The Canadian Immigration Integration Project was a model to aid immigrant integration for foreign skilled workers (FSW) who were in the process of immigrating to Canada. This 5-year pilot project was funded by the Government of Canada and managed by the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC). The project was designed to help immigrants under the Federal Skilled Worker Program prepare for integration to the Canadian labour market while they were still in their country of origin completing final immigration requirements. The preparation included the following services:

• Labour market information sessions provided to groups of approximately 20 participants

• One-on-one counselling sessions based on an Individual Integration Plan

• Contact with Canadian organizations that may assist in the implementation of the Individual Integration Plan

The Reality of Immigrant Integration into Canadian Labour Market

Annually, when this pilot was conducted, Canada attracted approximately 250,000 immigrants from many different countries, with the top three being China, India and the Philippines. New immigrants entered Canada under three primary classifications - economic, family and refugee. The economic class was the largest sector with approximately 135,000 per year, and this encompassed both foreign skilled immigrants and business entrepreneurs. 

According to various government, business and academic reports, Canada is facing a drastic labour shortage of skilled workers in the next 15-20 years. This labour shortage is exasperated by three main factors: a naturally lower level of child birth, a massive retirement of an aging work force, and evolution of new technologies requiring new technical skills if companies want to remain globally competitive. 

The solution to the skills shortage problem cannot be accomplished without the integration of foreign skilled workers, in that immigrants would be the sole source of net labour market growth by 2012.

Within Canada, there was a drastic situation of skilled immigrants who are employed in a variety of survival jobs, with under-utilized technical and/or specialized skills. This in itself represented a significant economic loss to the economy.

For the government of Canada, it was socially and economically practical to accelerate the integration of FSWs for a whole host of reasons: to meet labour market shortages, generate viable income taxes, reduce reliance on social support systems, vitalize diversity, and strategically help all areas and regions of the country.

The Objective of the Evaluation

The objective of the evaluation of the CIIP was to assess the project rationale, effectiveness, efficiency, results, key success factors, lessons learned, and achievements. Overall, the results that were uncovered by the evaluation contributed to sound decision making, enhancing organizational learning, and promoting greater accountability and transparency.

The Program Outcomes

CIIP contributed to a more successful labour market integration process for skilled newcomers by developing a model for effective preparation in their country of origin. Through participating in CIIP, skilled workers who immigrate to Canada were expected to:

• Have a more realistic understanding of the opportunities and challenges they will face

• Make better informed decisions about the choices available to them

• Be better equipped to enter the labour force