Ottawa will quadruple the amount of money for language training and other services for immigrants in Ontario in a “landmark” $920-million deal announced yesterday that critics say is long overdue.

Ontario will receive the money over five years starting next year and it will be directed at everything from technical language training to job counselling in a bid to help the province tap the potential of the 125,000 newcomers who arrive here every year.

“We’ll work towards integrating people with skills from other places,” Immigration Minister Joe Volpe said at a news conference in Toronto. “We want to give people the opportunity to be more productive. The accord will also allow for greater co-operation between Ottawa and Ontario to target the province’s labour-market needs.”

Ontario receives more than half of Canada’s immigrants every year, and it has long complained it gets short-changed on federal funding to help them get settled.

Until yesterday, Ontario received $800 for each immigrant in federal funds, a sum that will increase to $3,400 in five years. In contrast, Quebec receives $3,800 for each immigrant.

The agreement will also formalize how the two levels of government can work together on the complex portfolio, and allow Ontario to create a provincial nominee program to recruit immigrants qualified for specific jobs.

Ontario Immigration Minister Mike Colle praised the deal: “It is, I think, the beginning of unleashing the potential of so many willing, hard-working newcomers here in Ontario. They want to get a job. They want to succeed. They want to learn English.”

With a federal election looming, some critics called the deal a ploy to court the ethnic vote. In the Ontario Legislature, Conservative MPP Frank Klees said the five-year deal takes too long to help immigrants that are waiting for training now.

“This announcement . . . is couched with waffle words that mean nothing to the fathers and to the mothers who are desperate today for an opportunity to earn an income and to work in their professions,” Mr. Klees said.

Mr. Volpe denied the funding was timed to coincide with an election and said the deal is a “contractual obligation” that won’t change should there be a change of federal government.

Ben Trister, former head of the immigration section of the Canadian Bar Association, said the announcement was long overdue and restores “fairness to our settlement system.”

“It will also provide for the creation of a provincial nominee program. One of our problems now is that the selection system doesn’t focus on labour-market needs,” he said.

Under the current system, only highly educated immigrants can qualify to come to Canada. Statistics Canada studies show these newcomers are underemployed and take longer to catch up to their Canadian-born counterparts. At the same time, there is a shortage of workers in such skilled trades as construction and tool-and-dye making. Mr. Trister hopes Ontario will develop a program to recruit workers on temporary visas to fill these jobs.

The Conference Board of Canada has estimated that a failure to recognize immigrants’ credentials costs the Canadian economy as much as $1-billion a year.

The Government of Canada today launched the Internationally Trained Workers Initiative, delivering on the commitment made in the Speech from the Throne to improve the integration of immigrants and internationally trained Canadians into the work force. The launch was held simultaneously in Toronto and Vancouver.

“For Canada to succeed in the 21st century economy and ensure our quality of life, we must continually improve the quality of our work force,” said the Honourable Lucienne Robillard, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, in announcing the comprehensive strategy in Toronto. “We look forward to working with partners to ensure that everyone can use their skills and abilities, no matter where they received their training, so that they—and Canada—can benefit to the fullest.”

Today’s announcement includes the following:

* The launch of the Government of Canada’s initiative to help address shortages of health-care professionals by providing $75 million over the next five years to improve the integration of internationally trained doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals into the Canadian system;
* The launch of the Government of Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition program, with $68 million in funding over six years to facilitate the assessment and recognition of foreign qualifications for both regulated and non-regulated occupations;
* The launch of the Government of Canada’s on-line Going to Canada Immigration Internet Portal, to be implemented in cooperation with the provinces and territories. This is part of a $100 million commitment to an improved and integrated service delivery strategy. The portal will help prospective immigrants make informed decisions about coming to Canada and prepare for the Canadian labour market and society before they arrive;
* A commitment to provide $20 million a year in ongoing funding to the Enhanced Language Training initiative, which helps immigrants acquire the language skills necessary to obtain and retain jobs commensurate with their level of skill and experience. This initiative complements the $140 million a year being spent to provide basic language training to immigrants outside of Quebec; and
* The government’s recently launched Action Plan Against Racism, with $56 million over five years for a series of measures to combat the discrimination Canadians sometimes face, including in the workplace, and to help realize Canada’s vision of an inclusive and equitable society.

“With this initiative, we are addressing many of the challenges that immigrants and internationally trained Canadians face when starting a career in Canada,” said the Honourable Hedy Fry, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, in Vancouver. “When the Prime Minister asked me to lead this comprehensive and integrated interdepartmental initiative, it became clear that the Government of Canada could not accomplish this alone. We need to build on partnerships with stakeholders who have jurisdiction in many of the areas that require intervention if we are to achieve common success.”

These actions are part of a coordinated strategy to bring the skills and experience of internationally trained professionals into the Canadian labour market. Provincial and territorial governments are essential partners. The Government of Canada will also work with cities and communities, service providers, employers, labour, professional and regulatory bodies, post-secondary educational institutions, the business community itself, and other stakeholders to find national, coherent solutions to this challenge.

“Immigration is vital to our economic and social development, but for a variety of reasons some immigrants face difficulties integrating into the work force and society,” the Honourable Joe Volpe, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, told representatives of professional associations, regulators, employers, educators and immigrants in Toronto. “The Internationally Trained Workers Initiative reflects this government’s commitment to equality of opportunity and our understanding that Canada’s diversity is a source of strength and innovation.”

“We are taking direct action to fulfil the commitment we made last September when the First Ministers unanimously agreed on the Ten-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care,” said the Honourable Ujjal Dosanjh, Minister of Health, in Vancouver. “This initiative will help address shortages of health-care professionals and improve Canadians’ access to high-quality care. It supports our efforts with the provinces and territories to renew the health system and ensure it is sustainable.”

On March 21, the Minister of State (Multiculturalism), Raymond Chan, launched Canada’s first-ever Action Plan Against Racism. “We have just unveiled, as part of our Action Plan Against Racism, the Racism-Free Workplace Strategy,” said the Honourable Raymond Chan, in Vancouver. “The goal of this strategy is to eliminate all discriminatory barriers to employment and to ensure full inclusion in the workplace. To this end, we have also initiated projects through the multiculturalism program that actively involve internationally trained workers in overcoming barriers based on foreign credential recognition. Only by working together can we ensure that everyone has the opportunity to achieve their potential and contribute fully to Canadian society.”

The Internationally Trained Workers Initiative has been developed in partnership with a broad variety of stakeholders, who have been consulted in a series of roundtables across Canada by the Honourable Hedy Fry. Some 14 federal departments and agencies are working on the initiative in close collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, regulators and various stakeholders.

I thought this post by Margo on canadiandesi.com was worthy of more publicity. Hence, its replication here …

I arrrived on June 23 with my two younger children and my husband and eldest daughter arrived the following month. We stayed with friends initially and moved into a nice rented walkout basement in central Mississauga on Sept. 1, 2004.

In general, our stay here has been quite progressive and positive. The initial resettlement was fairly easy with regard to PR, SIN, opening bank accounts, etc. Our Indian drivers licences however needed to be verified at the Indian Embassy - I think this is a new requirement here. Settling into our rented apartment, getting a phone line, and PC took some effort. Preparing Canadian-style resumes and job hunting took considerable time and effort, but our hard work has eventually paid off and we have been attending a few interviews and hope to start work in our fields in early October. Our daughter did some volunteer work and is now working at entry-level in a lawyer’s office. Our son was fortunate in getting admission into the correct grade (Grade 11) on par with his peers with 16 credits and is attending a good catholic school close to where we live. He is enjoying his new subjects and activities and plays soccer every evening with friends of his age in a park nearby.

The family who lives in the bungalow above us is very pleasant and helpful. They too have relatives who have recently arrived in Canada and we have a lot in common.

My advice to newcomers would be to focus on integrating each member of the family into the way of life here. Start in a modest way and focus on finding a job that you like. Hold on to your money (it tends to disappear very fast here). Opt for a job that you enjoy rather than one that fetches more money, because a lot of time and effort is spent at ones job and there is not much happening socially to keep ones spirits high. Nuture relationships within your family and friend circle and network as much as you can, because life can get lonely here sometimes.

On the whole, I would say that Canada has made a good first impression on us and we look forward to a long and happy stay here.