New research shows skilled immigrants help companies grow globally and locally

By Canada NewsWire  | May 17, 2011

ORONTO, May 17 /CNW/ - New numbers back up the business case for hiring skilled immigrants. TRIEC engaged EKOS to survey employers about their hiring practices of newcomers. According to the results, one in five employers has hired a skilled immigrant to help them expand globally and locally, and feels that employees with international education and experience are effective in helping them meet their business goals.

Among the key research findings:

• Almost 1 in 5 have hired a skilled immigrant:
• To help diversify their company's client base globally; and of these, 93% feel the skilled immigrants hired have been effective on helping on this front
• To target local cultural communities to find new business opportunities; and of these, 83% feel the skilled immigrants hired have been effective in helping on this front
• 1 in 10 have hired a skilled immigrant because they discovered that competitors were benefiting from hiring skilled immigrants -
• of those employers, 81% feel the skilled immigrants hired have been effective

"This research confirms that hiring immigrants to expand into local and global markets can be an effective business strategy for employers," says Elizabeth McIsaac, TRIEC's executive director. "We know there is a strong business case for employing skilled immigrants and these findings prove it."

Companies that are already reaping the benefits

Phoenix Geophysics
Phoenix Geophysics Limited, a geophysical manufacturing and contracting company, sells to over 80 countries in the world. Half of the company's business is in China and another 20 per cent is in Russia. Phoenix hires "market makers," skilled immigrants who can help the company open up new opportunities in their home countries. The company boasts 51 employees from 20 countries who speak 15 languages.

George Kelk
For George Kelk, a producer of sensors for steel rolling mills, 99 per cent of sales are international. More than 80 per cent of employees are immigrants, hired in engineering, technology and sales roles. Customers can call and expect to speak to someone who knows their language. With a retention rate of 98 per cent, it's obvious that immigrant employees feel their skills are put to good use.

Thales Canada 
In Thales Canada's Toronto office, staff build "brains for trains" - technology that allows trains to run without operators. With 90 per cent of its business in the global marketplace, Thales systematically targets and cultivates internationally trained professionals to ensure its position as a leader in transportation systems worldwide. The company stands apart for its 95 per cent retention rate.

Questrade
Questrade has been ranked as Canada's fastest growing online brokerage. When half of the employees are immigrants, it's clear that the company's rapid success is tied to its skilled immigrant advantage. The majority of Questrade's work is in e-development and innovation, and the majority of the technology team is comprised of visible minorities or immigrants - or both. Staff collectively speak more than 35 languages and have grown most of their business within local immigrant communities.

Samtack
With over 90 per cent of its 100-plus workforce comprised of immigrants, this computer manufacturing and distribution company has leveraged skilled immigrant talent to respond to changing needs of mass merchant customers; to increase market share with smaller, local and diverse retailers; and to purchase parts from overseas suppliers, mainly from China.

About the research
EKOS surveyed 461 employers in the Greater Toronto Area. There was a fairly even split between large and small businesses. Close to 40 per cent of businesses polled had over 100 staff, with 30 per cent having between one and four; close to 30 per cent employed between five and 100 staff. All respondents were either employed full-time or self-employed (and employed at least another employee), and had either primary or shared responsibility for hiring.

Of the employers polled, close to 60 per cent were private; close to 30 per cent were public; and just over 10 per cent were non-government organizations. The employers represented a broad range of sectors. The biggest portion of employers, at 15 per cent, was from the professional, scientific and technical services sector. Another 12 per cent were from the finance and insurance, real estate and renting and leasing sectors.

About TRIEC
TRIEC creates and champions solutions to better integrate skilled immigrants in the Greater
Toronto Region labour market. For more information visit www.triec.ca.

New tool helps construction connect with immigrant workers

OTTAWA, May 16 /CNW/ - As the traditional construction workforce shrinks, new resources such as the Construction Employer's Roadmap from the Construction Sector Council (CSC) can help industry leaders connect with immigrant workers to meet growing labour needs.

"The industry is growing steadily, but over the next decade, construction will lose a quarter of its workforce thanks to retirements," says CSC Executive Director George Gritziotis, pointing to the organization's latest Construction Looking Forward forecast reports.

"Though a growing labour pool of skilled immigrant workers are available to help replenish the workforce, recruiting and retaining these workers is sometimes a challenge for employers," he says.

Among other things, the new guide book is geared to helping employers and others involved in human resources management navigate government programs, assess foreign credentials, and help immigrant workers put their best foot forward when seeking opportunities to work in construction.

A Construction Employer's Roadmap provides employers with information on the role of employment agencies and immigration consultants, and provides an overview of Canada's immigration programs and the different paths open to permanent residents, temporary residents and workers outside of Canada. The roadmap offers advice on how to assess experience obtained in other countries, make job offers, develop orientation programs and retain workers.

Funded by the Foreign Credential Referral Office of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the booklet is available in hard copy and electronically with hyperlinks to other useful resources and websites.

"The Government of Canada is proud to support the work of the Construction Sector Council, as we know that within the next few years, most of Canada's labour force growth will come from immigration," saidJason Kenney, Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Multiculturalism. "Attracting and retaining the best international talent to address existing and future labour market challenges is critical to our economic success."

"Immigrant workers can bring many benefits to the industry," says Gritziotis, "such as the ability to speak different languages, a knowledge of new cultures, and a network of connections − all of which can help employers to compete in new markets.

"With the proper tools to help them integrate, they will sustain one of Canada's leading industries well into the future."

The CSC is a national industry/government partnership funded by the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program. For more information on these and other CSC products and services, visit www.csc-ca.org.