filipino professionals finding work in canada project: initial findings

Filipino Professionals Finding Work in Canada Project: Initial Findings

Monica Anne Batac Graduate student Community-based researcher

18th National Metropolis Conference | March 5, 2016

AgendaThe deprofessionalized Filipino

Project background & design

Initial findings• Settlement staff• Landscape outside KMC• Newcomer focus groups

Closing thoughts

Future talks

March 11 - Ryerson University

June 2015 - Canadian Association of Social Work Education at Congress (Calgary AB)

Research report

To be released mid-summer

“In the context of global competition for skilled labour, Canada may experience serious social and economic consequences as a result of the underemployment… of its highly educated immigrants.”

(George et al. 2012, p. 422)

Categories for Filipino workers’ Canadian employment

perfectly matched different/flexible deprofessionalized

(Kelly et al. 2009, 2012)

Highly skilled immigrants are keen to access employment services, yet this group reports that they do not obtain the type of help and

support required for their job search needs.(Cukier et al., 2010)

Participatory Action Research (PAR)A "philosophical approach to research that recognizes the need for persons being studied to participate in the design and conduct of all phases (e.g., design, execution, and dissemination) of any research that affects them" (Volman, Anderson & McFarlane, 2004, p. 129).

The staff at KMC areresearch subjects, as well as

co-designers and researchers in research project. Since 1977, KMC has been providing settlement,

employment and social services for the Filipina/o immigrant community in Toronto.

Our research questionsWhat is currently being done to support the employment support needs of highly skilled Filipina/o workers?1

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What service delivery gaps exist, as identified by settlement and employment support staff and highly skilled Filipina/o workers?

What are the potential opportunities for developing improved employment support services for highly skilled Filipina/o workers?

community need + agency need + funding opportunity

shared experiences + shared goals

& now, some very preliminary findings

Initial findings | settlement staffSharing the deprofessionalized immigrant narrative

“Still I feel… like a newcomer. When I came here, I thought like I was in a suitcase earlier, when I was back home. And now, I thought I am in the garbage bin… In order to come out of the garbage bin, [I had] to do something, to find something, because I was a college lecturer back home.”

“When you come, you have your funds, [they’re] depleting every day because nothing comes in to replenish whatever expense.

I actually applied to so many positions here at the start, but nothing came. I realized, I only had a few interviews. But nothing came to reality…

… In fact, I also applied [to] the bottom, which is the factory worker, because there are so many agencies here looking [for workers], but still, I cannot! I don’t know why! I have my complex resume, I have my simplest resume, I have the medium resume! But really, I can’t, I can’t, I was not able to find one [job].”

Initial findings | settlement staffSettlement workers offered many suggestions for new or improved services, but what tempered their imaginations?

Mandate | Capacity | Funding

Referral versus internal supports | quality control and capacity

Generalist versus specialist | specific skills & training

“For the very ideal program, the employment agency – not for me, we are a settlement agency, we have boundaries. For the comprehensive one, for me, actually, I don’t want to do for everybody. That’s very mess[y], we cannot do many things at the Centre.

Some have a huge organization, one team particularly handling one program, another team handling another thing, that’s ok. Otherwise, it’s for me, having one good thing [focus] is better than having too many not effective things.”

Mapping out the agency landscapeDifferent places do different things

basic resume support | credential assessment | job searchjob fair | employer links | training and education | internships |

mentorship | the list goes on and on . . .

Finding the right information is challenging for both the settlement worker and client• what’s what, and where to go for what

services/programs

Supports for the information flow • LIPs, GEO, HealthForceOntario

to duplicate or differentiate ?

Initial findings | focus group

information finances support

• Filipino in Greater Toronto Area• Residing in Canada for less than 5 years• University degree or higher

Target participants

Priority needs

The needs, information, and supports are VERY context-specific.

Andres, IT professional Maria, midwife

Anthony, teacherRoland, teacher

Challenges with focus groups

Revamping design?

What if we include “settled” highly skilled Filipinos, asking them to think back about what supports/information would have been beneficial?

Reality for recruitment • Need jobs• Need support• Lack time

“The ethnic agency . . . represents the bridge to ethnic communities – a bridge that may be useful to mainstream agencies as they strengthen their service delivery capacity

for working with ethnic minority communities.”Iglehart & Becerra, 2010, p. 200

Looking back, looking forward• Uncovering past innovations• Reviving partnerships• Developing new collaborations

Thank you.

Monica Batacmonica.batac@ryerson.ca