CANNEXUS 2013
January 28th – 30th, 2013
Mohja Alia
Manager, Employment and Bridging
Mission Statement
ISIS is a leading community
organization that welcomes
immigrants.
Working in partnership,
ISIS offers services and creates
opportunities that enable
immigrants to participate fully in
Canadian life.
• Over 300 pre-arrival clients per year
• Pre-arrival clients currently live in
over 30 countries
• Top three source countries: India,
Philippines and China
ISIS
Numbers
• Post-arrival clients live in over 40
Nova Scotian communities
Pre-arrival services have proven to
be an invaluable asset in
Why
Pre-arrival?
– setting expectations
– preparing immigrants for the
challenges they will face in
Canada
– speeding up their integration
• Supportive Online Learning
Environment
Pre-arrival
Services
at ISIS
• Employment & Career
Counseling
• Business Counseling
• Language Counseling
Online
•
Job Search Workshop
•
Interview Skills Workshop
•
Working in Canada Workshop
•
Practice Interview Program
•
Mentoring program
•
Workplace Communication Skills
Business
•
Email Writing
Counseling
•
Professional Writing Skills
•
Idioms for the Workplace
Language
•
Listening Practice Activities
Counseling
•
Interpersonal Communication Skills
•
Introduction to Business in Canada
•
Evaluating Your Business Idea
Employment
& Career
Counseling
Supportive
Online Learning
Environment
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Facilitated
Individualized follow-up
Self-paced activities
Timely feedback
Peer interaction
Discussion groups
Customized activities
Employment Counseling
Set goals, make plans, build skills…
-
Provide individual pre-arrival employment
counseling
-
Assess transferrable skills and work
experience
-
Help clients understand Canadian labor
market realities (be Job Ready)
Employment Counseling
For clients in regulated occupations…
-
Self assessment tools (i.e. healthcare
professions, engineering, law)
-
Pathway to licensure diagrams
-
Access to information and online resources
-
Referral to regulatory bodies and
professional associations
Employment Counseling
Begin links to workforce integration…
-
Help to identify and research potential
employers
-
Refer to specific employers
-
Pre-arrival interviews with employers
Pre-arrival / Distance Employment Counselling
91% Employed in field
When did you get a job offer?
Pre-arrival clients
Non Pre-arrival clients
Before arriving in NS
13%
0%
Less than 3 months in NS
47%
31%
3-6 months in NS
33%
23%
More than 6 months in NS
6%
46%
Outcomes
Pre-arrival
Benefits
of
Pre-arrival
Services
•
Get started earlier and arrive better prepared
•
Build realistic expectations
•
Complete assessment of credentials and
preliminary exams
•
Identify essential and employability skills (self
assessment)
•
Ready to start other profession specific bridging
programs immediately on arrival
•
Identify and explore alternative careers
•
Connect strategically with employers
•
Boost newcomers’ employment rate and pace!
Integrating Faster:
Post-arrival supports & programs
• Work Placement
• Wage Subsidy
• Work-based Competency Assessment for Engineers
• Professional Bridging Programs (IMG, IPG, IEDP)
• Observerships (ITL, IMG)
International Medical
Graduates Video
• International Pharmacy
Graduates Video
International Pharmacy Graduates (IPGs)
Success Rate- 2012
• 16 IPGs participated in the pharmacy Bridging Program at ISIS
and sat for the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada exams
• 14 IPGs passed exam/exams
• 9 IPGs are fully licensed and started practicing pharmacy in NS
The success rate of IPGs attending the IPG Bridging
Program in Nova Scotia is 88%
IMGs’ Success Rate- 2011
IMGs in NS : 2011
Pass rate – 70 %
IMGs in NS:
2011
Pass rate – 83%
Success Story
Services Received:
Pre-arrival:
• Employment counseling
• Pre-employment workshops
• Pathway navigation
• Employer connections &
referral
Post-arrival:
• Practice interview
• Introduction to the IMG
Bridging program
• Employer connections &
referral
“I am writing to share with you and thank you and
everyone at ISIS for all the support and aid that has
allowed me to successfully find a remarkable
employment opportunity that will kick off my career
here in Canada to an amazing start!!! I have been
accepted as a Research Associate at Capital
Health/IWK. I will forever be indebted to you and
ISIS for providing me with the essentials of
successful settlement and job finding mainly prearrival as well as post arrival, without which I would
have been completely stranded and more than likely
unable to find a job as perfect and as relevant to me
as the one I have now. Thank you.”
Pre-arrival client
Halifax, NS
Last word: Pre-arrival services are an essential part of our strategy to
help newcomers succeed
• Group occupation-based orientation sessions
• E-recruitment tool (in process)
• Expanding professional mentor program
• Live-streaming (trial phase)
• Online access to profession specific information sessions,
educational resources, and courses (www.online.isisns.ca)
• Connect regulatory partners with pre-arrival initiatives
(i.e. Nova Scotia Start)
Moving forward
Questions?
THANK YOU
Mohja Alia
Manager, Employment and Bridging
Programs
Immigrant Settlement and Integration
Services (ISIS)
(902) 406-8840
malia@isisns.ca