Let me tell you why. It's a bit like a sandwich, if you may allow me to use this comparison.
We'll pretend the first slice of bread represents labour market information. It's the foundation. If potential immigrants are going to be scored against their ability to fill a need in the Canadian economy, then we need to have an accurate picture of the current, and more importantly, future labour market need. Otherwise, how do we know we are recruiting the right people for the right opportunities?
Then we need our sandwich filling: a comprehensive set of pre-arrival settlement services that allow immigrants to access the information and the support they need to prepare for labour market access before they arrive in the country.
Finally, we need to finish our sandwich by making sure that when immigrants arrive in Canada, they can access bridging programs that provide appropriate training and support to further accelerate their integration into the Canadian labour force.
Let me focus on labour market information. Many immigrants come to Canada with and because they have skills that are needed within the Canadian context. But many do not have an accurate national portrait of today's labour market needs, nor do we have predictive labour market information to support decisions on the education and training needed. The need for accurate labour market information is a major preoccupation for the 37 members of our industry college coalition, a group of industry leaders who have joined together with our association to address areas of shared concern like labour market information. As a result, we're asking the Government of Canada, through Employment and Social Development Canada and in partnership with Statistics Canada, to improve labour market information, both on the supply and demand sides.
The second part of the sandwich you remember is the filling. This means giving prospective immigrants a head start before they arrive in Canada through pre-arrival settlement services. Our association, Colleges and Institutes Canada, has been administering the Canadian immigrant integration program since 2007, funded by the Government of Canada. CIIP is a groundbreaking program, which arms prospective immigrants with the right information tools and Canadian contacts before they leave home.
As a result of this intervention, newcomers are far better equipped to find work that reflects their skills and education, rather than settling for survival jobs, as is often the case. I have personally visited one of our CIIP offices in India, and I can tell you that the program is making a huge difference in the lives of newcomers. Through these services, clients begin to realize all of the pre-arrival steps they can take to maximize their employment success in Canada, whether it is contact with regulatory bodies to kick-start their licensure process; contact with colleges for educational upgrading and bridging programs; participating in pre-arrival initiatives, such as online workshops, occupation-specific webinars, exam invigilations, mentorships and internship preparation; registration with employment support organizations; or even contacting immigrant-serving organizations for settlement support. After participating in CIIP services, 96% of clients say they are committed to taking pre-arrival action.
What does it look like? In fact, it's a free service offered in person and online, in both English and French. Very few countries in the world offer something like that. First, clients participate in a big group orientation session that focuses on exploring job prospects. Newcomers are not only better informed, but they know where their occupation is in demand, thus improving job readiness by identifying challenges and risk-mitigation strategies, learning about Canadian job search strategies, and strengthening job retention through greater awareness of culture shock, legal rights, and workplace norms.
Second, they participate in a one-on-one planning session, which results in a comprehensive action plan, with employment and settlement steps to be taken pre- and post-arrival in Canada.