International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Improving Access to Labour market Information for migrants and employers
238
with information and skills about living and working in Canada that they otherwise
would have lacked, which usually take the form of training directly relevant to either
the Canadian labour market or their profession of choice; we will also discuss a
specific subset of training programmes, called bridge training programmes, which
target more specific challenges in integration. Secondly, settlement services assist
immigrants with any issues they encounter in relocating to Canada, such as filling
out immigration forms and providing documentation, opening a bank account,
improving their English or French, and directing them to bridging programmes
that provide explicit job training. The dichotomy between bridging programmes
and settlement services is not perfect; certainly some programmes would fit the
description of both, but for the purposes of this sub-section, the distinction is a
useful way of organizing services available to permanent residents.
Additionally, the Working in Canada website is also an important tool for economic
immigrants already living in Canada, but as the details are more directly applicable
to those who have not yet immigrated, the next sub-section will describe the tools
specifically for immigrants on the Working in Canada website, as well as other
sources of information for potential immigrants and temporary workers. For those
already in Canada, Working in Canada functions essentially as a job bank.
Job search methods by occupational group
There are significant differences in employment opportunities by occupation in
Canada, reflected in the performance of different occupational groups after the
worldwide recession that began in 2008. Most notably, while unemployment in
Canada still remained above its pre-recession level at the end of 2011, over the
period 2007–2011, employment in professional, scientific and technical services
and public administration increased by 15.9 per cent and 12.3 per cent respectively.
Additionally, in health care and social assistance, employment increased by 14.9 per
cent over the same period. These three sectors together accounted for 107.1 per cent
of employment growth in Canada from 2007 to 2011 (CSLS, 2012). It is therefore
natural to examine whether job search methods differ in health care and social
assistance from other occupations, both for Canadian-born workers and immigrants.
Across almost all job occupations and types of workers, between a quarter and half of
those with jobs report learning about jobs through a family member or friend, making
informal networks the most common job search method by far (TIEDI, 2011). In
healthcare and social assistance, however, the job search methods that those who are
employed report having used to learn about their job differ between Canadian-born
workers and immigrants; immigrants are less likely to report having found their job
through personal initiative, despite personal initiative being a more common search
method in this field for Canadian-born workers. Table 11.3 summarizes the findings
of this survey. Among Canadian-born workers in health care, 35.4 per cent report
finding their job through personal initiative, as opposed to 26.6 per cent through a
family member or friend. Among immigrants, however, the corresponding figures
are 33.4 per cent and 39.1 per cent, respectively. This is the only occupational group