by: Dana Flavelle
Canada's largest employers are in danger of losing some of their most talented visible minority employees unless they begin placing a higher value on their foreign education and training, a new study warns. Almost half the visible minority professionals surveyed said they feel their foreign training isn't as highly valued as Canadian diplomas, degrees and certificates, a study by Catalyst Canada and Ryerson University revealed. They were also twice as likely to feel this way as white/Caucasian colleagues who studied abroad, the study found. Visible minority professionals who felt undervalued were the least satisfied in their jobs and the most likely to consider leaving the country in search of other opportunities, the initial results of the study also showed. The findings raise serious global competitiveness issues for Canada, the authors said, particularly in light of the country's growing dependence on immigrants for future economic growth and prosperity. Within a decade, visible minorities will account for one in five members of the available workforce and in large cities like Toronto they'll represent half, the authors said. “If our final research confirms that this group is most likely to seek opportunities outside of Canada, the implications for competitiveness, economic growth and productivity could prove to be significant,” Catalyst Canada's executive director Deborah Gillis said Wednesday.
“Integrating immigrants and visible minorities is critical to the growth and productivity of Canada. It's an issue of economic prosperity for our country,” said Zabeen Hirji, chief human resources officer for RBC Financial Group, the main corporate sponsor of the research. “The challenge for corporate Canada is finding exactly what barriers are preventing visible minorities from advancing in their chosen careers and then addressing those barriers.” “Diversity is more than a matter of equity or human rights. It is also the single most competitive issue we face as a nation,” said Wendy Cukier, associate dean in Ryerson's faculty of business. While the problems faced by new immigrants who can't find work in their field is well-documented, this is the first study based on a broad survey of established, experienced professionals, the authors said. The survey last fall of 6,000 people working as professionals, managers or executives at Canada's 500 largest firm included visible minority and white/Caucasian employees, both male and female. Participants had on average 20 years' work experience. The full report, called Career Advancement in Corporate Canada: A Focus on Visible Minorities, is scheduled for release in June.
Canada's largest employers are in danger of losing some of their most talented visible minority employees unless they begin placing a higher value on their foreign education and training, a new study warns. Almost half the visible minority professionals surveyed said they feel their foreign training isn't as highly valued as Canadian diplomas, degrees and certificates, a study by Catalyst Canada and Ryerson University revealed. They were also twice as likely to feel this way as white/Caucasian colleagues who studied abroad, the study found. Visible minority professionals who felt undervalued were the least satisfied in their jobs and the most likely to consider leaving the country in search of other opportunities, the initial results of the study also showed. The findings raise serious global competitiveness issues for Canada, the authors said, particularly in light of the country's growing dependence on immigrants for future economic growth and prosperity. Within a decade, visible minorities will account for one in five members of the available workforce and in large cities like Toronto they'll represent half, the authors said. “If our final research confirms that this group is most likely to seek opportunities outside of Canada, the implications for competitiveness, economic growth and productivity could prove to be significant,” Catalyst Canada's executive director Deborah Gillis said Wednesday.
“Integrating immigrants and visible minorities is critical to the growth and productivity of Canada. It's an issue of economic prosperity for our country,” said Zabeen Hirji, chief human resources officer for RBC Financial Group, the main corporate sponsor of the research. “The challenge for corporate Canada is finding exactly what barriers are preventing visible minorities from advancing in their chosen careers and then addressing those barriers.” “Diversity is more than a matter of equity or human rights. It is also the single most competitive issue we face as a nation,” said Wendy Cukier, associate dean in Ryerson's faculty of business. While the problems faced by new immigrants who can't find work in their field is well-documented, this is the first study based on a broad survey of established, experienced professionals, the authors said. The survey last fall of 6,000 people working as professionals, managers or executives at Canada's 500 largest firm included visible minority and white/Caucasian employees, both male and female. Participants had on average 20 years' work experience. The full report, called Career Advancement in Corporate Canada: A Focus on Visible Minorities, is scheduled for release in June.
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