1. ACCC Annual General Meeting The changing landscape: Immigrants and community colleges Keynote address by Ratna Omidvar Executive Director, The Maytree Foundation

2. The Maytree Foundation A business approach to making change Public interest Risk capital

3. Why immigration? Poverty Social justice Nation building

4. The immigration context Source: Statistics Canada Census 2001

5. The immigration imperative Demographic dependency ratio domestic death rate exceeds birth rate by 2026 Economic 70% of the current net growth in the labour market is provided by immigrants Immigrants will provide 100% of net labour market growth by 2011

6. The changing face of immigration Proportion of immigrants born in Europe and Asia by period of immigration Source: Statistics Canada Census 2001

7. Who is the immigrant? Source: Statistics Canada Census 2001

8. Is immigration working? Labour market performance of immigrants arriving in the 1990s: Lower average earnings Lower labour market participation rates Higher unemployment rates Serious underemployment of highly skilled

9. Solutions - fulfilling the promise Systems-based Requires coordinated approaches in: 1. the provision of information overseas 2. comprehensive assessment services for immigrants, and 3. bridge training to fill identified gaps. Stakeholder capacity Coordination and leadership

10. What can community colleges do? Be responsive Plan strategically Be inclusive

11. What can community colleges do?  Collaborate with other stakeholders  Develop initiatives in access, assessment and programming

12. What can community colleges do?  Think globally  Accelerated Integration Program for Immigrants  Be innovative

13. Change that matters “If you see something that is wrong, you have to hop to and try to change it. Don’t worry about the big, abstract problems that no one, not even the government, can solve. Deal with problems close to home.” Jane Jacobs