Backgrounder: Targeted Employment Strategy for Newcomers

Backgrounder

The Targeted Employment Strategy for Newcomers will have three components to help newcomers enter the job market. These are:

·         improved pre-arrival supports;

·         a loan program to assist newcomers with costs of getting their foreign credentials recognized, and

·         assistance to acquire first Canadian work experience in their profession or in a field related to their profession

The Strategy will also test innovative approaches to help skilled newcomers gain critical first Canadian work experience in their professions. Pilot projects to assess the value of foreign work experience will be implemented in order to learn the best ways to facilitate the critical first Canadian work experience for skilled newcomers. This could include testing initiatives such as paid internships, mentorships, job matching and looking at ways to help overcome employers’ reluctance to hire newcomers as a result of difficulties in assessing the value of their foreign work experience.   

The previous loan pilot, which ended in 2015, aimed to test models of community-based partnerships. Through this pilot, nine immigrant service and support agencies across Canada were funded to develop and deliver a loan program for internationally trained workers.

Page details

Date modified: