Why hire internationally trained individuals?

Hiring the right people is one of the most important parts of having a successful business. Any business that limits itself by not considering every qualified applicant is putting itself at a competitive disadvantage. This is why taking advantage of the pool of internationally trained individuals can provide a competitive edge.

To read a detailed business case for hiring internationally trained individuals, download the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters document here.

The business case for diversity is different for each company, but there are compelling reasons for achieving and managing diversity in the workplace. Diversity can help organizations to:

• identify and capitalize on opportunities to improve products and services;
• attract, retain, motivate and utilize human resources effectively; improve the quality of decision-making at all organizational levels; and
• reap the many benefits from being perceived as a socially conscious and progressive organization.

It is important not only to achieve diversity in the workforce, but also to manage it effectively.

This requires leadership, the establishment of priorities and realistic objectives, the assessment and development of policies and practices to meet the particular diversity needs of the organization, including accommodation needs, and the provision of management and employee training and support processes.

There are a number of strategies that can be used to identify highly skilled internationally trained individuals. Used in conjunction with their usual hiring/recruiting strategies, employers and human resources professionals can assure themselves of finding the best applicants for their businesses.

Many community groups and settlement agencies have employment preparation and job matching programs for their clientele. In addition to being a source for qualified internationally trained professionals and tradespeople, these agencies will also be able to offer advice on how to better assess, measure and evaluate internationally trained applicants.

To find listings of these agencies in your area visit the 211 Ontario – Access to Professions and Trades portal Directory of Services at www.211ontario.ca/apt.

Other sites that link employers to qualified internationally trained professionals are:

• The Toronto Region Immigrant Employer Council (TRIEC) - www.hireimmigrants.ca
• Internationally Trained Workers' Partnership - Ottawa (ITWP) - www.itwp.ca
• Wil Counselling and Training for Employment - www.skillsinternational.ca
• The New Canadian Project - www.newcanadians.org

Government Employment Programs

Job Connect is a program sponsored by the government of Ontario that may be useful to employers. Employers that operate a business in Ontario and are ready to provide on-the-job training and/or are seeking workers may benefit from Job Connect. Please call Employment Ontario at 1-888-JOB-GROW or (416) 326-5656 to discuss your hiring needs and get more information on training and employment services in your area, or read more at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/training/cepp/aboutjc.html

Need more information?

This section is new, and we expect to expand the content with your input. Send an email with your comments or suggestions to us at aptinfo@mci.gov.on.ca. Be sure to include "Employers section" in the subject of your email, to ensure the quickest response.

There are many issues facing employers when hiring internationally trained individuals. While this section may not be able to answer all of these questions or issues, we hope to be able to work with employers to make this section as informative and helpful as possible.