Building new skills: immigration and workforce development in Canada

Canada has long been considered a world leader in the global hunt for talent, notable for its ability to acquire skilled human capital through a carefully calibrated points system. Although many immigrants to Canada are selected for their skills, the past few decades have seen high unemployment among immigrants, raising concerns that Canada's immigration system is failing to live up to its promise. This report examines the country's workforce development system and policies. Evidence suggests that immigrants are underrepresented both in individual and employer-provided training. Some common barriers to immigrant participation include the complexity of service provisions, barriers to access such as language skills or childcare, and difficulties in assessing whether available programs offer returns on investment. The report identifies two main areas through which these barriers may be addressed going forward. First, some policymakers and stakeholders have raised questions regarding whether mainstream and targeted services should be integrated. It seems that immigrants prefer to use immigrant-specific services, suggesting that these services may serve their needs better. But it is costly and possibly inefficient to run two parallel systems. Second, there is an emerging consensus that the system has been too supply driven and has failed to adequately involve key stakeholders, such as employers.

Edited excerpts from publisher's website. Show less