Forum of Labour Market Ministers Knowing and Growing: The Role of Labour Market Information in Advancing Economic Prosperity Diagnosing the Issues: Session 1 November 8, 2005 Halifax, Nova Scotia. Sandra Lopes Research Associate Public Policy Forum. Public Policy Forum. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Forum of Labour Market Ministers Forum of Labour Market Ministers Knowing and Growing: The Role of Knowing and Growing: The Role of Labour Market Information in Labour Market Information in Advancing Economic Prosperity Advancing Economic Prosperity Diagnosing the Issues: Session 1 Diagnosing the Issues: Session 1 November 8, 2005 November 8, 2005 Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax, Nova Scotia Sandra Lopes Sandra Lopes Research Associate Research Associate Public Policy Forum Public Policy Forum
Transcript
Forum of Labour Market MinistersForum of Labour Market MinistersKnowing and Growing: The Role of Knowing and Growing: The Role of
Labour Market Information in Labour Market Information in Advancing Economic ProsperityAdvancing Economic Prosperity
Diagnosing the Issues: Session 1Diagnosing the Issues: Session 1November 8, 2005November 8, 2005
Halifax, Nova ScotiaHalifax, Nova Scotia
Sandra LopesSandra Lopes
Research AssociateResearch Associate
Public Policy ForumPublic Policy Forum
Public Policy ForumPublic Policy Forum
• The Public Policy Forum is an The Public Policy Forum is an independent, not-for-profit independent, not-for-profit organization aimed at improving organization aimed at improving the quality of government in the quality of government in Canada through better dialogue Canada through better dialogue between the public, private and between the public, private and voluntary sectors. voluntary sectors.
ContextContext
• International mobility, demand for International mobility, demand for the highly skilledthe highly skilled
• Aging populationAging population• Outcomes of Recent ImmigrantsOutcomes of Recent Immigrants• Government announcement to Government announcement to
increase number of immigrantsincrease number of immigrants
PPF Research ProjectsPPF Research Projects
• Canadian Business Perspectives on Canadian Business Perspectives on the International Mobility of Skilled the International Mobility of Skilled LabourLabour
• Bringing Employers Into the Bringing Employers Into the Immigration Debate: Survey and Immigration Debate: Survey and RoundtableRoundtable
Canadian Business Canadian Business PerspectivesPerspectives
• ObjectivesObjectives• MethodologyMethodology• Who is affected?Who is affected?• Why are companies moving people?Why are companies moving people?• What problems do some companies What problems do some companies
encounter? encounter? • What do companies want?What do companies want?• SummarySummary
ObjectivesObjectives
To better understand from the employer’s To better understand from the employer’s point of view:point of view:
• the importance of labour mobility;the importance of labour mobility;• the motivations for moving people the motivations for moving people
across borders; andacross borders; and• the challenges to moving people.the challenges to moving people.
MethodologyMethodology
• telephone interviews with appropriate telephone interviews with appropriate managers at large companies and managers at large companies and industry associations operating in Canadaindustry associations operating in Canada
• Sectors represented include Financial, Sectors represented include Financial, Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing, Information Technology, Transportation, Information Technology, Transportation, and Educationand Education
• Companies and industry associations Companies and industry associations were reluctant to be interviewedwere reluctant to be interviewed
Who is affected?Who is affected?
• Do not move significant numbers of Do not move significant numbers of people (highest numbers in engineering people (highest numbers in engineering and information technology )and information technology )
• Much more likely to move executives Much more likely to move executives and those with highly specialized skillsand those with highly specialized skills
• Equally likely to recruit for both short Equally likely to recruit for both short and long term assignmentsand long term assignments
• Short term assignments not captured by Short term assignments not captured by HR dataHR data
Why are companies Why are companies moving people to Canada?moving people to Canada?
1)1) Require unique or specialized skills Require unique or specialized skills 2)2) Provide professional or personal development Provide professional or personal development 3)3) Transfer knowledge or skills to local staff Transfer knowledge or skills to local staff 4)4) Manage foreign operations Manage foreign operations 5)5) Integrate a newly acquired asset Integrate a newly acquired asset 6)6) Seek or affect an acquisition Seek or affect an acquisition 7)7) Provide services Provide services 8)8) Support research and development Support research and development 9)9) Support the sale of goods Support the sale of goods 10)10) Faster to move people than to hire locallyFaster to move people than to hire locally11)11) Reduce costs Reduce costs
What problems do some What problems do some companies encounter?companies encounter?
2)2) Family Issues Family Issues - Spousal Employment- Spousal Employment- Children- Children- Elderly Parents- Elderly Parents- Establishing Roots- Establishing Roots
3)3) Visas Visas 4)4) Professional Accreditation Professional Accreditation 5)5) Language Skills/Cultural Barriers Language Skills/Cultural Barriers 6)6) Employment Law Employment Law 7)7) Accommodation/Social Services Accommodation/Social Services
What do companies want?What do companies want?
• Simple and transparent legal Simple and transparent legal requirementsrequirements
• Negotiate tax treatiesNegotiate tax treaties• More flexibility to companies wishing to More flexibility to companies wishing to
recruit internationallyrecruit internationally
Summary ISummary I• Overall companies do not move many Overall companies do not move many
people, and do not face significant people, and do not face significant obstacles moving themobstacles moving them
• When companies do move people, they When companies do move people, they move management or those with very move management or those with very specialized skills for both short and specialized skills for both short and long-term assignmentslong-term assignments
Summary IISummary II
• Companies are motivated to move Companies are motivated to move people because they require specialized people because they require specialized skills, to transfer knowledge and to skills, to transfer knowledge and to provide professional or personal provide professional or personal developmentdevelopment
• Cost, spousal employment and family Cost, spousal employment and family obligations are the most significant obligations are the most significant obstacles to labour mobilityobstacles to labour mobility
Bringing Employers Into the Immigration Bringing Employers Into the Immigration Debate: Survey and RoundtableDebate: Survey and Roundtable
• Project ObjectivesProject Objectives• MethodologyMethodologyKey Positive FindingsKey Positive Findings::• Positive Attitudes towards immigrants and Positive Attitudes towards immigrants and
immigrationimmigration• Benefits to hiring immigrantsBenefits to hiring immigrantsBut:But:• Open to being involved in StrategiesOpen to being involved in Strategies• Overlook Immigrants in HROverlook Immigrants in HR• Face challenges hiring immigrants Face challenges hiring immigrants • Are not hiring immigrants at right levelAre not hiring immigrants at right level• Face challenges integrating immigrantsFace challenges integrating immigrants
Project ObjectivesProject Objectives
To determine the extent employers To determine the extent employers think recent immigrants:think recent immigrants:
• could fill their current or future could fill their current or future labour market needslabour market needs
• face challenges when they are hired face challenges when they are hired or integrated into the workforceor integrated into the workforce
To identify and share the policy To identify and share the policy implications.implications.
MethodologyMethodology
• Survey of 2091 employers across Survey of 2091 employers across the countrythe country
• Survey observations made by Survey observations made by province, company size and cityprovince, company size and city
• Focus groups in Toronto, Montreal, Focus groups in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and MonctonVancouver and Moncton
• Conference on November 4 to Conference on November 4 to discuss policy implicationsdiscuss policy implications
Key Positive FindingsKey Positive Findings
Employers:Employers:• have positive attitudes towards have positive attitudes towards
immigrants and immigrationimmigrants and immigration• see benefits to hiring immigrantssee benefits to hiring immigrants• open to being involved in open to being involved in
strategies to help integrate strategies to help integrate immigrants into the workforce.immigrants into the workforce.
Positive attitudes towards immigrants and Positive attitudes towards immigrants and immigrationimmigration
Benefits to Hiring ImmigrantsBenefits to Hiring Immigrants
Q.19a Have immigrant employees required any special training beyond what might be required by a Canadian-born employee? (Prior to July 9, wording was – Have employees who have been in Canada for less than ten years required any special training beyond what might be required by a Canadian-born employee?)Subsample: Those whose organization currently has immigrants as part of its labour force
August 2004Immigrant employees require special training?
Some do/some don’t
No, about the same asCanadian-born employees
Yes, somewhat different fromCanadian-born employees
Yes, much different fromCanadian-born employees
4
14
77
3
Benefits to Hiring ImmigrantsBenefits to Hiring Immigrants
Open to being involved in strategiesOpen to being involved in strategies
Open to being involved in Open to being involved in strategiesstrategies
Key Positive FindingsKey Positive Findings Supported by Focus Group ResultsSupported by Focus Group Results
• HardworkingHardworking• Good work attitude/respectfulGood work attitude/respectful• LoyalLoyal• Often highly skilledOften highly skilled• Create a more diverse workplaceCreate a more diverse workplace• New ideasNew ideas• Flexible – will work shifts that are hard to fillFlexible – will work shifts that are hard to fill• Will work for less money – initiallyWill work for less money – initially• Help to serve immigrant clients in their languageHelp to serve immigrant clients in their language
Key ChallengesKey Challenges
BUT Employers also:BUT Employers also:• overlook immigrants in human overlook immigrants in human
resource strategiesresource strategies• Face challenges when hiring Face challenges when hiring
immigrantsimmigrants• are not hiring immigrants at the are not hiring immigrants at the
level they were trainedlevel they were trained• face challenges integrating recent face challenges integrating recent
immigrants into their workforceimmigrants into their workforce
Overlook Immigrants in HR strategiesOverlook Immigrants in HR strategies
Overlook Immigrants in HR strategiesOverlook Immigrants in HR strategies
Overlook Immigrants in HR strategiesOverlook Immigrants in HR strategies
Overlook Immigrants in HR strategiesOverlook Immigrants in HR strategies
Q.11 From what you have seen or heard, what do you think are the main difficulties that immigrants face during the following phases of the job hunting process … the initial application phase, prior to getting an interview … getting called in for an initial interview … getting called back for a second interview or a job offer?Note: Respondents were previously instructed to always think of someone who has lived in Canada for ten years or less when they hear the term “immigrant.”
Face Challenges When Hiring ImmigrantsFace Challenges When Hiring Immigrants
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
InitialApplication
Inteview Job Offer
Language/ Communications Difficulties
No DifficultiesDifferent thanCanadian Born
Q.6a Thinking about the unique needs of your organization, which of the following best describes the requirement for potential employment with your organization? (Prior to July 9, wording was – Thinking about the unique needs of your organization, which of the following best describes the prerequisite for potential employment with your organization?)
August 2004Canadian work experience
dk/na
Depends on experience
Depends on requirementof position
Work experience from othercountries accepted, not necessarily
considered equal to Cdn. work
Cdn. work experience required
Work experience from othercountries equal to Cdn. work
39
25
25
6
3
3
Reported requirements regarding
Do not hire immigrants at their level of trainingDo not hire immigrants at their level of training
Do not hire immigrants at their level of trainingDo not hire immigrants at their level of training
Do not hire immigrants at their level of trainingDo not hire immigrants at their level of training
Face Challenges Integrating Immigrants into the Face Challenges Integrating Immigrants into the WorkforceWorkforce
Key ChallengesKey Challenges Supported by Focus Groups Results Supported by Focus Groups Results
• Harder to assess skills/qualificationsHarder to assess skills/qualifications• Language, language, language! (Comprehension, Language, language, language! (Comprehension,
writing, comprehensibility)writing, comprehensibility)• Lack of experience with Canadian work Lack of experience with Canadian work
culture/business etiquetteculture/business etiquette• Temporary: want to go to other larger Canadian Temporary: want to go to other larger Canadian
cities (Moncton)cities (Moncton)• Frustration with being overqualified for their jobsFrustration with being overqualified for their jobs• Cultural differences/misunderstanding: holidays, Cultural differences/misunderstanding: holidays,
language, way of dressing themselves, religionlanguage, way of dressing themselves, religion• Harder to integrate to working teams Harder to integrate to working teams
Key FindingsKey Findings
Employers:Employers:• have positive attitudes towards have positive attitudes towards
immigrants and immigrationimmigrants and immigration• see benefits to hiring immigrantssee benefits to hiring immigrants• open to being involved in open to being involved in
strategies to help integrate strategies to help integrate immigrants into the workforce.immigrants into the workforce.
Key FindingsKey Findings
BUT Employers also:BUT Employers also:• overlook immigrants in human overlook immigrants in human
resource strategiesresource strategies• Face challenges when hiring Face challenges when hiring
immigrantsimmigrants• are not hiring immigrants at the are not hiring immigrants at the
level they were trainedlevel they were trained• face challenges integrating recent face challenges integrating recent
immigrants into their workforceimmigrants into their workforce
Conclusions/ImplicationsConclusions/Implications
1. Employers need to be engaged1. Employers need to be engaged..• Defining labour market needsDefining labour market needs• Helping to prepare communities for Helping to prepare communities for
integrationintegration
Conclusions/ImplicationsConclusions/Implications
2. 2. Employers should be encouraged to Employers should be encouraged to develop develop HR strategies which HR strategies which considers immigrants and mobility.considers immigrants and mobility.
• Recognition of looming challenges and Recognition of looming challenges and importance of migrationimportance of migration
• More information on immigrants’ skillsMore information on immigrants’ skills
Conclusions/ImplicationsConclusions/Implications
3. Help should be provided to 3. Help should be provided to employers and immigrants to help employers and immigrants to help address challenges and issuesaddress challenges and issues• Highly-Skilled employer-led migrationHighly-Skilled employer-led migration• Language Training (Occupation Language Training (Occupation
Specific)Specific)• Credential RecognitionCredential Recognition• Cultural UnderstandingCultural Understanding
Future Research Issues Future Research Issues and Challengesand Challenges
Public Sector EmployersPublic Sector Employers Reaching Small BusinessReaching Small Business Smaller communitiesSmaller communities
For the research reports:For the research reports:
