Caveman Posted February 1, 2005 Make better use of immigrants' skills think-tank: Underutilizing newcomers' abilities costs economy $2 billion a year: study Tuesday, February 01, 2005 Canada must act to fully utilize immigrants' skills and education, an economic think-tank says, adding that market forces alone won't solve problems that have both financial and social costs. "The employment prospects of new immigrants relative to those of native-born Canadians are worsening, even as immigrants' educational qualifications have improved," University of Toronto professor Jeffrey Reitz says in a study released yesterday by the Institute for Research on Public Policy in Montreal. Foreign-educated immigrants earn $2.4 billion a year less than native-born Canadians with comparable skills, because they work in occupations below their skill levels, it says. The cost to the Canadian economy of that underutilization of immigrants' skills is about $2 billion a year, it adds. One key reason for the large gap in earnings is that immigrants who do gain access to professional fields often hit a glass ceiling preventing them from promotion to senior management, the study says. The earnings disadvantages of highly educated immigrants in occupations outside the professional fields are even larger than those within it. For example, the net earnings of immigrant men with bachelors or post-graduate degrees in occupations outside the knowledge sector is anywhere from a quarter to a third less than native-born Canadians with similar education. However, the costs of not utilizing immigrants' skills and education go beyond money and threaten the social fabric of the country, the study says. Social problems that could emerge include increased demands on the social safety net, more widespread public perception of immigrants as a liability, and political reaction on the part of immigrants themselves, it says. These are problems that will not go away, and will potentially worsen, if action to resolve them is not taken, according to the study, which proposes: - More information on Canada and its job market, including credential assessment services, and regulated trades and professions, be provided before and after immigrants arrive. - More support for those who assess immigrants' skills and credentials, and employers and immigrants be made more aware of such services. - Subsidize internships and mentoring programs for immigrants. - Ethnic diversity issues be included in human resources management training. - Recognize best practices among employers in hiring or integrating immigrants. - Implement bridge-training programs to top-up immigrants' skills and to fill occupational gaps. - Improve society's sensitivity to racial diversity issues. "In effect, Canada needs a new immigration strategy," it concludes. Eric Beauchesne The Ottawa Citizen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
