“Teaching Somebody to Fish”: Implications for Immigrant-Serving Organizations and Employment in Edmonton and Winnipeg

Abstract

Provincial governments increasingly develop strategies that attract immigrants to settle in the Prairie Provinces. Although considerable research examines the role of settlement services in larger cities such as Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, there is less information regarding mid-sized cities. Increasingly, newcomers are moving to Manitoba and Alberta due to real or perceived economic opportunities. Unfortunately, some immigrants experience difficulties during their settlement process, and their varied needs create challenges for immigrant-serving organizations as they develop programs. This study explores how philosophies of empowerment influence service providers and their programs for working with professional newcomers searching for meaningful employment. Semi-structured interviews with 21 service providers in Edmonton and Winnipeg illustrate how tensions between competing notions of empowerment and neoliberal ideologies interact to guide how service providers assist immigrants. Although empowerment is a goal of service provision, limited funding and resources may constrain the advocacy role of organizations. Les gouvernements provinciaux développent de plus en plus des stratégies qui attirent les immigrants à s’installer dans les provinces des prairies. Bien que d’importantes recherches examinent le rôle des services d’établissement dans métropoles comme Toronto, Montréal et Vancouver, il y a moins d’informations concernant les villes moyennes. De plus en plus, les nouveaux arrivants déménagent pour le Manitoba et l’Alberta en raison des opportunités économiques réelles et perçues. Malheureusement, certains immigrants rencontrent des difficultés au cours de leur processus d’intégration, et leurs besoins divers constituent un véritable défi pour les organismes d’aide aux immigrants dans l’élaboration de leurs programmes. Cette étude vise à explorer comment les philosophies d’autonomisation influencent les pourvoyeurs de service ainsi que leurs programmes dans leur travail avec les nouveaux arrivants qualifiés pour la recherche d’emplois significatifs. Les entrevues réalisées auprès de 21 pourvoyeurs de services semi-structurés à Edmonton et à Winnipeg illustrent les rivalités entre les notions d’autonomisation et les idéologies néolibérales qui interagissent pour orienter les pourvoyeurs de services afin qu’ils assistent mieux les immigrants. Bien que l’autonomisation soit l’objectif de ces prestations des services, les financements et ressources limités pourraient restreindre le rôle de plaidoyer des organismes.

From Independence to dependence: Experiences of Syrian refugees

“…Once in Canada, however, the men were unable to reconstruct their identities as hard‐working, employed providers. They sought to work or even to volunteer in transitional or entry‐level positions in their areas of training and experience as a bridge to meaningful employment (Thomas, 2015). A national study indicated that Syrian employment rates were lower than that of refugees from other countries and none of our participants had found work a year after arrival (IRCC, 2019).…”

“…Additionally, many newcomers understandably feel pressured to secure employment before the cession of their governmental income support (Senthanar et al, 2020). Newcomers are frequently told that “Canadian experience” is a condition for employment, yet they struggle to obtain this work experience due to language barriers, devaluing of their home country credentials and experience, discriminatory reference check practices, lack of Canadian references, the loss of their social networks, different workplace norms, racism and discrimination (George & Chaze, 2014; Hanley et al, 2018; Kosny et al, 2019; Krahn et al, 2000; Schellenberg & Maheux, 2007; Thomas, 2015). These factors may explain why refugees have higher rates of unemployment (Wilkinson & Garcea, 2017) and, if employed, frequently work in precarious, demanding and low‐paying positions (Kosney et al, 2019; Kumar Agrawal, 2019; Senthanar et al, 2020).…”

A few “big players”: Systems approach to immigrant employment in a mid‐sized city

“…Government‐funded settlement services are available in cities for areas such as language and skills development, assessments and referrals, community connections, and employment. However, they are primarily delivered by the non‐profit sector based on contractual agreements with the government (Flynn & Bauder, 2015; Shields et al, 2016; Thomas, 2015). Programs are funded on a competitive basis and to be successful require a large network of services (Drolet & Teixeira, 2022).…”

Labour Market Transition: Barriers and Supports for First Generation Immigrant and Refugee Youth

“…Prior to 1967, Canada's immigration policy entailed overt racist preferences for immigrants of white racial origins (Simmons, 2010;Thomas, 2015). With the introduction of the Points System in immigration policy in 1967, the composition of source regions for immigration changed from predominantly Europe and opened up to individuals from all parts of the world, including people from Asia, Latin America, and Africa (Boyd, 2009;Yan et al, 2012).…”

“…In the survey, first, a list of EPS was provided and employment coordinators were asked to check off those services that their employment centre offered. In developing this list, I consulted the literature on employment program and service provision, with a focus on service delivery to newcomers and immigrants and refugees (Canadian Council for Refugees, 1998;Reinberg, 1999;Peera, 2003;Krahn & Taylor, 2005;Shields et al, 2006;Rossiter & Rossiter, 2009;Thomas, 2009;Van Ngo, 2009;Access Alliance, 2011;Froy & Pyne, 2011;States News Service, 2012;Oguz, 2013;BC Centre for Employment Excellence, 2014;Caribbean Development Bank, 2015;Thomas, 2015).…”