An eight-point plan to get jobs for immigrants

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Eight proposals to help immigrants find work

In July, we wrote about a new project spearheaded by the Maytree Foundation under its Assisting Local Leaders with Immigrant Employment Strategies (ALLIES), which was working to come up with strategies to connect small businesses with immigrant talent.

ALLIES, a partnership of Maytree and The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, began the new initiative last October, conducting consultations with small businesses and planning to use the findings to help formulate pilot projects.

A report released Tuesday is the result of the first stages of the research project "exploring existing policies, programs and initiatives that engage or otherwise influence the human resource practices of SMEs," the executive summary reads. "The overall goal is to develop new, innovative ideas, and to promote promising programs that encourage SMEs to hire skilled immigrants."

Maytree studied efforts in 10 provinces and 20 cities across Canada, setting up about 50 interviews, and the foundation came up with eight practical ideas to help immigrants find jobs commensurate with their experience and to provide small and medium-sized businesses with the opportunity to dip into a broader talent pool. SMBs, the summary adds, "may be unfamiliar with the business case for immigration, and may not be engaged in long-term human resource planning. In addition, tools and human resources workshops aimed at employers are disproportionately used by large organizations."

Here's a look at the eight proposals:

Activity-focused internships

Modelled on a national program that matches SMBs with post-secondary school interns who work to develop e-commerce capacities. Internships for mid-level professional skilled immigrants can similarly be structured to clearly demonstrate the value added by the skilled immigrant intern.

One-stop shop for recruiting and hiring support services

Designed to meet the needs of SMBs that are ready to hire. A company that has a job opening contacts the service and it is assigned an account manager who will handle the employer's request until filled.

Online database of screened candidates

Modelled on the SkillsInternational.ca website in Ontario and other similar industry-specific initiatives, this program would provide SMBs with on-demand access, at any time and from any location, to qualified candidates. An employer can use the database to search for pre-screened candidates.

Wage and orientation subsidy

Modelled on the immigrant-specific wage subsidy programs in Quebec, a national or provincial wage subsidy for skilled immigrants could encourage SMBs that are reluctant to hire outside of their personal networks - and that lack the capacity to provide orientation and training - to take a risk on a new hire.

HR resources online

Modelled on a website managed by the government of Newfoundland and Labrador, this program would provide customizable HR information for SMBs, on-demand and from any location.

Financial institutions provide information and education

This program would aim to use the relationships that financial institutions have with their small-business clients, and to provide hiring information to SMBs at a time when they are most likely to be growing their business, including advice on hiring, integrating and retaining skilled immigrants.

Communications and marketing programs

To be successful, each of the above programs must be supported with strong communications and marketing.

Corporate calls (one-on-one)

This strategy is based on a practice identified by many organizations working with SMBs. An "employer consultant" visits a business to explain the rationale for why it should look to underemployed groups, assess the employer's needs and recommend programs and services when appropriate.

Business and industry associations

These associations have established relationships and communications channels with their SMB members, and they may be considered credible sources. Organizations could work with business and industry associations, for example, to present at or partner on events.

"These proposed ideas will form the basis of consultations with SMEs in five Canadian cities," the report reads. "Through these consultations, ALLIES, in partnership with local immigrant employment councils, will further refine the ideas, explore how they can be adapted to local contexts and identify the most promising for implementation in 2012."

The approximately 250,000 immigrants who arrive in Canada every year are more likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to be unemployed or underemployed, and they were hit hard by the economic downturn in 2009.According to Industry Canada, 98 per cent of businesses in Canada have fewer than 100 employees, and small businesses employ 64 per cent of private-sector workers.

But a study by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business in 2006 found that despite the need for workers, 78 per cent of owners polled said they had not hired any immigrants in the previous four years.

Occupy Wall Street get small-business support

As the Occupy Wall Street movement continues, a new voice is entering the debate in support of the 99% movement: Main Street small-business owners. An organization called the Main Street Alliance, a network of state-based small-business coalitions, has expressed its support. Three of its members weighed in Tuesday in a press release. David Meinert, owner of Big Mario's Pizza & 5 Point Café in Seattle, discussed sending 100 slices to the occupiers in Seattle's Westlake Park and how the business now makes two deliveries a day from people calling in from all over the city who want to donate pizza to the protesters. The owner of Melanie's Home Childcare in Falmouth, Maine, Melanie Collins, has been participating in Occupy Maine events, marches and meetings alongside other small business owners. And Kit Schackner, owner of Foley-Waite Associates in Bloomfield, N.J., had this to say: "Until small business owners see some accountability at the top, until we see that our pain is shared by those who created it – the bankers and the CEOs – we will stand in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street."

Three key areas for government to address

Corinne Pohlmann, vice-president of national affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), presents pre-budget recommendations Tuesday to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance as part of the consultation process. As part of the presentation, Ms. Pohlmann will outline three key areas government should tackle to ensure stability, and help to position Canada for a prosperous future: No increases in payroll taxes, lower the deficit and address the inequity between public and private sector pensions, and reduce red tape. The 2011 budget calls for an EI premium increase of 10 cents per $100 in payroll for employees and 14 cents for employers in each of the next three years. "This is not the time to be increasing costs on job creation," says Dan Kelly, CFIB's senior vice-president of legislative affairs.

EVENTS AND KEY DATES

Important hiring practices

Once you've hired a skilled immigrant, or any employee for that matter, a thorough process that introduces them to your workplace culture and sets out expectations helps increase retention and productivity. Hireimmigrants.ca is hosting as webinar to highlight important practices in orientation for organizations to ensure new hires reach their potential. Participants will also hear the specifics of one health care employer's orientation program for internationally educated professionals. Speakers include Alan Rego, manager of consumer relations for P&G North America, and Eileen Evens, lead recruitment adviser at Providence Health Care in Vancouver. The webinar takes place Oct. 26 from noon to 1 pm (ET), and you need to register in advance.

The India Show at CMTS

The India Show is being held in conjunction with this year's Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS) in Toronto, taking place all week at the Direct Energy Centre. Organized by EEPC India and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry from the Government of India with the support of the Consulate General of India in Toronto, the show features more than 150 Indian engineering companies, and it is the largest Indian engineering exposition in the country. Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Stephen Harper jointly declared 2011 the "Year of India in Canada" during Mr. Harper's visit to India in November, 2009. Bilateral trade between the two countries is about $5 billion, a figure that is expected to grow to about $15 billion in the next five years.

EDITOR'S PICKS FROM REPORT ON SMALL BUSINESS

CEO of Fortress Paper in studio

In the latest edition of monthly video interview segment Talking to Entrepreneurs, Chad Wasilenkoff, the chairman and CEO of Fortress Paper, discusses his contrarian approach to investing, and how he turned a fledging pulp and paper mill into a profitable venture.

FROM THE ROSB ARCHIVES

Vendor takes hot dogs to the next level

Hot dogs are a far cry from crepes, but you don't have to tell Noriki Tamura that. The former Tokyo ad salesman immigrated to Canada in 2005, along with his wife, Misa, to open a crepe stand on the streets of Vancouver. But their plan was quickly derailed by city bylaws, which limited Vancouver's available street food to hot dogs. In 2006, the couple won a spot for their first Japa Dog location through the city's annual street-food lottery. The Tamuras manned the stand themselves, and witnessed customers' attitudes shifting in favour of their $5 hot dogs garnished with condiments such as wasabi, teriyaki and seaweed.

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