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Chinese community organizations host forum to discuss labour market issues facing newcomers and racialized people

Attendees gained knowledge on programs and wraparound supports that help bridge labour gaps
May 19, 2023
Guang Ying Mo is speaking into a microphone at the Professional Career Development Forum.

Guang Ying Mo delivers a presentation at the Professional Career Development Forum and Job Fair on May 5, 2023.

Guang Ying Mo, director of research at the Diversity Institute, delivered a keynote speech at the Professional Career Development Forum and Job Fair. The event was organized by CPAC (formerly known as the Chinese Professional Association of Canada), a nonprofit organization advocating for immigrant professionals. On May 5, 2023, employers, senior industry experts and students attended the full-day event that coincided with Asian Heritage Month; it offered a networking and knowledge-sharing platform for the Chinese community.

During her presentation, Mo focused on the labour market, particularly in relation to newcomers and racialized individuals. She began by shedding light on the underrepresentation of Chinese people in leadership positions in the public and private sectors in the Greater Toronto Area.

Mo cited a  (PDF file) 2021 study (external link)  conducted by CPAC that revealed that while the Chinese population in the GTA comprises 11% of the total population, less than 4.4% hold senior leadership roles in municipal, provincial or federal governments, or in policing. In the private sector, the number drops even further, with only 1.2% of Chinese professionals occupying senior leadership positions among the top 183 corporations in the GTA.

Emphasizing the scale of the issue, Mo highlighted that in 2022, 36% of businesses reported a shortage of skilled labour across various levels. "Asian people are not faring well," she said, adding that Asians constitute the second-highest unemployed immigrant group.

The unemployment rate for immigrants aged 25 to 54 years is 8%, compared to 5% for those born in Canada. In 2016, only 38% of immigrants held jobs related to their education, Mo explained. She added that gaps persist even in high-demand STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) occupations, noting that in Canada and the U.S. 50% of immigrants with STEM degrees work in non-STEM occupations.

“Something in the system is creating barriers,” Mo said. While she acknowledged that advancing equity, diversity and inclusion strategies within organizations can contribute to bridging the labour gap, she stressed the need for further action.

Wraparound supports, diverse mentors and targeting programming with well-articulated equity and inclusion goals can help address these issues, Mo explained. 

“It is challenging for immigrants to look for networking opportunities, so service provider organizations are very important in terms of career development, especially mentorship programs like the one offered by CPAC.”

She also pointed to strong examples of wraparound supports, like Scadding Court Community Centre’s Newcomer Services program (external link) , which offers counseling, networking, language instruction, child care support and cultural-competency training, along with assistance navigating the employment and settlement services ecosystem; and Lifelong Leadership Institute (external link) , which provides leadership development to Canadian youth of Black and African Canadian heritage.

Mo emphasized the untapped potential of immigrants who arrive in Canada as doctors and engineers. While many have credentials in their home countries, they do not have the opportunity to use them here, she added.

To address this issue, Mo referenced programs like the Diversity Institute's Advanced Digital and Professional Training, or ADaPT, program, which is funded by the Future Skills Centre (external link) . The no-cost online training provides alternative pathways into careers by providing more than 70 hours of training in in-demand digital and professional skills and has a 90% placement rate. She also cited the Workforce Innovation and Inclusion Project (external link)  (WIIP), another Diversity Institute-led project. Funded by the Government of Canada’s Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada, WIIP brings together settlement agencies, diverse employers and nonprofits to address the employment needs of newcomers and produce a skilled Canadian workforce. In addition, the Federal Internship for Newcomers Program (external link)  is an upskilling and placement program that aims to support newcomers by placing them in federal jobs that relate to their skills and qualifications.

It’s important for employers to think about how the skill levels of immigrants and racialized people align with the expectations of skill levels from the employers, Mo said, concluding that the narrative needs to change because immigrants drive economic success.