Immigrants still lagging in jobs mart, Peel Region Unveils Labour Market Survey Findings

ML Brampton Guardian, South Asian Focus » Thu, 11-Feb

Staff Report
Immigrants are still lagging their Canadian-born counterparts in the jobs market.
That’s the short answer of a Peel-centric report on how immigrants are faring in finding employment.

The report, The Peel Immigration Labour Market Survey, has just been released to Regional Council.

Peel is considered to house one of the highest concentrations of South Asians in the GTA. The survey is the first study ever conducted that provides local data on the labour market in Peel.

“This study is one of three key immigration initiatives led by the Region’s Human Services department in Peel,” said Janet Menard, Commissioner of Human Services. “The study findings reveal there is a significant gap in skill utilization, income and credential recognition of immigrants in the workplace. continue reading

See also:

Peel Region Unveils Labour Market Survey Findings - First Peel-specific report shows immigrants lagging behind in accessing the job market 

In the sample of 1,425 immigrants and Canadian-born Peel residents surveyed:

• Of the immigrant respondents who have international work experience, only about one-third were successful in obtaining their desired employment.
• Lack of Canadian work experience was reported as the barrier faced most often for immigrants and correspondingly, lack of work experience was reported most often by Canadian-born individuals.
• Networking was a serious barrier for both immigrants and Canadian-born individuals but more significant for immigrants.
• One in four immigrants accessed some government-funded employment services, and just under one-third obtained more education and credentials in Canada.
• Both immigrants and Canadian-born individuals report underutilization of their skills in their current job. Recent immigrant respondents are less likely to utilize their skills at work, but skill utilization improves with length of time in Canada, and through full recognition of credentials by employers.

Funded by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, the study was done in collaboration with Ryerson’s Diversity Institute in Management and Technology. The final report was prepared by PinPoint Research. The complete report of survey findings will be available to the public to download on Feb. 22, 2010 at www.peelregion.ca/labourmarketsurvey.

More Jobs For Librarians Than Ever Before: How True?

First, The Canadian News:

• Library Manager: More Jobs For Librarians Than Ever Before,
  IN THE NEWS -- “If you want a job right now and you’ve got an undergraduate degree, go to library school and get your masters of library science,” says Jason Bird, manager of library technical services for the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board in Canada.

Second, The American News:

• The 30 Best Careers for 2009
  U.S. News's annual list of 30 Best Careers gets updated for a rapidly changing economy. -- They haveranked librarianship as one of the 30 best careers for 2009.
• More Librarian Jobs Than Ever Before”?…12.31.08
  "I’m skeptical about the following from LibGig titled “Library Manager: More Jobs for Librarians Than Ever Before, but it may be perceived as true at least since library school enrollment appears to be up in general. Of course, it may be only in “the Great White North”"
• job search, n. see: endless frustration:The false “librarian shortage” has been discussed, at length, in many forums. What surprises me is how little this dichotomy between theory–a vast pool of aging librarians retiring as we speak–and reality–very few jobs open to the new librarian with little experience–is being addressed in practice....
  + a reader's comment: " large part of this problem is that library schools do not make library experience a mandatory part of the curriculum"
• why there is no librarian jobs

Bottom-line: Is it time to think inside the box or think outside the box. What is your response to this picture, with the background that you may have or by browsing the book displayed, above?