Effective Employer Engagement in Newcomer Skills Development Programs
Employer engagement plays a key role in the delivery of successful employment programs that help newcomers find work in their fields and employers meet their talent needs. Our research project collected and synthesized evidence on emerging practices in employer engagement and developed useful resources and tools to help strengthen collaboration between Service Provider Organizations (SPOs) and employers.
About the Project
The research project was part of the Service Delivery Improvement (SDI) projects funded by the Government of Canada through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Given a lack of research on employer engagement targeting newcomer services, the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) and Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) aimed to answer the following questions:
- What are different approaches for employer engagement in immigrant-focused skills training delivery?
- What are some effective employer engagement models that facilitate labour market integration of different immigrant groups?
Objectives
In collaboration with a national network of Immigrant Employment Councils (IECs), SPOs, employers and other partners, we:
Documented effective approaches to employer engagement
Developed an employer engagement index to gauge the level of employer presence and activity, and to rank engagement across different types of programs
Identified partnership-building and stakeholder management skills settlement practitioners need to work on with employers
Developed tools for SPOs to engage employers, and for employers to navigate the settlement ecosystem to meet their talent needs
Expected outcomes
The project seeks to contribute to the delivery of responsive and coordinated settlement and community services. Specifically, through the development of insights and resources, the project aims to help:
Build understanding
of the characteristics of effective employer engagement
SPOs effectively approach employers and engage them in newcomer skills development programs
Employers navigate the settlement ecosystem and find the right partner to address their talent needs
Methodology
This project used a mixed-methods approach. We collected both quantitative and qualitative data through surveys and interviews with SPOs and employers as well as inputs from a project advisory committee (PAC). The PAC included IEC, SPO, and employer representatives from across Canada.
Project Timeline
Findings and Resources
Research Findings
Tools and Resources
Presentations and Training
Meet the Project Team
Celia Huang, Project Manager, Employer Engagement Research
Sugi Vasavithasan, Research and Evaluation Manager/Team Lead
Ifra Zahid, Research Specialist
Contact Us: research@triec.ca
Susanna Gurr, Research Director
Taylor Shek-Wai Hui, Research Director
Kim Lehrer, Senior Research Associate
Sol Park, Researcher
Project Advisory Committee Members
Immigrant Employment Council of BC
Daisy Quon, Senior Manager, Programs & Stakeholder Relations
Eduardo Bananal, Employer Relations Coordinator
LCBO
Ritu Janveja, Senior Manager, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
RBC
Clifford Hennig-Pereira, Senior Manager, Inclusive Recruitment
Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS)
Mohja Alia, Manager, Employment & Bridging
Kyle Turner, Employer Engagement Coordinator
Halifax Partnership
Robyn Webb, Director, Labour Market Development, Executive Director, National Connector Program
World Skills Employment Centre
Andy Rapoch, Employer Engagement Coordinator
Accenture
Eric Madan, Strategy Consulting Manager (Cybersecurity & Risk Management)
Rae Li, Program & Project Management Associate Manager
WCG Services
Barb Kalashnikov, Employer and Community Coordinator
Modern Niagara Group Inc.
Megan Mathes, Senior Manager, Diversity Equity and Inclusion
ACCES Employment
Sue Sadler, Senior Vice President, Services and Program Innovation
Hire Immigrants Ottawa
Henry Akanko, Director
Lorena Costa, Manager, Employer Engagement
Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council (CRIEC)
Bao Ho, Director of Operations
Funded by
