Amir Koohsarian is now an infrastructure management technician for CompuCom Systems Inc. in Mississauga, Ont., after graduating from an information technology program at Humber College.Galit Rodan/The Globe and Mail
Back in 2015 when Amir Koohsarian immigrated to Canada, he thought he would have no problem finding employment in IT. After all, he had worked in that field for 13 years in Iran, even starting a business with his brother offering technical support to public-sector and business customers.
But his Canadian job search didn't turn out as planned.
After months of applying for relevant positions and sending out more than 50 résumés, Mr. Koohsarian had only a phone interview to show for it. No employer was willing to see him.
"I had a good career back home, connections and a network. I had people working for me. Everything. But here I had to start again," he says now. "I somehow lost my confidence. I thought maybe I was lacking something."
Fortunately, a friend who had been living in Canada for a few years recommended that he look into taking some college courses. They would teach him language skills, help him with his résumé and help him understand the subtle – and not so subtle – differences between Canadian workplace culture and that of the country he left.
Mr. Koohsarian thought, why not?
He enrolled in two programs at Humber College in Toronto. The government funded Occupation Specific Language Training (OSLT) program, offered by numerous Ontario colleges, helps students practice dialogue and terms commonly used on the job in their field, sector and occupation. (Handy if your usual English class doesn't cover computer and business terms such as "agile applet" or "value-added reseller.") He also took the school's 15-week IT Infrastructure Bridging program so he could brush up on his tech skills and get career advice, too.
Although his technical skills were already advanced, he says the career and workplace component was invaluable. It explored everything from presentation skills and mock interviewing to how to express personal opinions without offending, and the importance of simply showing up on time for work.
"You know, technology is the same around the world, but workplace culture here is totally different than the way I was doing it back home," he says.
Because one class started at 8 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m. and the other ran from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., there were weeks when Mr. Koohsarian left his house at 6:45 in the morning and didn't return until 11 p.m.
But all that work paid off. He is now an infrastructure management technician for CompuCom Systems Inc. in Mississauga, Ont.
Geraldine Babcock, director of community outreach and workforce development for Humber College says Mr. Koohsarian's story is hardly unique. A thousand newcomers visit the school's immigration counsellor every year looking for help finding a job and fitting in. Although many of them are already highly trained, they don't have a network of colleagues, friends and mentors to support them.
"We all need networks, every one of us, when we're looking for work," she says. "If you don't know anybody in your field, it's really hard to get employment in that field or even know what people are looking for."
Jos Nolle, dean of Seneca's international department, says colleges are well positioned to help retrain and integrate newcomers into workplaces in Canada.
"Colleges are designed to do hands-on, practical training," designed with the aim of getting new Canadians through an employer's door, he says.
Not that colleges are a perfect solution, Mr. Nolle acknowledges. Many of them are cash-strapped and struggling to give students all the programs they need to flourish in their new country. For instance, although many newcomers take evening classes at Seneca – another Toronto-based college with a large immigrant student population – so they can work during the day (often in jobs below their skill level), he says the school doesn't have the funding to offer as many counselling services then as daytime students receive.
"The challenge is to convince the evening students to make some time in their busy work schedule to come for additional assistance and career counselling during the day," he says. "[Colleges] are more agile and practical, but there are limits to what we can do."
One way to raise funds, of course, is to entice more international students to come to Canadian colleges. Not only do they pay more than local students do for Canadian certification, but they ensure that programs continue to run with enough students filling seats.
Holland College in Charlottetown, PEI, has been adept at drawing international students in the past few years. Michael O'Grady, vice-president for innovation enterprise and strategic development at the school, offers a few numbers. Two years ago, international students made up less than 5 per cent of the student population. Now it is just under 10 per cent.
Holland College offers a language program for these students, as well as for a small number of part-time students who are new immigrants.
The increase is not just good for the college, but the entire community, he explains.
"In any given year, the number of out-of-province students who choose to stay and work in PEI after graduation offsets the number of Island students who choose to leave," he says. "If we did not have that proportion of out-of-province and international students in our population, we would be seeing a year-over-year leakage in terms of labour force."
What's more, of the international students who come to the school, a significant portion – 75 per cent – were interested in staying in PEI to live and work after graduation, according to an internal survey.
It can happen. A study permit can be swapped after graduation of any two-year program for a post-graduate work permit in Canada. During that time, graduates can begin the process of applying for residency or citizenship.
"That's a very significant attraction for international students to come to Canada," says Mr. O'Grady.
And unlike other newcomers to Canada who struggle, like Mr. Koohsarian did, they are already trained for work in the country.
Humber's Ms. Babcock maintains that no matter how or why people have immigrated here, employers who are willing to give them their first job in Canada are the real winners.
"We have people coming here who have done remarkable things," she says. "When you meet them, you think, 'Wow! These people chose Canada. We're so lucky.' They're coming with such amazing experience."