CIIP: Overseas Orientation, Planning and Referrals for Economic Immigrants The Canadian Immigrant Integration Program (CIIP) International Metropolis 2013, Tampere Katrina Murray, CIIP Regional Director

PRE-ARRIVAL OUTREACH Reach out to federal skilled workers (FSW) and provincial nominees (PN) in the final stages of the immigration process Enable and empower them to prepare for economic integration before their departure =Provide a head start, so that skilled newcomers are more competitive on arrival in Canada!

ECONOMIC FOCUS CIIP Outcomes: CIIP Purpose: Help skilled immigrants prepare for economic success in Canada by o providing pre-arrival information, planning and online support = more appropriate employment more quickly More realistic understanding of Canada’s opportunities and challenges Well-informed decisions about where to go and what to do to be successful Being better able to compete for jobs and contribute to the economy more quickly = Canadian employers harness newcomer talent

CIIP MANDATE To serve FSW and PN clients in 25+ countries through offices in: –China, India, the Philippines and UK/Gulf By providing: –Information in Group Orientation (GO) –Personalized planning in My Action Plan (MAP) –Referrals to an extensive network of partners in Canada for online advice “The GO and MAP provided me a framework and reference guide and a starting point, this indeed was very helpful to structure my thoughts and get me going on a guided path.” “I would urge everyone to take CIIP sessions preferably 2 months in advance of your arrival and then work religiously on the MAP, set SMART objectives, network and follow-up…it has worked for me so it can work for you too!”

GO-MAP-CONNECT GroupOrientationGO Introduction to Canada, tools and resources My Action Plan MAP A personal pre- arrival and transition plan Referrals to Partners CONNECT Online advice and support

INNOVATION GO and MAP sessions offered online, as well as in-person in various locations Overseas access to online mentorship, newcomer job bank and paid internship Preliminary credential assessment provided Exams proctored for licensure/certification Webinars and video conferences facilitated Value-added services (Essential Skills workshops; employer interviews for ICT)

NETWORK OF PARTNERS Focal Point Partners (FPPs) in every province engage with CIIP grads online prior to departure –Expand on information provided in the MAP –Explain processes required for licensure, credential recognition, and other processes –Provide onward referrals to other organizations –Follow-up to ascertain outcomes for CIIP grads The infrastructure for immigrant integration support has been strengthened in Canada

OVERALL RESULTS 22,500 CIIP grads by June ,200 ( ) + 13,300 ( ) Grad and partner feedback confirms that CIIP prompts overseas action: –top marks for usefulness (90%), –increased understanding (98%), –changed expectations (92%), –stimulated action planning (99%)

OUTCOMES Based on third party research in 2010: 62% of CIIP grads employed within 6 months 59% in their field or a closely related one 22% at the same level or higher in their first job CIC Tracking of Overseas Graduates three ‑ month survey 48% of respondents reported being employed 66% were working in their field or a closely related one 12% of CIIP participant respondents reported that they were enrolled as either part-time or full-time students

CHALLENGES Access to eligible candidates –Privacy considerations, agent role, dispersed locations, connectivity issues Info overload/lack of time to reflect –8 hour GO + 60 min MAP the next day Maintaining the Canadian partner network –In the face of settlement budget cuts Cost/benefit –$1,000 cost per client –Recouped in the first month of employment

PRE-ARRIVAL SUCCESS Gina was a teacher in the UK. She completed the process to become a licensed elementary school teacher in Nova Scotia before she got to Canada. Algimantas was an industrial electrician in Iceland. He applied for his Red Seal certificate online and visited Manitoba to write the exam. He received his certificate three weeks later. LICENSURE

During a short-landing in Calgary, Solomon met with several companies to talk about his background and experience. After two interviews while back in Norway, he was offered a job in his field of petroleum engineering. “I had a job offer long before we landed in Canada. I was too happy to get the job in my own area on my first interview and in a very short time. CIIP provided the best advises and guidelines I followed and succeeded in my objective.” Naveed While still in the UK, Wayne secured a job in his field as a software developer in Langley. In his job interview, Wayne used several of the tips, he learned during the CIIP session. EMPLOYMENT PRE-ARRIVAL SUCCESS

Ian Flood “I saw a job advertised for a mechanical project manager with the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. I was interviewed in the UK by the engineering director and was successful in that interview. He asked me to go out to Canada in early January and to bring my wife so she could see where we would live - Hay River. They paid for all the air fares. We returned last Friday and I have been offered the job. This is the same field as I worked in the UK.” ALTERNATIVE DESTINATIONS PRE-ARRIVAL SUCCESS Jocelyn Almanzor “I went back to my notes from the CIIP and reviewed particularly on the Professions that's in demand in Manitoba. So after 2 months in Toronto, I flew to Winnipeg, Manitoba to start my new life again. I was hired as an Accounting Assistant to a car dealership company.”

THROUGH NEWCOMER SUPPORT SUCCESS IN CANADA After successfully completing a six- month paid internship with Careerbridge, Ovais Aziz was hired by RBC as a Senior Risk Analyst Vikas Keshri enrolled in a bridging program for internationally-educated social workers. He passed the licensure exam and was employed by the CMHA Amir enrolled in a co-op program which involved volunteering for 2.5 months. He was placed with SPL Consultants for his voluntary work and was later hired as an Engineer in Training

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS! Employer demand (senior level skill shortages) Government commitment (promotion, funding) Canadian support network (online support) Locally-engaged staff trained in Canada Flexible service-delivery (in-person, online) “Pre-arrival services have proven to be an invaluable asset in setting expectations and preparing immigrants for the challenges they will face in Canada. And early signs show that the CIIP is paying large dividends….These results would indicate that clients of the CIIP are faring much better than non-CIIP graduates. …” TD Economic Report, Feb 2012

FUTURE PROSPECTS Reduction in FSW processing Impact of changes to the points system Requirement for credential assessment New Federal Skilled Trades stream and Start-Up Visa class Proposed Expression of Interest (EOI)

Watch this space: Katrina Murray CIIP Regional Director, UK/Gulf Tel: +44-(0)