Supporting Newcomers in Need An Opening Doors Workshop February 4, 2010 Aurora Public Library Presented by: Lisa McBride, Coordinator, Tiziana Knox and

Supporting Newcomers Supporting Newcomers in Needin Need

An Opening Doors WorkshopFebruary 4, 2010

Aurora Public Library

Presented by: Lisa McBride, Coordinator,

Tiziana Knox and Shereen Mir, Outreach Specialists, Immigrant Information Services

Job Skills

AgendaAgenda

• About Job Skills• Learning Outcomes• Newcomers in York Region• Cultural Barriers and Adaptation• Services Available to Newcomers• Questions & Answers

Supporting Newcomers in Need

Job Skills’ OverviewJob Skills’ Overview

• Job Skills has 12 sites throughout York, Dufferin, Halton, Peel and Toronto

• Services are available to all unemployed residents• Currently serves more than 25,000 individuals annually• Job Skills receives funding from the Government of Canada,

provincial and municipal governments and the United Way of York Region


Summary of Programs & ServicesSummary of Programs & Services

Employment Services & Programs• Employment Assessment Centres• Youth Outreach & Employment Services • Job Finding Club

Newcomer Employment Services• Practice Firms• Immigrant Information Services• Welcome Centre Immigrant Services

Job Search Workshops Employment Settlement Supports


Summary of Programs & ServicesSummary of Programs & Services

Self-Employment Services & Programs• Self-Employment Benefits Program (SEB) • Opportunities Fund - SEB Program• Youth Entrepreneurship Program (YEP)

Special initiatives are also developedto address local labour market needs

Employment Services provided since 1988, Business Services since 1995,

Newcomer Employment Services since 2003


Job Skills' Mission StatementJob Skills' Mission Statement

Job Skills is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing people’s capacity to participate in the labour market, thereby contributing to the economic and social

viability of our community.

For more information visit:

www.jobskills.org


Learning OutcomesLearning Outcomes

A. Learn more about the services and support available to newcomers

B. Assist newcomers by providing an appropriate and timely referral

C. Enhance your knowledge of the social service support network in York Region including “hidden” service providers


• Approximately 900,000 people live in York Region. • About 45% of people in this region were born outside of Canada.• Immigrants, especially those who have been in the country for

five years or less, are the fastest growing segment of York Region’s population.

• Since 1981, there has been a shift in the main place of origin of York Region’s recent immigrant population from Southern Europe to Asia and Eastern Europe.

Newcomers in York Region


• Between 1991 and 2001, 69% of Canada’s population growth was a result of people immigrating to Canada.

• Between 1991 and 2001, the number of recent immigrants increased by 132 per cent, while non-immigrants increased by only 31 per cent.

• Immigrant population accounted for about 60% of the growth between 2001 and 2006.

• By 2011, immigration will account for 100% of Canada’s net labour force growth.

Newcomers in York Region


Languages Spoken• In 2006, York Region had the second highest percentage of

residents who could not speak English or French in the GTA, which has increased since 2001.

• In 2006, York Region was one of the only municipalities in the GTA that had Russian and Farsi among the top five non-official languages most commonly spoken at home.


• The top five languages spoken at home in 2006: • Chinese • Italian • Russian • Farsi • Tamil

• BUT: In 2006, the most commonly used language in the workplace in York Region was English.

• WHAT THIS MEANS: Helping immigrants improve their English is important to their success in the workplace.

Languages Spoken


• York Region’s recent immigrants have a higher rate of enrolment in courses that lead to post-secondary accreditation than the total population.

• York Region’s recent immigrants are generally highly educated. They have a higher or equal level of education than non-immigrants.

Education


• BUT: York Region’s recent immigrants generally earn significantly less than non-immigrants who have the same level of education. For example, a recent immigrant with a university education earns an average of $38,400, compared to $63,800 for a non-immigrant.

• WHAT THIS MEANS: Education levels of recent immigrants need to be more appropriately recognized.

Education


• Recent immigrants to York Region are almost twice as likely to be living with relatives, as part of an extended family, than the total population.

• Like the general population, most recent immigrant families (87%) are home owners. This compares with 90% of the general population.

Housing


• BUT: In York Region, residents spend a higher level of their income on housing than families in other parts of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

• Recent immigrant families, perhaps due to lower income, are even more likely to spend more of their household income on housing than the total population, regardless of whether they are owners or renters.

• WHAT THIS MEANS: There is a need for more affordable housing options in York Region.

Housing


• Despite having generally higher education, recent immigrants regardless of ethnicity are almost three times more likely to be low income earners than are non-immigrants.

• The average median employment income for recent immigrants is about two-thirds of the employment income for non-immigrants.

• They are three times as likely to be within the low income cut-off.

Employment and Income


• WHAT THIS MEANS: They are economically and socially vulnerable during the first years after their arrival.

• More emphasis needs to be placed on matching recent immigrants with suitable employment and settlement services.– These services are more critical in the first few years after

immigration.

Employment and Income


Need a Break?


Activity OneActivity One


Needs:• Food• Housing , including Social Assistance• Employment (SIN card, accreditation, labour market

information, job search strategies, training, “Canadian Experience”, Rights and Employment Standards, etc.)

• Child care (care, schools, etc)• Health care (hospitals, medical, dental, therapy)• Citizenship/Permanent Residence• Legal services

Cultural Barriers and Adaptation


Barriers faced trying to meet needs:

• Isolation, lack of social supports• Language / Communication• Cultural shock (including stress) and cultural adaptation (attitude and

length of time)• Lack of information (rights, standards, etc.)• Access to services: Lack of information,

misinformation and “falling through the cracks”• Low income: Need job to get food, need

transportation to get job, need money to get transportation

• Child care, no social supports, cannot afford



Key Findings:• Newcomers report their early years in Canada as characterized

by isolation, vulnerability, and a lack of civic engagement.• Employment is an immigrant's primary need — once employed,

many other barriers can more easily be overcome.• Communication barriers impede access to key services (health,

education, legal) for many.• Current language training and translation services fail to help

immigrants overcome barriers to accessing services.



Culture Shock...• Is an emotional rollercoaster that someone experiences when

living in a new country;• Will be experienced in some way by anyone that has worked

and lived in a foreign country;• Grows out of the difficulties in trying to assimilate in the new

culture, causing difficulty in knowing what is appropriate and what is not.



Stages of Culture Shock:• Experts agree that culture shock has stages, and once people get

beyond the initial and most difficult stages, life in a new country becomes a lot better.

• There are four distinct phases (or stages) of culture shock:– Excitement– Withdrawal– Adjustment– Enthusiasm



Adaptation and Adjustment



Stage 1: Excitement

• The individual experiences a holiday or 'honeymoon' period with their new surroundings.

They:• Feel very positive about the culture • Are overwhelmed with impressions• Find the new culture exotic and are fascinated• Are passive, meaning they have little experience of the culture



Stage 2: Withdrawal

• The individual now has some more face to face experiences of the culture and starts to find things different, strange and frustrating.

They: • Find the behaviour of the people unusual and unpredictable,• Begin to dislike the culture and react negatively to the behaviour,• Feel anxious,• Start to withdraw,• Begin to criticize, mock or show animosity to the people.



Stage 3: Adjustment

• The individual now has a routine, feels more settled and is more confident in dealing with the new culture.

They:• Understand and accept the behaviour of the people,• Feel less isolated ,• Regain their sense of humour.



Stage 4: Enthusiasm

• The individual now feels 'at home'.

They:• Enjoy being in the culture,• Function well in the culture, begin to feel comfortable and take

steps to become more familiar with the culture, • Prefer certain cultural traits of the new culture rather than their

own,• Adopt certain behaviours from the new culture.



Activity TwoActivity Two


Timely and Appropriate ReferralsTimely and Appropriate Referrals

Services Available to Newcomers

Settlement Services

Family Support Services

Local Library

Local Food Banks

Early Years Centres

Schools and School Boards

Community Legal Clinic of York Region

Women’s Shelters

Ontario Works

Inn from the Cold

Housing/Childcare



Healthcare

Settlement Services

Community General Health Organizations Community Health-Specific Organizations

Walk-in Clinics

Hospitals


Food

Settlement Services

Local Food Banks

Community Organizations

Community Run Programs



Education

Settlement Services

Schools , School Boards

Accreditation Centres

Universities/Colleges



Some Ontario school boards have newcomer reception centres which may assess language skills of students and help them find schools with specialized language training support.

Banking

Settlement Services

Settlement.org



Transportation

Settlement Services

Driving and Vehicle Licensing Offices

Local Library

Malls (Service Ontario Kiosks)



Citizenship

Settlement Services

Local Library

Any York Region Member of Parliament’s office

(http://foundlocally.com/yokr/local/Gov-FederalMPs.htm)

Settlement.org



Employment

Accreditation Centres

Local Service Canada Centre

Employment Assessment Centres

Employment Resource Centres

Community Legal Clinic of York Region (Employment Laws)

Ontario Works



Language (ESL/LINC)

Language Assessment Centres (i.e. A-LINC)

Local Library

School Board

Colleges



Questions & AnswersQuestions & Answers


in partnership with:

Employment Ontario programs are

funded in part by the Government of Canada


Documents

Supporting Newcomers in Need An Opening Doors Workshop February 4, 2010 Aurora Public Library Presented by: Lisa McBride, Coordinator, Tiziana Knox and