MOVING TO THE MARGINS The Regional Immigration Initiative in Prince George Presented by KIM WALKER COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENT Metropolis Conference Vancouver,

MOVING TO THE MARGINSMOVING TO THE MARGINS

TThe he Regional Immigration Regional Immigration Initiative in Prince GeorgeInitiative in Prince George

Presented by Presented by

KIM WALKERKIM WALKER

COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENTCOMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENT

Metropolis ConferenceVancouver, BC March 24, 2006

PRESENTATION TOPICSPRESENTATION TOPICS

1.1. Regional Immigration Initiative & Regional Immigration Initiative & The Prince George ProjectThe Prince George Project

2.2. Opportunities & Challenges for Opportunities & Challenges for Individuals and CommunitiesIndividuals and Communities

3.3. Opportunities & ChallengesOpportunities & Challenges for for Policy and Program DevelopmentPolicy and Program Development

REGIONAL IMMIGRATION REGIONAL IMMIGRATION INITIATIVEINITIATIVE

Objectives:Objectives:

1.1. To create awareness of To create awareness of immigration as a tool to immigration as a tool to support socio-economic support socio-economic developmentdevelopment

2.2. To increase the capacity of To increase the capacity of communities and regions to communities and regions to attract and retain attract and retain immigrantsimmigrants

Canadian Rural PartnershipsRural Team BC

BC Ministry of Attorney General& Ministry Responsible for Multiculturalism

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Western Economic Diversification

Community Futures DevelopmentAssociation of BC

Regional Initiative ActivitiesRegional Initiative Activities

Oct 2002:Oct 2002: Canada – BC AgreementCanada – BC Agreement

Oct 2003:Oct 2003: The Small Centre StrategyThe Small Centre Strategy

Nov 2003:Nov 2003: Joint letter to BC mayors & Joint letter to BC mayors & follow-up meetingsfollow-up meetings

Aug 2004:Aug 2004: Request for ProposalsRequest for Proposals

Jun 2005:Jun 2005: Community Pilot ProjectsCommunity Pilot Projects

EIGHT REGIONAL PROJECTSEIGHT REGIONAL PROJECTS

Prince GeorgePrince George

Powell RiverPowell River

Port AlberniPort Alberni

NanaimoNanaimo

RevelstokeRevelstoke

VernonVernon

OkanaganOkanagan

AbbotsfordAbbotsford

Distribution of Immigrants in BCDistribution of Immigrants in BC

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Facts and Figures 2002Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Facts and Figures 2002

Prince

Geo

rge

Prince

Geo

rge

2969

5

1186 80

029

019

711

410

510

310

3 94 92 965 16

30

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000Van

couve

rAbbotsf

ordVict

oriaKelo

wnaNan

aimo

Pentic

tonChilli

wack

Kamloops

Vernon

OtherNot S

tated

TARGETING SKILLED IMMIGRANTS TARGETING SKILLED IMMIGRANTS AS A POTENTIAL LABOUR SOURCE AS A POTENTIAL LABOUR SOURCE

IN PRINCE GEORGEIN PRINCE GEORGEA Regional Immigration Project conducted byA Regional Immigration Project conducted by::

Kim Walker, Community & EnvironmentKim Walker, Community & Environment

Leslie Lax, Strategic Management ConsultingLeslie Lax, Strategic Management Consulting

In Partnership withIn Partnership with::

PG PROJECT OUTLINEPG PROJECT OUTLINE

Local LabourLocal LabourMarket ReviewMarket Review

Focus Group Focus Group MeetingsMeetings

Immigrant LabourImmigrant LabourSupply Research Supply Research

CommunityCommunityForumForum

Strategy Strategy DevelopmentDevelopment

GuideGuide

Labour MarketLabour MarketDevelopment StrategyDevelopment Strategy

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPSCOMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

Skills Shortages

Labour MarketDevelopment

EconomicDevelopment

Skilled Immigrants

Challenges

Opportunities

Local Labour

LABOUR MARKET DEMANDLABOUR MARKET DEMAND

Aging Population **Aging Population **

Out-MigrationOut-Migration

Availability of SkillsAvailability of Skills

Industrial GrowthIndustrial Growth

Job AppealJob Appeal

Availability of TrainingAvailability of Training

SKILLS SHORTAGESKILLS SHORTAGE

+

+

+

+

+

OCCUPATIONS at RISK OCCUPATIONS at RISK of LABOUR SHORTAGESof LABOUR SHORTAGES

FINANCE &FINANCE &BUSINESSBUSINESS

HEALTH &HEALTH &EDUCATIONEDUCATION

RETAILRETAILSERVICESERVICE

MANAGERSMANAGERS

OTHER OTHER PROFESSIONSPROFESSIONS

& SENIOR & SENIOR MANAGERSMANAGERS

TECHNICAL &TECHNICAL &SKILLEDSKILLEDTRADESTRADES

PRINCE GEORGE LABOUR PRINCE GEORGE LABOUR MARKET DEVELOPMENT MARKET DEVELOPMENT

STRATEGYSTRATEGYTHE VISIONTHE VISION

““BE PREPARED FOR SUCCESS”BE PREPARED FOR SUCCESS”Strategy 1Strategy 1

Strategy 2Strategy 2

Strategy 3Strategy 3

Community Education & Community Education & Skilled Immigrant Skilled Immigrant Marketing CampaignMarketing Campaign

Inter-Cultural & Diversity Inter-Cultural & Diversity Training ServicesTraining Services

Job Brokering ServicesJob Brokering Services

TARGETING EMPLOYERSTARGETING EMPLOYERS

OPPORTUNITIESOPPORTUNITIES

Mature/ExperiencedMature/Experienced New PerspectivesNew Perspectives Highly MotivatedHighly Motivated Skilled/EducatedSkilled/Educated International LinksInternational Links Open to New Open to New

ExperiencesExperiences

CHALLENGESCHALLENGES

Licencing Req’tsLicencing Req’ts Training CapacityTraining Capacity Language BarriersLanguage Barriers Over/Under QualifiedOver/Under Qualified Finding LabourFinding Labour Hiring RestrictionsHiring Restrictions Cultural DifferencesCultural Differences

HIRING INTROSPECTHIRING INTROSPECT

REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS?REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS?• Assumptions about Assumptions about

education & work education & work experienceexperience

• Language & Language & communication needs communication needs

• Capacity to work with & Capacity to work with & mentor newcomers mentor newcomers

• Resources for cross Resources for cross cultural literacy & cultural literacy & management skillsmanagement skills

CLEAR COMMUNICATION?CLEAR COMMUNICATION?• Describe difference Describe difference

between ideal and between ideal and acceptable candidatesacceptable candidates

• Identify critical skills, and Identify critical skills, and attitudes attitudes

• Specify terms of Specify terms of employment (probation, employment (probation, merit)merit)

• Describe the hiring Describe the hiring process (exam, interview)process (exam, interview)

COMMIT AND COMMUNICATECOMMIT AND COMMUNICATE

TARGETING SKILLED IMMIGRANTSTARGETING SKILLED IMMIGRANTSEthnic Media in BC

Immigrant Networks & Professional Associations

Specialized ESL & Inter-Cultural Communication Training

Training & UpgradingPrograms for SkilledImmigrants

MOVING TO PRINCE GEORGEMOVING TO PRINCE GEORGE

OPPORTUNITIESOPPORTUNITIES

Welcome WagonWelcome Wagon More IntegrationMore Integration AffordabilityAffordability JobsJobs Quality of LifeQuality of Life Higher IncomesHigher Incomes

CHALLENGESCHALLENGES

High ExpectationsHigh Expectations Limited RetrainingLimited Retraining No Work for SpouseNo Work for Spouse Smaller Ethnic Smaller Ethnic

CommunityCommunity Workplace CultureWorkplace Culture Fewer Settlement Fewer Settlement

ServicesServices

VISIBLE CULTURAL FEATURESVISIBLE CULTURAL FEATURES

ArtArt

FoodFood

CustomsCustoms

ArtifactsArtifactsLanguageLanguage

LiteratureLiterature

THE CULTURAL ICEBERGTHE CULTURAL ICEBERG

ArtArtFoodFood CustomsCustoms

ArtifactsArtifacts

LanguageLanguageLiteratureLiterature

NormsNormsValuesValues

SymbolsSymbols

BeliefsBeliefs

Concepts of TimeConcepts of Time

PerceptionsPerceptions

AttitudesAttitudes

Social RelationshipsSocial Relationships MotivationsMotivations

LogicLogic

View of the SelfView of the Self Sense of Time & SpaceSense of Time & Space

Unrealistic ExpectationsUnrealistic Expectations

Risk AversionRisk Aversion

Cultural IsolationCultural Isolation

Lack of AwarenessLack of Awareness

Tunnel VisionTunnel Vision

Unconnected ServicesUnconnected Services

ImmigrantsImmigrants

EmployersEmployers

Business Leaders Business Leaders

Community ServicesCommunity Services

Govt AdministratorsGovt Administrators

Rural/ResourceRural/ResourceCommunityCommunity

Provincial NomineeProgram

BC Skills Connect

Settlement Services

Language Services

Employment Services

Skills Development Services

Professional Accreditation

Regional Immigration Initiative

MulticulturalPrograms

Business Development

Education &Training