Employment and language proficiency –the greatest concern for the immigrants

Immigrants coming to Canada have two major concerns in mind- Employment and Language Poficiency

Recently a study was made by Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) in which the experiences of immigrants newly coming to Canada were recorded. The research was carried for almost two years.

As per the experiences of new immigrants, the two major concerns for them is “employment” and “language proficiency”.

The latter concern is more for the immigrants from nations which are non-English speaking. Canada expects the immigrants to learn either English or French as these two are the official languages of the nation.

Debbi Douglas, Executive Director of OCASI says, “This study shows that investment in settlement and integration services is making a real difference in the lives of immigrants.”

He also supports the fact that they should starts working as soon as they arrive here so that it yields benefit to them and also to the nation.

In this survey about 2500 immigrants were interviewed and two thirds of them expressed “employment” as their major concern.

To get a job they also get an adequate support from bridge programs and training agencies who help them brushing upon their existing skills which they have acquired in their home countries.

Ontario’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Charles Sousa says, “Putting skills of newcomers to work and improving their social and economic integration is the key to the Province’s economic prosperity.”

Sousa also assured that he would be requesting the Federal government to reverse the cuts made in financing the province’s settlement services. He is ready to hold meetings with the government.

The immigrants are concerned about these two areas because often the skilled immigrants who have earned higher degrees in their home countries might not be able to get an appropriate one. After coming here they either have to settle down for a job which is not in line with their qualification or they have to acquire higher degrees in Canada so that they can be eligible to get a decent job.

Another concern is the language proficiency without which one cannot get a job. One has to have a fair knowledge of either English or French. This is a minimum requirement to get visa for coming to this nation.

Hence all those who come here have a concern at the back of their minds about getting a job and before that clearing the test to get an approval for coming to this nation.