Skills Recognition for Immigrant Workforce Integration: Employer Centered Practices in Canada

Canada welcomes global talent and undertakes initiatives to integrate this talent into the domestic workforce. As of 2018, the largest share of immigrants that entered the country have come through the federal skilled worker's program (IRCC, 2019) that grants individual’s permanent residency in Canada on a points-based system evaluating skills, education background, work experience, language, adaptability, age, and arranged employment.

However, the receptibility and efficient integration of this talent, its diverse skills and experiences need to be reviewed from the macro lens of existing domestic systems like recognition of competencies beyond academic qualifications, licensing requirements, employer trust in international experience, and access to integrated information to make informed decisions.

In this paper, we shall focus on employer’s role in recognition and integration of immigrant talent by reviewing existing practices, identifying gaps and providing some recommendations for co-designing of immigrant integration systems.