Small firms show reluctance in hiring overseas skilled professionals

Canada, February 2: According to a latest study by the Progress Career Planning Institute (PCPI), small firms fear high risk in hiring skilled migrants.

The study, which was released on January 29, states that Canada is proving to be a difficult destination for landing highly professional jobs by the internationally educated professionals (IEPs). 

Titled ‘The Power of Different; The Race to Bridge the Skills Gap in the Toronto Region’, the study found that nearly 71 percent of new professional immigrants agreed that they were seeing difficulties in achieving their professional careers take the desired shape in Canada.

Just about 30 percent of skilled immigrants expressed positive opinion concerning the current job scenario and their ability to get jobs in accordance with their qualifications. 

Nearly two-third of skilled migrants in Canada agree that they were asked to acquire further education before getting employed at Canada business firms, reveals the report funded by the CIC(Citizenship and Immigration Canada). The report was released at the 7th Annual 2010 International Educated Professionals Conference being held at Toronto’s Metro Toronto Convention Center. 

The 48-page report said that the immigrants find themselves caught in a vicious circle since they have to send back home money for their families and feel compelled to undertake two jobs. And this leaves no time to pursue higher studies as the criteria required by majority of Canada business employers for skilled migrants. 

Professional skilled immigrants from nearly 80 different nations participated in the one-day free conference hosted by PCPI, a not-for-profit organization based in Toronto involved in providing employment development services.

The main aim of this conference was to connect employers, policy-makers and professional regulators with skilled migrants. 

The experts have suggested the small business firms to accept and employ skilled migrants into their firms since the coming decade will see a significant rise in the immigration numbers and the majority of labor force available for hire will be the new skilled immigrants.