I'd like to thank the standing committee for the invitation to appear today to address the topic of promoting economic integration through settlement services. It's an area of great interest to Canadians.
My brief opening remarks are largely derived from this recent research synthesis report on settlement and integration, of which I'm a co-author, that was commissioned through the immigration research centre CERIS, based in Toronto, and as was noted by the chair, funded by CIC. The report, I should note, is available in both English and French.
There has been an ongoing concern related to the economic performance of immigrant newcomers in Canada, which has seen a decline over the last number of decades compared to past immigrant cohorts. The major reason we've seen a fall in the economic outcomes for newcomers is a result of a significantly altered labour market associated with the rise of more precarious employment forms, which has meant less secure jobs and generally lower compensation in terms of wages, salaries, and benefits than in the past. This is occurring at the same time that the actual human capital assets of immigrants arriving in Canada have remained very high, in fact, have been superior to past decades.
The economic difficulties faced by many newcomers pose the challenge regarding how settlement services can better address economic integration today. Before I turn to these challenges more directly, there are a few points that are important to make note of and to keep in mind.
First, Canada has a long and very successful history of newcomer integration. Canadian immigration and settlement policies have been central to the Canadian settlement story, and they have come to be widely considered examples of best practices to be learned from and copied by other nations. The Canadian model of settlement services is one where government has provided financial support for settlement programming that is delivered largely by non-profit-based agencies located in communities where immigrants reside. The fact that this remains something that's viewed internationally very positively is reinforced. Next week, actually, a delegation from Singapore will be visiting Ryerson University, and we'll be talking about integration and settlement policy. This continues to be something that is looked at very favourably internationally.
Second, the very existence of such public investments in newcomers is not just materially important, but it sends an important symbolic message to the immigrant population and to society more generally, namely, that newcomers are welcome. The warmth of Canada's welcome to newcomers has been central to the immigration process, and settlement support has been key to this. Without good social integration, effective economic integration is not going to be achieved.
Third, immigration remains key to Canadian economic growth and to a resilient, dynamic, and expanding labour market. This is especially important in a rapidly greying labour market that needs to tap into the global talent pool.
Fourth, it's important to maintain a long-term view of settlement and integration. Integration is a lifelong process. It can't simply be judged in five-year or ten-year blocks. In fact, it stretches into the second and third generations.
One of the telling successes of the Canadian integration experience is the fact that children of immigrants, second generations, do so well in school, actually outperforming by a considerable degree Canadian-born children, in terms of university attendance and achievements at university and colleges. This is a very powerful indicator of successful integration, so it tells us we shouldn't simply look at the parents, but we also have to consider the children. We also need a sort of family lens and a generational lens, a longer view of immigration and integration.
One of the most valuable things that non-profit settlement services provides is connection. They link immigrants to other people, to other members of Canadian society, and increasingly importantly, to employers. In short, they build immigrant social capital. Establishing these people networks is absolutely crucial to success in the modern labour market. This can be very clearly shown in immigrant employment programs that deal with such things as job mentoring and skills bridging.
While settlement services have been an important ingredient to Canada’s success and economic integration, a review of the literature indicates that changing labour markets and immigration patterns do call for adjustments.
This includes, for example, the need for, first of all, enhanced labour market information, particularly pre-arrival and early information and support services. Information and supports offered to prospective newcomers in their home country can help not only orient and prepare them for Canadian culture and way of life but also connect them with services and supports upon arrival. For immigrants, obtaining information and seeking supports as early as possible upon arrival in Canada are critical components of success today.
Second is the need to adjust investments in soft skills, cultural understandings of the workings of the Canadian labour market, so soft skills training as well as mentoring. Studies have shown that mentoring programs have significantly improved participants’ economic standing within a year following the mentoring experience.
Third would be that we need continued work around foreign credential recognition. This has been a rather hard nut to crack. Also bridge training has proven quite effective as well as work around work-specific language training.
Fourth, forging business partnerships with settlement service providers has become more important in improving labour market outcomes for immigrants. This is increasingly significant as businesses have become more important actors in the immigrant selection process.
Additionally, we need to take note of a growing literature examining immigrants’ experiences in the informal labour market, particularly in self-employment and entrepreneurship. It points to the exclusion of many newcomers from the formal labour market as the reason that immigrants turn to the informal economy.