures will help immigrants thrive in Canada and help the country to meet its economic needs more effectively.

The post Will Just-in-Time Immigration Policy Changes Meet Canada’s Needs? appeared first on World Education Services.

“I’ve wanted to be a physician since I was two years old. What I always thought was to dedicate my skills to everyone, especially to the most vulnerable communities. I want to put in practice all my years working in Brazil, starting with my first year of medical school when I worked with sugar cane workers and other lower-income people,” said Dr. Tristan-Cheever. However, Dr. Tristan-Cheever’s credentials and international experience were not recognized when she relocated to Massachusetts in 2001. Prevented from practicing medicine, she worked several jobs—at a donut shop, a laundromat, a pizza shop, and as a house cleaner—to support her family. At the end of 2001, the now former clinician began a role as a secretary at a walk-in clinic in Lawrence, Massachusetts. This was the first in a series of jobs, including community health worker and medical interpreter, that helped her rejoin the health field.

Since relocating, Dr. Tristan-Cheever completed a master’s degree in public health at Northeastern University and now works as a clinical liaison with a health system in Boston. She is also finishing a doctoral degree in health education at the University of São Paulo in Brazil. She still hopes to resume her work as a surgeon. Yet without completing U.S. medical licensing exams and re-doing her residency in the U.S.—a process that costs tens of thousands of dollars and takes years to complete—her goal of practicing medicine in the U.S. remains out of reach.

“My American Dream is to again practice as a surgeon here. That goal has been with me at every moment since I arrived in this country more than two decades ago,” she said. “My knowledge and experience have not yet been recognized here, but I haven’t lost hope.”

Massachusetts Faces Critical Health Care Shortages

According to the Migration Policy Institute, Dr. Tristan-Cheever is one of 3,000 immigrants and refugees in Massachusetts who have health credentials from another country that are not fully utilized in the local workforce. At the same time, the state faces significant gaps in primary care, mental health, and dental staffing. Hundreds of thousands of residents in the state are medically underserved, with over 130 communities in Massachusetts having been designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

To ensure access to quality care for all patients, efforts to address health care provider shortages must also include policies that advance employment equity and inclusion. Studies have found that patient outcomes improve when health care systems reflect patients’ ethnic and racial background. Patient-provider concordance, or patients being treated by providers of the same skin color and culture, results in statistically significant improvements in patient treatment and recovery.

Internationally trained health workers are essential to expanding and improving medical services in underserved areas of Massachusetts, especially immigrant communities. However, systemic barriers, including limited recognition of international credentials under current state licensing laws, often impede their employment opportunities.

To address these issues, Massachusetts created the Foreign-Trained Medical Professionals Commission, which recently completed a nine-month study on licensing for internationally trained health workers. The interagency, cross-sector commission reviewed law and licensing regulations related to physicians, nurses, dentists, and physician assistants, as well as barriers facing internationally trained health professionals more broadly. The commission’s report, issued in July 2022, provides forward-looking recommendations to strengthen medical care in the state.

Groundbreaking Report Offers a Way Forward

The Foreign-Trained Medical Professionals Commission was established through legislation in 2019 to conduct a study and make recommendations to promote the inclusion of internationally trained health providers in the state’s workforce. Commission membership included IMPRINT Coalition member MIRA (Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition). Experts from WES and the Welcome Back Initiative also advised the commission.

The Commission’s report proposes short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations, including both administrative and legislative changes. Highlights include:

• Establishing an alternative pathway to full state licensure for internationally trained physicians and dentists through one to two years of mentored practice under a limited license followed by two to four years work in a medically underserved area
• Reducing the residency requirement for international medical graduates (IMGs) from three years to two, and establishing a state-supported program to facilitate IMG access to residencies
• Expanding English proficiency testing options for internationally trained nurses, and permitting the use of “superscoring,” in which a candidate may submit an aggregate test score comprising their best performance on each module of multiple test sittings
• Expanding the number of credential evaluation services accepted for nursing licensure
• Allowing licensure by endorsement of internationally trained nurses already licensed in other states without requiring them to repeat English proficiency testing or procure new credential evaluations

As a result of the report, the Massachusetts Board of Nursing has already added five new English proficiency testing options. Additional recommendations include improving available online licensing information, expanding the scope of and funding for the Boston Welcome Back Center at Bunker Hill Community College, and providing financial assistance for internationally trained health workers navigating the licensure process.

In making these recommendations, the report marks significant progress toward promoting workforce inclusion. The recommended changes will also help the state meet workforce needs and improve access to quality health care for all Massachusetts residents.

“Significantly, the commission’s recommendations would not just provide pathways to practice for qualified physicians, nurses, and dentists, but will also create incentives for practicing in underserved regions and populations of our state,” said Elizabeth Sweet, executive director at MIRA.

A Roadmap for Other States

Massachusetts is one of many states struggling to address health care provider shortages. Analysts predict that without changes to current nurse staffing systems, the United States will continue to face a critical nursing shortage through at least 2030. In addition, the U.S. can expect a shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians by 2034.

The trailblazing work of the Foreign-Trained Medical Professionals Commission offers a promising way forward for states interested in promoting equitable access to health care licensure. “The report serves as an excellent roadmap for Massachusetts and other states committed to addressing employment gaps and building inclusive, responsive health care systems,” said Jeff Gross, senior advisor at World Education Services.

“My passion is to work with the community,” Dr. Tristan-Cheever said. “I am an excellent doctor with a proven track record. If given the opportunity, I am ready to share my skills and experience with my community.” As Massachusetts begins to implement the report’s recommendations, Dr. Tristan-Cheever is optimistic that she—and thousands of internationally trained health workers like her—will serve patients once again.

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