Immigration Canada

Top 5 Barriers Skilled Immigrants Face and How to Overcome Them

by Sahra Togone

Over the past decade, American and Canadian job markets have experienced a shortage of skilled workers. Despite this, there are many barriers skilled immigrants face in Canada and the U.S. when it comes to finding jobs in their respective fields. Some of these challenges include encountering employers who are unfamiliar with international work experience and credentials, navigating the often complex trade and professional bodies, and facing employee discrimination and language barriers.

Here are five common barriers skilled immigrants face and how to overcome them:

Language and Communication

Although skilled immigrants have years of experience in their respective fields, most of them do not have experience working in the U.S. or Canada. Being unfamiliar with common workplace lingo and terminologies could slow down your career progress, but there are many ways to overcome this gap.

For example, enrolling at a local college for a course in medical terminology could help you enter that job market.

In addition to language and communication development, the process of highlighting your relevant skills and marketing yourself effectively is also important in getting hired. In Canada and the U.S., the art of “pitching” is having the ability to summarize who you are. This includes describing your professional background, your skills, and the relevant experience you have that makes you the perfect candidate for a position. Some skilled immigrants may not be used to the idea of self-promotion. The goal with “pitching” is to showcase how perfect you are for a role and your passion and enthusiasm for it.

Credential Recognition

As a skilled immigrant, you may be confident in your educational credentials, but they may not be recognized by Canadian and U.S. employers. When you are applying for jobs, employers may overlook your credentials simply because they are unfamiliar with the name of the education institution you graduated from. The best way to overcome this barrier is by getting a credential evaluation to determine the Canadian or U.S. equivalency of your degree. This will help employers recognize the legitimacy of your degree because it was evaluated by a reputable credential evaluation service such as World Education Services (WES).

Getting Licensed in a Regulated Profession

If you are a skilled worker in a regulated profession (for example, an accountant, nurse, or teacher), then it may be difficult to start working in the same role in a new country. This is because many professional regulatory bodies are decentralized and have different licensing requirements based on each province/territory and state. The process of relicensing in Canada and the U.S. is costly and time-consuming. It is important to do the necessary research and make preparations before applying for a role. If you find out you are unqualified in a regulated profession, you may consider starting a non-regulated job in your field first. This is also a great chance to use your relevant skills to gain experience working in a new country. Check out our related post to learn more about regulated and non-regulated professions.

Networking

For skilled immigrants in Canada and the U.S., language and cultural differences can make networking difficult. In general, the goal of networking is to meet individuals in your field who can provide tips and information that could potentially lead you to your next job. Lacking professional connections continues to be an obstacle for skilled immigrants who are new to Canada and the U.S.

As a solution, consider the options below:

Join a professional immigrant network in your city or region to expand your connections.
Network with other immigrants by sharing your experience in approaching new job markets.
Network online with professionals by setting up a well-designed and up-to-date profile on LinkedIn.

Lack of Local Experience/Discrimination

Many skilled immigrants in Canada find themselves being discriminated against by employers because they do not have work experience in Canada. It can be extremely frustrating because skilled immigrants feel that this requirement for every position to apply to is “disguised discrimination,” as a way to screen out newcomers from the hiring process.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) created a policy to ensure that a lack of work experience in Canada cannot stand as a barrier for newly arrived skilled immigrants in Ontario. Regardless of this legislation, employers still consider local experience as an important factor in the hiring process. If you do not have any work experience in Canada or the U.S., you can try volunteering and participate in different community programs to increase your networking and learning opportunities.

The most important thing to keep in mind is to not lose confidence. Always be on the lookout for training and networking opportunities, and know that there are many different services available to help you achieve your employment goals.

Source:https://www.wes.org/advisor-blog/barriers-skilled-immigrants-face-and-how-to-overcome-them/?utm_source=WESA_Blog_20180209&utm_medium=Website

Navigating Employment Services in Canada

by Jodi Tingling

If you are interested in building your career, making connections in your field, or even gaining work experience, taking advantage of the many free employment services available in Canada is a great way to start your journey. Employment services are offered by non-profit organizations, settlement agencies, and universities/colleges and they are focused on helping you meet your career goals.

Start thinking about your employment goals and what you may need help with. For example, do you need help with marketing yourself including building your résumé and developing your interview skills? Do you need someone to help you understand your career path and the next steps you need to take? What about how to tackle building your experience to develop your skills, or opportunities to build professional connections? The following sections discuss some ways that employment services can help you.

Pre-Arrival Programs

If you have not yet arrived in Canada, you may be able to access services before you even get here. These services can help you understand the steps you can take even before arriving. They often provide information about how settle in Canada, how to re-license in your field, how to effectively market your skills, and they may connect you to employers before you arrive. You can start by looking up pre-arrival services that would be useful for you. Not only will they help you prepare for what to expect in Canada but they may also provide you with an opportunity to create new networks.

Marketing Your Skills and Finding a Job

Most employment services offer help with marketing your skill set. Whether you need help with preparing your résumé or cover letter, strengthening your interview skills, developing your elevator pitch, or networking with people in your field, employment services offer this kind of support. A great tool to find employment and settlement services near you is by exploring immigrant-serving organizations. These organizations offer free services to help you start your career journey in Canada.

Once you have had help marketing your skills, you can seek additional support with your job search. Whether it’s researching the labour market, engaging in the application process, or following-up with employers, in Canada, there are employment services equipped with employment counsellors and job developers to help you. An employment counsellor is someone who helps you develop a career plan and provides resources and tools to help you meet your goals. A job developer works closely with employers to help develop employment opportunities for job seekers. Talk to your employment counsellor or job developer about the kind of opportunities you are looking for. For example, are you looking for opportunities that are short-term, long-term, specific to your field? Job search support is a great way to help you understand employer expectations as well as your role in the job search process.

Language-Specific Employment Training

If you are in a specific occupation and need to upgrade your English or French language skills, consider programs such as Occupation-Specific Language Training (OSLT). These programs are available to those who are new to the country and are residing in the province of Ontario. They offer language training that is geared toward a specific occupation; some examples of these occupations may include business, health sciences, technology, automotive trades, construction, and human services. These programs provide career planning, practical workplace communication tasks, and connections to resources including mentors and local employers. Also, consider enrolling in general language programs to help improve your language skills as well as your workplace communication skills. Improved language skills will be an asset to employers.

Bridging Programs

These programs offer a chance for internationally trained professionals to engage in skills training to land a job within their desired field. Bridging programs are in partnerships with colleges, universities, regulatory bodies, employers, and community organizations to provide skills training that is targeted and specific. They often have a classroom and workplace component to help with language training for the profession, preparation for certification or re-licensing, addressing any barriers to getting employed and hands-on experience in the workplace. Start by exploring Bridge Training Programs by sector.

Finding a Mentor

When starting to network in your profession, seeking a mentor is a great way to learn about your field in Canada. Organizations that specialize in mentorships can align you with a mentor that provides insider knowledge of the field you want to get into as well as coaching, advice, and connections to other professionals during your job search. Below are some organizations that can connect you with mentors in your field:

Employment services can be general or specific to your profession. It is important to consider your unique employment needs when researching employment services available to you. These services can provide the extra support you need to be successful in preparing yourself for employment opportunities.

Source: https://www.wes.org/advisor-blog/employment-services-canada/

English Proficiency: Mastering the CELPIP Test.

by Chris Koelbleitner

The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) is a multi-purpose English test that allows test takers to demonstrate their ability to function in English. The CELPIP has two versions: the CELPIP-General Test that measures four skills areas—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—and the CELPIP-General LS Test that measures only listening and speaking proficiency.

The CELPIP-General Test has been designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for use by individuals who are applying for permanent resident status in Canada. Other organizations, such as the Real Estate Council of British Columbia (REC BC) and the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC), also accept the test for membership to their organizations. All four skill components of the CELPIP-General Test are delivered by computer at three-hour test sittings that are held at CELPIP Test Centres located across Canada, and in select cities internationally.

The CELPIP-General LS Test has been approved by IRCC for use by individuals who are applying for Canadian citizenship. The Listening and Speaking components of this test are delivered by computer at one-hour test sittings that are held at CELPIP Test Centres across Canada.

Preparing for the CELPIP Test

For individuals preparing to take the CELPIP Test, Paragon Testing provides a variety of free and purchasable study materials. Free study materials for the CELPIP Test include:

Sample test: Available on the CELPIP website, the free sample test includes sample test questions and answers to help test takers understand what to expect on each component of the CELPIP Test.
Practice test: Available for free when test takers register for a CELPIP account, this is a complete practice test, covering each component of the CELPIP Test, including detailed answer keys for each section.
Webinars and workshops: Available online, a free CELPIP information session is hosted live each week, giving test takers an overview of the CELPIP Test components, as well as an informal question-and-answer session. In addition to information sessions, free workshops are held regularly to help test takers prepare for the Speaking component of the CELPIP Test. Recorded webinars and workshops are also available on the CELPIP YouTube page.

Purchasable study materials for the CELPIP Test include:

Study guides and practice tests: Available in the online store, online practice tests and study guides are available to help test takers prepare for the CELPIP Test. Each practice test includes a complete answer key as well as sample responses taken from actual CELPIP test takers. Study guides are available in ebook and print versions.
Online study programs: Online study programs, available in the online store, provide in-depth preparation for CELPIP test takers, and offer instructional videos, interactive quizzes, and extensive analyses of sample responses. Online study programs are suitable for test takers of all language abilities and are accessible on tablets and cellphones.
CELPIP Preparation Program: Offered in partnership with organizations across Canada and internationally, the CELPIP Preparation Program gives test takers personalized instruction from experienced instructors.

CELPIP Strategies for Success

Here are 10 tips to help you successfully prepare for the CELPIP Test:

Practice using a computer. The CELPIP Test is fully computer delivered, so ensure that you are comfortable with a mouse and keyboard. Practicing with CELPIP’s free online sample test and free online practice test are good ways to familiarize yourself with this format.
Remember that CELPIP is a test of general English proficiency. CELPIP assesses your ability to use English in everyday situations. It is not a test of business English or academic English. One of the best ways to prepare is just to get out and use English as much as possible in your daily life.
Use a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical structures. Try to show the range of your vocabulary in your writing and speaking. Avoid using the same words over and over again. You don’t need to memorize the dictionary—just use words that would be natural in daily life. Remember to use varied grammatical structures and construct sentences that differ in length and complexity.
Manage your time. The CELPIP Test is fully computer delivered, and you will see a timer on each screen, telling you how much time you have left for that section. Keeping an eye on these timers can help you gauge how to pace yourself throughout the test.
Check your work. If you have any time left over while completing the reading, listening, or writing components of the test, make sure to read over your answers and make sure that you have attempted to answer all questions as well as you can. In particular, try to spend a few minutes reviewing your writing, ensuring that you have no typos that could impact the clarity of your response.
Speak clearly and at a natural pace. Speak clearly into the microphone, which should be close to your lips but without touching them. It is natural to speak quickly when you are nervous—try to slow down and speak at a normal pace.
Do not worry about your accent. Our raters are trained to disregard accents. Unless your accent prevents you from being understood, do not focus on it. Instead, concentrate on using good grammar, accurate and varied vocabulary, and providing complete answers.
Take notes. While taking the CELPIP Test, you will be provided with notepaper and a pen. You may use these to take notes during any point in the test, though you may find it especially useful to outline some ideas for your speaking or writing responses. It is also a good idea to take notes about main ideas and specific details during the listening test.
Focus on what you know. You may come across some difficult words in a reading or listening passage. Do not get stuck worrying about words you do not understand. Focus on general meaning and the parts of the passage that you do understand. Sometimes it is possible to understand a new word based on your knowledge of the words that are around it.
Use a variety of reading strategies. You do not have to read every single word in a passage to successfully answer questions on the reading test; instead, use reading strategies, such as skimming and scanning. These may help you with some of the simpler questions, leaving more time to spend with the more difficult questions.

Source:https://www.wes.org/advisor-blog/english-proficiency-celpip-test/?utm_source=WESA_Job-Seeker_Newsletter_20180219&utm_medium=Email&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTTJReE1qQmhPV1ExT0RobCIsInQiOiJxK2ZmYW13dDBkc3VqXC9VbUV4b2Y3ak9GbDNjZVVyNU92bnlZZTRyT1ZtNGtRaXI2OFY3ZHErbUlSb0thbnB4OGVBakpHUzdlVk4wem9tNkFwb0FMYWlnaHdLZTh0eVRYWU1CcTduYzAxbGg2dnVlUllHQWV1XC9kXC81ZXlTNFN5dCJ9

Pathways to Canada for international students.

Demand from international students for education in Canada is growing and language providers have developed a wide range of pathway courses to help them transition into post-secondary institutions, says Gillian Evans.

"Getting a good score in a language gauging exam, such as TOEFL or IELTS is great, but it does not guarantee the student is capable of doing a presentation in public, writing a research paper, is aware of cultural norms, etc.," observes Dimitrios Papadakis, Director of International Partnerships at McKenzie College www.mckenzie.edu in Moncton, NB. "More and more students prefer pathways because they provide a clear, straightforward road-map into a university or college."

Demand for pathway programmes in Canada is growing in tandem with demand for post-secondary education from international students. And as Anthony Stille, Director of the English School of Canada www.esc-toronto.com in Toronto, ON, notes, there are lots of draws to a Canadian post-secondary education. "With a quality education, reasonable tuition, postgraduate work permit options and the possibility of becoming a Canadian citizen at the end of all the hard work, investing in a Canadian education [has] advantages. Currently, with the contrasting immigration policy in the USA, the appeal of a Canadian education has become even more significant."

Lucy How, Pathway Programmes Director at Oxford International North America, Eurocentres Canada & San Diego www.oxfordinternational.com, says pathways is "absolutely a growth sector", fuelled by the growing number of international students looking to complete either their undergraduate or graduate education in Canada. "Rather than applying directly to university from their home country students are realising the benefits of experiencing life in Canada for a period of time while gaining crucial language and academic skills."

To fulfil this growing demand for programmes that prepare international students for post-secondary education in Canada, many universities, colleges and language schools have created specific pathway courses. These courses go beyond just language learning, as Diana Mockute at ILAC www.ilac.com in Toronto, ON, points out. "What really makes ILAC's University Pathway Program so successful and different from a regular English course is the focus that is placed on essay writing and research building, academic reading, time management, critical thinking, as well as, note-taking strategies for academic lectures, sophisticated grammar, advanced vocabulary and high-level pronunciation techniques emphasised in improving speaking skills." Indeed, ILAC's Pathway certificate is accepted by many Canadian institutions in lieu of TOEFL or IELTS scores.

At the University of Saskatchewan Language Centre www.usask.ca in Saskatoon, SK, two types of academic pathway programmes are offered: the U-Prep, which teaches advanced English along with academic skills; and the Bridging programme, which as well as English language tuition, enables students to participate in a university undergraduate course in either Anthropology or Sociology, and earn undergraduate credits. "The main benefit of the Bridging approach is that it gives students a gradual introduction to the realities of academic study but with the benefit of integrated English instruction designed to support their work in meeting the requirements of the academic courses," explains Dale Yellowlees.

Like the University of Saskatchewan, the English Language Institute (ELI) at Renison University College www.uwaterloo.ca/renison/ in Waterloo, ON, offers a Bridge to Academic Success (BASE) programme that allows students to continue to learn English and obtain academic support while at the same time earn a credit in their subject area. Elizabeth Matthews, Assistant Director at the ELI, adds, "This programme focuses on integrating BASE students with other first-year students in their disciplines. The distinctive feature of this programme is that it fully immerses learners in the academic culture of the University of Waterloo."

Sheila Nunn, President and CEO of East Coast Language College (ECLC) www.eclccanada.com in Halifax, NS, highlights the importance of keeping their pathway course content relevant. "We are in close contact with our partner universities and colleges so have many discussions about whether our curriculum is meeting the current needs of the students when entering the post-secondary institutions. At ECLC, we also believe that a curriculum is a living thing - it's a bit like the Forth Bridge and is never finished! We are constantly doing internal reviews based on student, instructor, and partner feedback."

Student nationality trends in the pathway sector largely mirror those in the international undergraduate and postgraduate education sectors. Diana at ILAC reports, "As Vietnam broke into the list of top 10 countries sending students to Canada for the first time in 2016, ILAC witnessed a sudden jump in numbers of Vietnamese students enrolling at ILAC's University Pathway Program and becoming one of the top five countries in enrollment."

Looking at pathway student nationalities at Heartland International English School www.heartlandenglish.com in Winnipeg, MB, Jenni Danino reports that most are from China, Brazil, Ukraine, Vietnam and India, while Donna Daly, Vice President of Global Village Toronto www.gvenglish.com, cites their top nationalities as being Brazilian, Russian, Mexican and Colombian. gillian@studytravel.network