Skilled Immigrants Bring Innovative and International Expertise
Challenge
The Canadian economy is facing a shrinking workforce and employers with an increased demand for productivity and labour need to understand how skilled immigrants can meet their workforce needs.
- According to a 2007 Xerox Research Centre of Canada study, 96 per cent of Canadians said they seek the advice of those with a different background when solving business problems and 83 per cent agreed with the statement that "interacting with others from different ethnic backgrounds is enriching."
- And yet, 53 per cent of those polled said their company's work force has not become more diverse over the past five years. That said, the increases in diversity tended to be in larger companies.
- Also consider that Canadian-born workers are being courted globally in a variety of disciplines, which contributes to Canadian employers being faced with a shortage of highly educated and skilled applicants.
- Further, talented immigrants who come to Canada, but cannot find work at the appropriate level in the field in which they were trained, are leaving Canada for opportunities elsewhere. A recent Statistics Canada survey found that: one in six young male immigrants to Canada leaves the country within the first year of his arrival. For those entering Canada in the crucial skilled-worker and business class, 40 per cent moved on within the first 10 years.
Opportunity
In 2002, 46% (81,986) of all immigrants to Canada had at least one post-secondary degree, while the Canadian average was 22%.
Over the next 10 years, more than two thirds of the 1.7 million new non-student jobs created (69.2%) are expected to be in occupations usually requiring postsecondary education (university or college) or in management. In 2005, approximately 60% of all non-student workers had jobs in these categories.
Expansion Demand by Skill Level, 2006-2015
| National Occupational Category |
Non-student employment (000s) |
Growth (AAGR1) |
Change (000s) |
Share of change |
| 2005 |
2015 |
2006-2015 |
| Total |
14,566.8 |
16,263.8 |
1.1% |
1,697.0 |
100.0% |
| Skill level2 |
| Management |
1,376.7 |
1,547.0 |
1.2% |
170.3 |
10.0% |
| Occupations usually requiring: |
| university education |
2,525.8 |
2,971.2 |
1.6% |
445.4 |
26.2% |
| college education or apprenticeship training |
4,843.2 |
5,402.6 |
1.1% |
559.4 |
33.0% |
| high school diploma |
4,353.3 |
4,778.2 |
0.9% |
424.9 |
25.0% |
| only on-the-job training |
1,467.5 |
1,564.8 |
0.6% |
97.3 |
5.7% |
Source: HRSDC - SPRD, Labour Market and Skills Forecasting and Analysis, 2006 Reference Scenario.
1AAGR: average annual growth rate.
2Skill levels are based on the 2001 NOC Matrix, in which occupations are grouped according to the education level and training normally required. |
Skilled immigrants may possess talents or accreditation in a variety of fields. Employers will benefit from understanding their international credentials and conducting workforce planning that emphasizes the quality of an immigrant's abilities.
Immigration by Level of Education - 15 Years of Age or Older (Principal Applicants and Dependants) Source: Facts and Figures 2002, Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
