2017 Embracing Diversity Full Report

Figure 6. Current occupations for newcomer respondents (NONA Survey)
Social Science/Education/Gov’t/Religion
Primary Industry
(unique to Agriculture/Fishing/Forestry/Mining)
Business/Finance/Admin.
Sales or Service
Trades/Transport/Equipment Op./Related
Health
Processing/Manufacturing/Utilities
Other
Blank
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Of the nine focus group participants residing in Huron, six were not currently employed, a few of
which expressed their dissatisfaction with the job opportunities. The individuals who were working
in Huron also lived in Huron and were happy with the work they had found, however, only two
said they had a good relationship with their boss.
“If I got work I’d be
happy. Working makes
everyone happy.”
In regard to becoming more job-ready, focus group
participants noted the difficulty in returning to school
in a new country after years of professional experience
and explained that they would need to study more to
have an equal opportunity here. Similar results were Participant, Huron County
seen in the NONA survey, however, 72% of those
surveyed had not taken steps to increase their level of education since moving to Canada. 23 One
man in the Huron focus group expressed deep sadness as he described his experience of being
underemployed for years as an electrician in Canada and eventually becoming unemployed
when new laws were passed that prohibited him from working without first passing a professional
examination in English. Another participant had given up trying to find employment in his field,
stating, “I think it’s impossible. I have a master’s degree in teaching from Korea. It’s not useful
here. I’m trying to find other fields.” This sense of hopelessness, owing to credentials not being
23 (2015). The Newcomer Outreach and Needs Assessment (NONA) Project.
20 Newcomer Experiences