Collaborative Programs for Immigrant Employment
TRIEC Employer video
Frequently Asked Questions
About TRIEC
Where did the idea for the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council come from?
Why does the Toronto Region need an immigrant employment council?
What is the purpose of TRIEC?
What programs does TRIEC offer?
Does TRIEC have any other initiatives?
Which organizations does TRIEC partner with?
How is TRIEC organized?
How is TRIEC funded?
How has TRIEC's work benefited skilled immigrants and employers in the Toronto Region?
How has TRIEC worked with government to effectively bring skilled immigrants into the labour market?
What is being done by TRIEC, the government or other organizations to help skilled immigrants in regulated professions move through the licensing process more quickly?
Is TRIEC's work only focused on the Toronto Region?
Are there other immigrant employment initiatives across Canada that are similar to TRIEC? What is ALLIES?
How does TRIEC define a skilled immigrant?
About the issue
How have immigrants fared in the labour market?
What obstacles to employment do skilled immigrants face?
Do immigrants take jobs away from Canadians?
Why do immigrants need help to get a job? Isn't that preferential treatment?
How many immigrants settle in the Toronto Region?
Why is immigration so important to the Toronto Region?
What skills do immigrants bring?
How will the effective integration of skilled immigrants help to address current labour shortages in Canada?
Why should employers ensure that skilled immigrants are an integral part of the businesses they build?
Why are some employers not effectively bringing skilled immigrants onboard?
Research and resources
Where can I find research and statistics about immigrant employment in the Toronto Region and Canada?
Where can I find information on what the municipal, provincial and federal governments are doing on this issue?
Where can I find more information about what regulatory bodies are doing on this issue?
Where can I learn more about organizations that have successfully integrated skilled immigrants into their workforce?
Help for skilled immigrants and employers
Does TRIEC provide assistance and services directly to skilled immigrants?
As a skilled immigrant, where can I find help to find suitable employment in the Toronto Region?
As a skilled immigrant, how can I participate in TRIEC's programs?
As an employer with hiring needs, where can I find job-ready skilled immigrants?
As an employer, how I can I get involved with TRIEC's programs and partners?
About TRIEC
Where did the idea for the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council come from?
The genesis of the Council began in June 2002 with the Toronto City Summit, a conference of leaders representing the city's various sectors and communities. The Summit was held to assess the Toronto Region's strengths and challenges and shape future directions.
Following the summit, the Toronto City Summit Alliance (TCSA) was formed to address the challenges identified. Recognizing that the future success of the region is directly tied to its ability to take full advantage of immigrant skills, the TCSA recommended that a Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council be created to improve immigrant access to employment.
Prior to the TCSA's recommendation, immigrant employment had also been singled out as a particular focus for Maytree, a private charitable foundation committed to reducing poverty and inequality in Canada and to building strong civic communities. Maytree had put forward innovative ideas and groundbreaking research on how to better integrate skilled immigrants into the workforce - the creation of a multi-stakeholder "leadership council" was one of their recommendations.
Ultimately, Maytree was invited to be a part of the TCSA and both organizations worked toward local, practical solutions on this issue. In September 2003, TRIEC was launched as a joint initiative of the TCSA and Maytree.
For more information visit:
About TRIEC
The TRIEC Story
Why does the Toronto Region need an Immigrant Employment Council?
Research and experience have shown that the barriers making labour market access difficult for immigrants are systemic in nature and require systems-based solutions and coordinated approaches. TRIEC provides an opportunity to convene business, labour, educational institutions, community organizations, occupational regulatory bodies, and all levels of government to work on solutions together.
The Toronto Region's community and business leaders recognize that the future success of the region is tied to its ability to take full advantage of immigrant skills. Removing obstacles to immigrant employment requires a collaborative and coordinated approach from government, business and the community. TRIEC offers a unique and exciting opportunity to get all the players together and ensure that the Toronto Region realizes the benefit of immigration, and immigrants are able to realize their potential.
For more information visit:
Backgrounder - TRIEC
Fulfilling the Promise: Integrating Immigrant Skills into the Canadian Economy
What is the purpose of TRIEC?
TRIEC creates and champions solutions to better integrate skilled immigrants in the Greater Toronto Region labour market, while helping organizations benefit from the talents and skills immigrants bring with them to Canada.
TRIEC focuses on three objectives:
1. To convene and collaborate with partners, creating opportunities for skilled immigrants to connect to the local labour market.
2. To work with key stakeholders, particularly employers, building their awareness and capacity to better integrate skilled immigrants into the workforce.
3. To work with all levels of government, enhancing coordination and effecting more responsive policy and programs for skilled immigrant employment.
Since 2003, TRIEC has facilitated collaboration among a diverse group of stakeholders including employers, post-secondary institutions, employment service providers, community organizations, regulatory bodies and all three levels of government.
Through the development of a range of new initiatives designed and championed by its members, TRIEC offers a unique and exciting opportunity to build the capacity of stakeholders to work more effectively individually and collaboratively to integrate immigrants into the labour force.
While TRIEC does not deliver direct service to immigrants, TRIEC develops various programs in partnership with key organizations, agencies and corporate partners.
For more information visit:
About TRIEC
Backgrounder - TRIEC
What programs does TRIEC offer?
In partnership with various stakeholders, TRIEC engages employers and fosters cross-sector collaborations to deliver innovative programs that help to better include skilled immigrants in the labour market.
TRIEC programs and partnerships include:
- The Mentoring Partnership matches job-ready skilled immigrants with established professionals in a similar occupation. This program provides mentors with valuable professional development skills, while providing newcomers with knowledge and connections to succeed in the labour market.
- hireimmigrants.ca provides employers and HR professionals with interactive tools and resources to help organizations recruit, retain and promote skilled immigrants. Resources include employer case studies, weekly e-tips, downloadable workshops and tele-seminars.
- The Immigrant Success (IS) Awards recognize the "best employers" of skilled immigrants in the Toronto region. Awards are also presented to individuals who have helped skilled immigrants into the workforce.
- 20 Journeys tells the stories of immigrants who have contributed to the vibrancy of the Toronto Region, and celebrates their success and the programs and employers that have shared in their milestones. Stories are told through a photo-narrative exhibit shown as part of TRIEC's public awareness work.
For more information visit:
TRIEC Programs
Does TRIEC have any other initiatives?
Yes.
TRIEC's Intergovernmental Relations Committee (IGR) consists of representatives from all departments and ministries in all three levels of government that have an interest in the issue of immigrant employment. The committee meets regularly and looks at opportunities for collaboration and new mechanisms for funding and policy making.
TRIEC also manages on-going public awareness work to attract concentrated media attention and stimulate public interest around the issue of the effective employment for skilled immigrants in the Toronto Region. Strategic approaches include special events, exhibits, and print and television advertising.
For more information visit:
TRIEC 2008 Annual Review
TRIEC Programs
Intergovernmental Relations Committee (IGR)
Which organizations does TRIEC partner with?
TRIEC's work to improve the effective integration of skilled immigrants in the Toronto Region is only made possible through strategic partnerships. TRIEC collaborates with valuable stakeholders including all three levels of government, key organizations, corporate partners, agencies and employers.
For example, TRIEC continues to work closely with these organizations:
- The Career Edge Organization: A national internship organization that operates Career Bridge. Career Bridge is an innovative, paid internship program for internationally qualified professionals. Interns earn valuable Canadian work experience while employers gain access to new talent.
- World Education Services (WES): A credential assessment service that determines the Canadian equivalency of educational credentials obtained from any country in the world and attests to the authenticity of each certificate, diploma or degree.
- Skills International: A web-enabled, searchable database of skilled immigrant job seekers in Ontario. The database matches pre-screened, internationally trained individuals with employers who need their skills.
- Consortium of Agencies Serving Internationally-trained Persons (CASIP): An umbrella organization in the City of Toronto that includes eight community agencies that work collaboratively on employment and training services for internationally trained persons. Collectively, CASIP has been connecting skilled immigrant professionals with Canadian employers for over 60 years.
For more information visit:
TRIEC 2008 Annual Review
TRIEC Partners
How is TRIEC organized?
Gordon M. Nixon, president and CEO of RBC, serves as the chair of TRIEC.
Zabeen Hirji, chief human resources officer of RBC, is co-chair of TRIEC.
Manulife Financial's retired president and CEO, Dominic D'Alessandro, and executive vice-president, corporate affairs and human resources, Diane Bean, served as Founding Co-Chairs of TRIEC.
Ratna Omidvar, President of Maytree, is chair of TRIEC's board of directors.
Elizabeth McIsaac is Executive Director of TRIEC and oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization.
TRIEC is a multi-stakeholder council comprised of employers, labour, occupational regulatory bodies, post-secondary institutions, assessment service providers, community organizations, and all three levels of government.
A small secretariat runs the day-to-day operations of TRIEC's work, and programs all have their own staff.
For more information visit:
About TRIEC - Our Organization
About TRIEC - Council Members
About TRIEC - Leadership Messages
How is TRIEC funded?
Secretariat operating funds are provided by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Programs each have their own funding from various governments, foundations and corporate funders. TRIEC and its programs are also generously funded and supported by Maytree.
For more information visit:
About TRIEC - Funders and Sponsors
Maytree
How has TRIEC's work benefited skilled immigrants and employers in the Toronto Region?
TRIEC has helped skilled immigrants become more effectively and efficiently integrated into the labour market by developing new programs, new partnerships and new ways of working with key stakeholders. Through TRIEC's work, skilled immigrants have greater opportunities to use their skills, knowledge and education, which will contribute to a more vibrant regional economy.
Highlights
Since its inception, TRIEC programs has:
- Matched more than 5,000 skilled immigrants in Mentoring Partnership relationships with established professionals who share the same occupation
- Worked with employers of all sizes, across sectors, to help them better recruit, integrate and leverage skilled immigrant talent:
- 275,000 unique visitors have come to hireimmigrants.ca
- 11,000 users have viewed TRIEC's cultural competence videos
- 350 particicipants have attended TRIEC's How-To HR workshop
- 30 employers have joined Council
- 50 employers have joined The Mentoring Partnership
- Reached tens of thousands of people through public awareness work, helping to change perceptions on immigrant employment.
The Career Edge Organization, one of TRIEC's key partners, has also: placed over 1,300 immigrants in Career Bridge internships with over 350 host employers.
* All numbers as of June 2010.
For more information visit:
TRIEC 2008 Annual Review
TRIEC Programs
How has TRIEC worked with government to better integrate skilled immigrants into the labour market?
TRIEC's Intergovernmental Relations Committee (IGR) consists of representatives from all departments and ministries in all three levels of government that have an interest in the issue of immigrant employment. The committee meets regularly and looks at opportunities for collaboration and new mechanisms for funding and policy making.
For a list of IGR members, click here.
Highlights
The first ever Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement was signed in 2005. In 2006, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration held joint consultations across Ontario to get input on the implementation of the agreement.
In addition to participating in all stages of the consultations, TRIEC submitted the document To Employment: Services for Skilled Immigrants in the Toronto Region which follows the life cycle of skilled immigrants as they move toward labour market integration. The document is the result of the collaborative work of TRIEC's IGR committee, which undertook a mapping exercise to review the programs and services in Ontario, with a focus on the GTA, that support the labour market integration of skilled immigrants.
IGR continues to convene and identify opportunities for coordination and action on immigrant employment. It has established three key priorities:
- Monitor, evaluate and validate existing employer-related programs and services, as laid out in the mapping document: To Employment.
- Explore the idea of a qualifications passport of services for skilled immigrants.
- Look at the potential of alternative work experience programming (e.g. co-op).
For more information visit:
Intergovernmental Relations Committee (IGR)
To Employment: Services for Skilled Immigrants in the Toronto Region
What is being done by TRIEC, the government or other organizations to help skilled immigrants in regulated professions move through the licensing process more quickly?
The majority of TRIEC's work focuses on skilled immigrants in non-regulated professions. However, TRIEC meets regularly and maintains relationships with the various provincial regulatory bodies. TRIEC also consults with the provincial government on their work with regulatory bodies.
The Ontario government has introduced a number of measures to address immigrant employment issues within the regulated professions, including:
- Appointing Ontario's first-ever Fairness Commissioner to ensure regulatory bodies evaluate international credentials fairly and transparently.
- Creating Global Experience Ontario, a one-stop information and resource centre helping people navigate complex systems when entering regulated professions in Canada.
- Funding bridging programs that focus on skilled immigrants.
Many occupational regulatory bodies, voluntary professional associations and educational institutions offer initiatives to help skilled immigrants join the workforce more efficiently and effectively. Bridging programs for internationally-trained accountants, engineers, nurses, massage therapists, midwives, pharmacists, physicians, teachers and other professionals help skilled immigrants gain Canadian work experience, further their education, enhance their language skills and receive support throughout the licencing process.
There are 34 regulated professions in Ontario.
Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
Ontario Regulators for Access
Office of the Fairness Commissioner
Is TRIEC's work only focused on the Toronto Region?
TRIEC's goal is to assemble key players in the Toronto Region to find and implement local, practical solutions that lead to meaningful employment for skilled immigrants. Local solutions are important as each region has differing complexities and needs. Currently, TRIEC works with community and corporate partners in the City of Toronto and the regions of Halton, Peel and York.
TRIEC works with ALLIES (Assisting Local Leaders with Immigrant Employment Strategies), a program of Maytree, to help communities across Canada build their own local solutions, some based on the TRIEC model.
Click here to learn more about ALLIES, immigrant employment initiatives across Canada or to apply for a grant.
Are there immigrant employment initiatives across Canada that are similar to TRIEC? What is ALLIES?
Assisting Local Leaders with Immigrant Employment Strategies (ALLIES) is helping to create a national movement of locally engaged communities who are providing successful employment solutions for skilled immigrants.The project funds and supports communities in their efforts to adapt and implement successful approaches used by TRIEC and others.
ALLIES provides start-up, partnership and innovation grants to qualifying communities. ALLIES also supports the work of these communities by establishing a national hub for learning, discussion and information exchange. The project is a collaboration between the Maytree and J.W. McConnell Family Foundations.
ALLIES was launched in October 2007, as a result of The Learning Exchange Conference, organized by Maytree, with support from Citizenship and Immigration Canada and The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation. This two-day conference provided more than 130 participants from 18 city regions across Canada with the knowledge and competencies to create local movements that enable skilled immigrants to contribute meaningfully to their local economies. The second ALLIES Learning Exchange Conference was held in Vancouver in June 2009.
Click here to learn more about ALLIES, immigrant employment initiatives across Canada or to apply for a grant.
How does TRIEC define a skilled immigrant?
TRIEC defines skilled immigrants as individuals who have immigrated to Canada with international post-secondary education, professional credentials and/or work experience. Specifically, TRIEC's work focuses on those immigrants who do not have Canadian experience in their field.
ABOUT THE ISSUE
How have immigrants fared in the labour market?
Historically, immigrants have performed well in the labour market. Those arriving in the 1970s and 1980s caught up with their Canadian counterparts within ten years.
Immigrants arriving since the 1990s have not fared as well. Although they are the most highly educated cohort of immigrants to date - over 40 per cent have a university education - after ten years immigrant men who arrived in 1990 were earning only 79.8 per cent of the average for Canadian men, and immigrant women were earning 87.3 per cent of the average for Canadian women. Research also shows that four out of ten new immigrants are forced to make a downwardly mobile shift in their career once they arrive in Canada.
For more information visit:
Backgrounders: The issue
Resources
Key Immigration stats
20 Journeys
What obstacles to employment do skilled immigrants face?
Skilled immigrants may face the following barriers when trying to enter the labour force:
- Lack of recognition of international education, training, and experience;
- Insufficient information about employment opportunities and requirements;
- Lack of professional networks;
- Lack of occupation-specific terminology in English or French;
- Lack of targeted training programs to bridge gaps in qualifications; and,
- Difficulty obtaining Canadian work experience.
According to the Conference Board of Canada, the lack of recognizing the qualifications and experience of immigrants costs Canada $3.42 to $4.97-billion each year.
A study by RBC Financial Group offers additional figures: If immigrants had the same likelihood of employment at the same average income as people born in Canada, then personal income would be about $13 billion higher and there would be almost 400,000 extra workers.
For more information visit:
Backgrounders: The issue
Resources
20 Journeys
Do immigrants take jobs away from Canadians?
The Toronto Region is growing. It needs skilled immigrants to help fill vacant positions created as the economy expands and baby boomers retire. With an aging population and low fertility rates, we cannot count on our training systems to produce the numbers of skilled workers needed for the labour force. Many immigrants are highly skilled and therefore a valuable asset to Toronto Region employers.
By 2011 Canada's net labour force growth will be entirely dependent on immigrants. In the City of Toronto the labour force growth is already dependent on immigrants.
For more information visit:
Resources
Why do immigrants need help to get a job? Isn't that preferential treatment?
Skilled immigrants face obstacles to finding employment that Canadian-trained persons do not. Prospective employers may not want to hire someone who has an unfamiliar degree from an international university, who lacks experience in Canadian workplaces, or whose technical language skills need upgrading. Giving employers reliable information about equivalent academic degrees and giving skilled immigrants a chance to obtain Canadian experience and upgrade their skills are ways to remove obstacles so our economy can benefit from the skills that immigrants bring.
To learn about how TRIEC is working with skilled immigrants and employers, please visit:
Programs and Partners
How many immigrants settle in the Toronto Region?
The Toronto Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) is Canada's largest immigrant receiving centre, attracting about 40% of recent newcomers in the country. The Toronto CMA includes all of Toronto, Peel and York Census Division and parts of Durham and Halton.
According to the 2006 census, there are 447,900 settled in Toronto CMA which accounts for 45.7% of the population in the area.
The Toronto CMA is one of the "big three" destinations for newcomers ahead of Montreal and Vancouver. Immigrants come to these urban centres for various reasons; in Toronto, the second-most cited reason is job prospects.
More than two-thirds (68.5%) of newcomers to the City of Toronto are born in Asia and the Middle East. Top source countries include China, India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Other immigrant populations come from Europe, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.
Aside from the City of Toronto, large numbers of immigrants are settling in other local regions, for example:
- In Markham, 56.5% of the population is born outside of Canada
- In Mississauga, the proportion of newcomers increased from 46.8% to 51.6% in 2006
- Brampton's immigrant population grew by 59.5% between 2001 to 2006
For more information visit:
Key Immigration stats
Resources
Why is immigration so important to the Toronto Region?
The Toronto Region is growing. It needs skilled immigrants to help fill vacant positions created as the economy expands and baby boomers retire.
According to the 2006 census, more than one in 10 Canadian-born citizens are in the pre-retirement age bracket - ages 55 to 64. By contrast, only 4.1% of newcomers are in this older working-age group. On the older end of the spectrum, over half of the recent immigrants to Canada are in their prime working years - aged 25 to 54 - whereas only 42.3% of the Canadian-born population are in this age group.
With an aging population and low fertility rates, Canada cannot count on our training systems to produce the numbers of skilled workers needed for the labour force. Many immigrants are highly skilled and therefore a valuable asset to Toronto Region employers.
Skilled immigrants also bring abundant entrepreneurial talents and contribute to the competitive advantage offered by their diversity. With the important role of cities in the global economy, immigrants offer crucial insight into world markets.
For more information visit:
Resources
hireimmigrants.ca
What skills do immigrants bring?
Immigrants bring a wide range of skills, education and experience. In 2002, of 85,881 Toronto immigrants who were 15 years of age or older, 60 per cent came with post secondary education including (in descending order) bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, non-university diplomas, trade certificates, and doctorates.
Immigrants who are skilled tradespersons or are in regulated professionals require licensure or certification before they can practice in Ontario. A random survey of 643 Ontario immigrant professionals revealed 22 professions the individuals had practiced in their home countries including engineers, teachers, accountants, physicians, engineering technicians, nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory technicians, veterinarians, architects and lawyers (see The Facts Are In!, Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, 2002).
For more information visit:
Resources
hireimmigrants.ca
IS Awards
How will the effective integration of skilled immigrants help to address current labour shortages in Canada?
Skilled immigrants to Canada have expertise in almost all professions that are currently experiencing labour shortages.
In 2002, of 85,881 Toronto immigrants who were 15 years of age and oler, 60 per cent came with post secondary education including (in descending order) bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, non-university dimplomas, trade certificates, and doctorates.
According to the 2006 census, immigrants speak nearly 150 languages as their mother tongue and come to Canada from 200 countries. Over half of these immigrants are in their prime working years - aged 25 to 54 - whereas only 42.3% of the Canadian-born population are in this age group.
By integrating skilled immigrants into the labour market, Canada can effectively maximize the talent of these newcomers, reduce labour shortages and continue to strengthen and grow the economy.
Why should employers ensure that skilled immigrants are an integral part of the businesses they build?
For starters, consider these four important reasons:
- The Canadian-born workforce is shrinking and the demand for labour is growing.
- Skilled immigrants can help Canadian companies do business with the world.
- Skilled immigrants bring international expertise.
- The local market is changing and becoming more diverse.
For stories of employers that have brought skilled immigrants onboard, visit:
hireimmigrants.ca
IS Awards
Why are some employers not effectively bringing skilled immigrants onboard?
Employers may not effectively bring skilled immigrants onboard for the following reasons:
- Lack of familiarity with international credentials and experience
- Preference or requirement of Canadian work experience
- Concerns about language proficiency and lack of awareness about
- Canadian technical terminology and idioms
- Concerns about lack of understanding of Canadian culture and business norms
- Lack of access to skilled immigrant talent pools and local immigrant communities
For more information on how employers can address these challenges, access useful resouces and seize opportunities to bring skilled immigrants into the workforce, visit www.hireimmigrants.ca.
Resources
Research and Resources
Where can I find research and statistics about immigrant employment in the Toronto Region and Canada?
Stats Can
TRIEC resources page
Where can I find information on what the municipal, provincial and federal governments are doing on this issue?
Coming soon...
Where can I find more information about what regulatory bodies are doing on this issue?
Office of the Fairness Commissioner
Where can I learn more about organizations that have successfully integrated skilled immigrants into their workforce?
hireimmigrants.ca
IS Awards
Canada's Top 100 - Best Employers for New Canadians
HELP FOR SKILLED IMMIGRANTS AND EMPLOYERS
Does TRIEC provide assistance and services directly to skilled immigrants?
No, TRIEC does not work directly with skilled immigrants. In the Toronto Region there is a well developed and effective network of immigrant-serving community agencies. TRIEC works to bring employers and other stakeholders on board with its programs, and relies on community agencies to provide the services directly to their immigrant clients.
As a skilled immigrant, where can I get help to find suitable employment in the Toronto Region?
Many resources can be found through immigrant serving community agencies in the Toronto Region. A complete list of these organizations can be found on settlement.org. In the City of Toronto, skilled immigrants should contact CASIP (www.casip.ca), an umbrella organization in the City of Toronto that includes eight community agencies
Immigrants in one of the regulated professions should contact their professional association or regulatory body for more specific information. You may also wish to learn more about TRIEC's partners such as Career Edge Organization, which offers paid internships to skilled immigrants, or CAMP, a networking organization of internationally-trained professionals working communications, advertising and marketing.
For more information visit:
TRIEC Partners
TOP
As a skilled immigrant, how can I participate in TRIEC's programs?
You can contact your local immigrant serving community agency to find out about participating in one of TRIEC's programs. Potential mentees can also visit www.thementoringpartnership.com and click on ‘mentees'.
As an employer with hiring needs, where can I find job-ready skilled immigrants?
Skills International
CASIP Agencies
DiversityCareers.ca
As an employer, how I can I get involved with TRIEC's programs and partners?
You can contact TRIEC and speak to us about your interest.
