April 7, 2010, Ottawa – United Way Ottawa congratulates Hire Immigrants Ottawa (HIO), recent recipient of an Arthur Kroeger College Award for Public Affairs. HIO is being recognized for its work promoting the integration of skilled immigrants into the workforce and addressing systemic barriers by bringing together employers, immigrants, agencies and other stakeholders.
“Immigrants and new Canadians are a largely untapped pool of incredible skills, work experience and levels of education,” said Rosemarie Leclair, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hydro Ottawa Ltd. and Employer Council of Champions (ECC) Co-Chair. “The potential there is invaluable in terms of what this group has to offer our workplaces and for their own professional and personal development.”
According to data recently released by Statistics Canada, Ottawa’s foreign-born population is set to jump from 19 per cent in 2006 to 36 per cent in 2031. With declining birthrates, decreasing numbers of post-secondary graduates and an influx of retirements, Ottawa’s employers face impending skills shortages and need to prepare their workplaces for the effective recruitment and integration of skilled immigrants.
“HIO is important in our community because it works hard to give employers the tools, resources and networks necessary to respond to and capitalize on these demographic shifts,” said Michael Allen, President and CEO, United Way Ottawa. “It addresses critical barriers facing new Canadians every day — from recognizing international education and accreditation, to restrictive language and security requirements. HIO is making tremendous progress in knocking those walls down, allowing skilled immigrants to secure meaningful employment and enabling employers to tap into a powerful workforce.”
HIO recently hosted employers, executives from the public and private sectors, and representatives from immigrant-serving agencies at the 2010 Employer Council of Champions Summit. The annual ECC Summit is an opportunity for employers to learn about the most effective ways of integrating skilled immigrants into their workplaces. A key element of the Summit was the 2010 Employer Excellence Awards, which recognizes local employers who have implemented innovative practices in recruiting and retaining skilled immigrants. Recipients included the City of Ottawa for its innovative ‘Equity and Inclusion Lens’ human resources tool, OCRI Talent Bridge for its internship program and Revera Health Services Inc. for its outstanding record in retaining skilled immigrants.
In 2002, United Way led an in-depth environmental scan of our community’s landscape. Unemployment and underemployment of internationally trained individuals was identified as one the top 10 economic challenges facing Ottawa in the next decade. United Way sought out and convened community partners that could take the lead on addressing this issue, and continues to support HIO in a facilitation role.
About Hire Immigrants Ottawa
Hire Immigrants Ottawa is a community-based initiative that connects employers, immigrant agencies and stakeholders to create employment opportunities for skilled immigrants in the Ottawa area. Lead partners of the HIO initiative include United Way Ottawa, City of Ottawa, Local Agencies Serving Immigrants (LASI) World Skills Inc., le Regroupement des Gens d’Affaires de la Capitale Nationale (RGA), Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) and Ottawa Chamber of Commerce. Hire Immigrants Ottawa is funded by the Government of Ontario and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
For more information, please contact:
Kate Headley, United Way Ottawa
Phone: 613-683-3823 or Cell: 613-294-8128
E-mail: kheadley@unitedwayottawa.ca