New tools for integration: Credential assessment for displaced individualsCareering

New tools for integration: Credential assessment for displaced individuals

May 30, 2019By
Many refugees who arrive in Canada are highly skilled, but have little access to evidence to prove their academic achievements

Beatrice Kohlenberg

The United Nations estimates that there are more than 68 million individuals displaced as a result of natural disasters, conflict and violence (United Nations, 2018). Many are forced to flee with little to nothing in hand. When these individuals arrive in a new country, ready to contribute their skills, they often face a critical challenge: lack of proof of their educational credentials.

The need for solutions that allow these individuals to begin quickly contributing their skills to their new communities has become increasingly urgent over time. The conflict in Syria – and the huge outflow of people seeking new lives in Canada – prompted the Canadian government to begin looking for solutions in 2015.

Many of these refugees were highly skilled, but had little access to evidence to prove their academic achievements. Their institutions were destroyed, damaged, closed or unresponsive. This caused significant delays and barriers when attempting to build a life in Canada and go back to school, re-enter their professions or find anything but a so-called survival job.

World Education Services (WES) is a credential evaluation service provider that also partners with a number of organizations in Canada’s settlement sector. As such, we quickly began hearing from our institutional and community partners about issues on the ground. Refugees were facing barriers to integration. They wanted to re-build their professional lives, but without verification of their educational attainments, that was exceptionally difficult.

International policies added another element of urgency to these questions: Canada was on the verge of ratifying an international agreement, commonly referred to as the Lisbon Recognition Convention. In the details of this treaty is a special note regarding the credential recognition for “refugees, displaced persons, and persons in a refugee-like situation.” This clause details assurance and accessibility requirements for credential assessment and recognition for this specific population.

” … applicants who had the credential evaluation in hand were able to move forward with their lives.”

The confluence of factors provided an impetus for WES to create a refugee pilot project. The project ran throughout 2016 and 2017, and ultimately led to the establishment of a permanent initiative to help qualified individuals, including those who are not refugees but who have fled specific countries in crisis, surmount at least one barrier to moving forward with their lives. This program is now known as the WES Gateway Program.

Manifesting barriers in Canada

The problem of credential verification creates barriers that academic institutions, professional regulatory bodies and employers are not well positioned to address. Receipt of documents directly from the awarding institution is normative credential evaluation practice. These credentials stand as verifiable proof of baseline eligibility for academic programs and professional roles. Without these verifiable credentials, institutions and others often find their hands are tied.

“Our community welcomed many Syrian refugees, and as much as we all wanted to help,” said Kate Day, admissions and pathways advisor at Fanshawe College, “we learned quickly that we were missing some of the tools we needed to help these newcomers transition to post-secondary education.”

Read more:

Working with newcomer clients? Check out these 6 webinars

CERIC funds research to support the professional integration of immigrants in Quebec

6 websites you can share with your newcomer clients

Testing solutions to emerging challenges

WES launched its refugee pilot project in July 2016. The goal was to determine whether WES could use its expertise and resources to reliably provide those who were facing barriers to integration with a high-quality credential evaluation that would prove their academic accomplishments and their equivalency in Canada.

Drawing on over 40 years of experience, WES developed a rigorously tested methodology to compare available academic documentation to documents stored in our extensive archival database to produce an evaluation report. WES worked with documents individuals had in their possession that signified they attended or completed a program of study. In some cases, WES evaluators were able to reconstruct the course of study using partial documentation, information in the organization’s archives and knowledge of the country’s education system.

Working with a network of organizations across Canada who supported eligible participants with application assistance and wrap-around services, WES was able to provide 337 Syrian refugees – 100% of applicants – with a credential evaluation.

More notable, however, was the fact that applicants who had the credential evaluation in hand were able to move forward with their lives. Through surveys and participant feedback, we confirmed how the report was being used. Three-quarters of those who used the report to apply for education were offered admission. No applicants reported having their application rejected. Others used their report for the purpose of professional licensure; 84% reported passing the initial review. And more than 60% of those who used their WES credential evaluation to obtain employment reported receiving at least one job offer.

Just as impressive as these numbers was the quality of organizations that accepted these reports. They included organizations such as the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (APGO) and Osgoode Hall Law School.

To move forward with a scaled version of the program, WES conducted research on other countries in crisis. We sought to identify countries where great numbers of highly educated individuals were being forcibly displaced as a result of political unrest, conflict and natural disasters, and faced challenges in accessing verifiable documents. Equally important was our ability, based on data maintained in our credential evaluation database, to credibly map and reconstruct the education histories of applicants based on standard qualification requirements of a given education system.

Accessing long-term programming

We’ve now expanded the pilot phase to become the WES Gateway Program. This program is available in Canada to displaced individuals who, because of adverse circumstances in their country of education, lack standard proof of academic achievement.

Program eligibility centres on access to documentation, not refugee status. Eligible participants have been educated in seven countries: Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine and Venezuela.

As shown by the example of one applicant, the program’s impact is profound: Wid Sabir completed his education in Iraq. After arrival in Canada, he obtained a job offer from the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). However, to move forward, Wid had to provide TTC with a credential evaluation that validated his educational qualifications. This was a major barrier for Wid: He was able to obtain his diploma, but he could not obtain the needed verification from the Iraqi Ministry of Education.

“I was about to potentially lose this job offer because I couldn’t obtain verification and prove my qualifications,” he said.

Through word of mouth, Wid heard about the WES Gateway Program. He brought the documents he had in-hand to a WES referral partner, ACCES Employment, which submitted an application for a WES Gateway Credential Evaluation. WES evaluated Wid’s credentials and submitted the report directly to TTC for recognition. He began his new role with TTC earlier this month.

Wid’s story is one of many. The WES Gateway Program offers a way forward for displaced individuals, and provides employers and other institutions with the verification they need to recognize qualifications. It also enables career practitioners in the settlement sector to offer their clients solutions to this barrier. WES works with referral partners across the country to ensure that this program is accessible to those who need it. Visit wes.org/ca/wesgateway to find a list of our partner organizations.

Beatrice Kohlenberg, PMP, is the senior program manager for the WES Gateway Program. She has extensive experience in project and program management, managing employment and diversity programs covering all aspects of program development, implementation and evaluation.

References

United Nations. (2018, June 19). Figures at a Glance. Retrieved from https://www.unhcr.org/figures-at-a-glance.html

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Careering

Finding the pieces, focusing on the patterns and finishing the puzzle

May 5, 2019By
When using multiple assessment tools and strategies, these tips can help weave different elements into a meaningful whole

Deirdre A. Pickerell

When working with clients, career development practitioners (CDPs) are almost always engaged in some form of assessment. From the moment clients first seek services, and as their plans/goals evolve, CDPs assess and re-assess clients’ needs.

CDPs assess work search documents (eg, resume, cover letter) to help maximize their effectiveness and evaluate interview skills to help clients communicate their value to employers. CDPs also assess for factors such as skills, values, interests and personality as they assist clients in identifying new and emerging career opportunities. They assess for employment barriers, learning styles, career beliefs and a host of other factors that might be important when helping clients achieve their goals.

Finding the pieces, focusing on the patterns and finishing the puzzleA variety of formal (eg, psychometric “tests”) and informal tools (eg, checklists, cards) along with custom/in-house procedures (eg, intake forms, structured interview questionnaires) are used to support assessment processes. Some CDPs make very strategic, well-informed decisions about what tools to use, at what point in their work with clients. Others are limited by whatever their agency uses, what the funder will pay for, what they were taught or they rely on their “favourites” (Life Strategies, 2009).

Regardless of the tool being used or what is being assessed, at some point, all these pieces must be brought together into a meaningful whole, helping clients create a vision of the future, set achievable goals and create an action plan. Unfortunately, assessment results can sometimes seem contradictory; either the specific tools don’t align or the client’s story seems disconnected from assessment results. This, in turn, can create confusion for the CDP and the client, making the vision of the future much harder to see.

Building on a series of assessment-related tips (see http://lifestrategies.ca/resources/tip-sheets.cfm) developed by the team at Life Strategies, the following may help CDPs focus on the patterns and themes that emerge during any assessment process.

Read more from Deirdre A. Pickerell on CERIC’s CareerWise website:

The long-sought-after, unrealized dream of a single LMI portal

Check your assumptions about the gig economy

  1. Work within a conceptual framework.

    Tools such as the Wheel (Amundson & Poehnell, 1996) and the Hope-Centred Model (Niles, Amundson, & Neault, 2011) provide a lens through which to view each client’s context and presenting issue, helping to select relevant assessments and in the interpretation and integration of results. As with theories and models, working within a conceptual framework “equip[s] us with effective starting places to begin to understand what has already happened, what is happening now, and what needs to happen next” (Neault, 2014, p. 144).

  2. Understand and interpret each tool.

    To effectively interpret assessment tools, and integrate results across a battery of assessments, CDPs need to fully understand the theoretical foundation of each tool, including how each scale is defined (eg, the Six Factor Personality Questionnaire [SFPQ] defines extraversion differently from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator [MBTI]) and how scores are presented (eg, t-score, percentile). It is important to engage clients in the interpretation of each tool that is completed; their context and story are important components in understanding assessment results.

  1. Don’t over-interpret.

    Although CDPs must understand each tool and provide meaningful feedback on specific results, it is also important to avoid over-interpretation. Even norm-referenced tools (ie, where client results are compared against a norm group) are still self-assessments rather than objective measures. At this stage, be comfortable with gaps in information or with questions that might surface and remember that each individual assessment will contain far more information than you need. Be discerning; focus only on the information that is relevant for your specific purpose.

  1. Focus on the patterns.

    As each tool is interpreted, patterns will begin to emerge. Use Post-it notes, highlighters or other strategies to group together similar concepts. As assessment tools may use different words for similar concepts, remember to focus on the underlying meanings – not just the words.

  1. Explore contradictions.

    As you explore individual results and identify themes and patterns, some information may not fit together. To begin, consider whether the contradictions make sense based on the tools used; per Tip #2, as extraversion is defined differently on the SFPQ and the MBTI, it is possible for these two assessments to seem to contradict each other, but the underlying meanings may explain any confusing results.

  1. Consider other information.

    Remember that your clients are more than the sum of their assessment results. Their individual context and story along with their hopes and dreams for the future are of critical importance to the final picture. Take a holistic approach, weaving in information from a variety of other sources, and engage the client in creating a vision of their future.

  1. Be prepared for further assessment.

    As information is obtained, questions may surface that require additional assessment to explore them fully. However, be sure to recognize when enough is enough; over-assessing doesn’t necessarily lead to additional information. Be mindful of the client’s goal so that each additional assessment is still relevant to the broader purpose. Pay attention to client fatigue, physical comfort and attention span; assessments done while tired may be worthless.

  1. Be mindful when reporting results.

    How you report results may depend on your purpose, the audience, and who may have access to assessment results and for how long. In some instances, a keep-it-simple approach may be best; in others, a more comprehensive report to support a training or return-to-work plan may be required. Keep jargon and technical language to a minimum, especially if readers aren’t likely to be assessment experts. Always keep the purpose in mind so that reports are focused.

Ethical and effective use of assessment models and tools is a specialized skill. Specific and comprehensive training on individual tools is likely not going to include any meaningful information on how to focus on the patterns and themes across multiple tools or how to incorporate information from a wide variety of sources. As such, CDPs are encouraged to seek coaching, mentorship or other assessment training with a focus on assessment interpretation and integration. There is an “art” to seeing beyond the individual pieces to the story that is being told.

Dr Deirdre Pickerell, CPHR, GCDF-i, is Dean of Academics at Yorkville University’s British Columbia Campus and Vice-President of Life Strategies Ltd. She has been honoured with the 2014 Stu Conger Award for Leadership in Career Development and Career Counselling and the 2006 Human Resources Association Award of Excellence. She has authored/co-authored several articles, training guides and research reports on integrating assessment tools and models into effective career practice.

References

Amundson, N. & Poehnell, G. (1996). Career pathways (2nd ed.). Richmond, BC: Ergon Communications.

Life Strategies Ltd. (2009). Use of assessment processes and tools in career development services (2009). Retrieved from / source http://lifestrategies.ca/projects/assessment-processes-and-tools.cfm

Neault, R. A. (2014). Theoretical foundations of career development (pp. 129-152). In B. C. Shepard, & P. S. Mani (Eds.), Career development practice in Canada: Perspectives, principles, and professionalism. Toronto, ON: CERIC.

Niles, S. G., Amundson, N. E. & Neault, R. A. (2011). Career flow: A hope-centered approach to career development. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

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The Right Honourable David Johnston runs with children during an official visit to Repulse Bay, Nunavut, on Aug. 18, 2011. (Courtesy of the Rideau Hall Foundation)Careering

10 Questions for the Rt. Hon. David Johnston

February 6, 2019By

The Right Honourable David Johnston was Canada’s 28th Governor General. During his mandate, he established the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF), a registered charity that supports and amplifies the Office of the Governor General in its work to connect, honour and inspire Canadians. Today, he is actively involved as Chair of the RHF Board of Directors, and serves as an Executive Advisor at Deloitte.

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Careering

Client Side: How I found my career fit in science

February 6, 2019By
Scientist Leola Chow takes us on a journey through her career, from showcasing her work at elementary school science fairs to a career pivot into industrial research

In this Careering feature, jobseekers reflect on success and struggles in their career development.

I love science because my career allows me to learn something new and exciting every day. As a scientist, I enjoy asking scientific questions and solving problems. I enjoy writing articles about my research findings, as it resembles putting together pieces of a puzzle.

Throughout my career, I have travelled to different national and international conferences to present my research and to learn about the latest advances in the field. This has allowed me to see many different parts of the world and meet some remarkable scientists across the globe. I find this part of my work very rewarding.

Early career influences

I was interested in science from a young age. Starting in elementary school, my favourite class was science and I enjoyed learning about different scientific concepts. I was naturally drawn to science topics and had teachers who made learning about science fun. I enjoyed participating in science fairs and school open houses, where I showcased my science projects and presented experiments for the public. At home, my parents consistently encouraged hard work and good work ethic throughout my childhood.

As I entered high school, genetics fascinated me and I was intrigued by how small molecules called DNA can encode our physical characteristics.

Getting exposure to the field

This passion grew as I entered the University of Alberta, where I completed my BSc and PhD in molecular genetics. I decided to pursue graduate school following the completion of a thesis research course in the last year of my undergraduate training.

The experience I got in the laboratory during that time exposed me to a career in research and allowed me to realize that graduate school was my next logical career step. During my PhD training, I studied developmental genetics using fruit flies as the model system.

Following my PhD degree, I decided to pursue post-doctoral training as I still needed more research training to position myself as a competitive candidate to become a scientist. Therefore, I applied and was awarded a Canadian Blood Services (CBS) post-doctoral fellowship to study a bleeding disorder known as Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura.

Afterward, I began my research associate position at the University of Manitoba studying allergic asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. There, I gained translational research experience, which is more applicable to the study of human disease, and it allowed me to switch from an academic to an industrial position at the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), where I served as an associate scientist. This was the right path for me, as I enjoy the structure that industrial research provides. I appreciate that research is more project- and goal-orientated in an industry setting, whereas research in academia is more exploratory in nature.

Sources of support

An important tool in helping me build my career in science has been networking, as a large number of jobs are not advertised. There are a lot of networking events for life sciences professionals across Canada. For example, I was an executive member for WISER (Women in Science Engineering and Research), where I liaised with different research organizations and funding agencies to organize networking events to promote women in science, engineering and research. Currently, I am a volunteer for the Society for Canadian Women in Science & Technology (SCWIST), where I network with like-minded individuals and where I hope to inspire girls and women to enter the science and technology field.

My role models and sources of support have always been my mom and sister, who were there for me at every success and failure. My sister is a constant source of genuine and helpful advice because she is also in the STEM field. I have found it extremely helpful to share my experience with someone who understands the ups and downs of my career from a female perspective.

For myself, I stay on track of my career path by setting goals, seeing every mistake as a learning process instead of failures, and surrounding myself with positive people who continue to encourage me to achieve my best.

Leola Chow currently lives in Vancouver, BC, and is looking for new opportunities in the drug development field.

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editor's noteCareering

Editor’s note

February 6, 2019By

By Lindsay Purchase, CERIC Content & Communications Editor

I have mixed feelings about engaging children in STEM. On one hand, it’s a vital exercise that builds confidence and facilitates career exploration. On the other, as someone who spent three summers working at an engineering and science camp, I hope to never again spend an afternoon assembling circuits with 25 six-year-olds.

Joking aside, the value of a STEM education has been well established. Even for those who don’t pursue one of the many career paths it opens up, exposure to these subjects can foster the development of critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills (Let’s Talk Science and Amgen Canada, 2014).

However, when we think about STEM, we must also consider the labour market and social climate of our time. How will advances in technology affect these sectors? Who is included – and excluded – from pursuing STEM opportunities?

Several articles in this issue consider the changing face of STEM in an age of rapid technological transformations. Caroline Burgess suggests people pursuing careers in STEM can ride out the turbulence by focusing on four fundamentals, while Lucie Demers argues that expectations for success in science don’t always align with reality. And don’t miss this issue’s infographic, which paints a picture of employment in the digital economy – today and in 2021.

When we talk about success in STEM, we also need to consider questions of inclusion. Rachel Morgenstern-Clarren makes the case that we’re not doing enough to engage women in STEM and explains how we can do better. Also, in our Client Side feature, scientist Leola Chow takes us through her career journey and shares how she’s trying to inspire girls to enter the field.

Can’t get enough of our STEM issue? Continue your learning at ceric.ca/careering with online-exclusive articles on the importance of diversity in STEM, manufacturing in Eastern Ontario and more.

If you are interested in contributing to a future Careering issue or have feedback on our STEM issue, please contact me at lindsay@ceric.ca. 

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Careering

Why diversity is crucial to success in STEM

February 6, 2019By
STEM needs diversity of all kinds to survive and thrive

By Christin Wiedemann

Diversity has become a buzz word; there are diversity councils, diversity festivals and job titles that have the word diversity in them. Everyone is talking about diversity, but does it really matter – or is it just hype? Does diversity matter when we talk about STEM? The truth is that not only does diversity matter, without it, STEM would quickly stagnate.

When we talk about diversity, we typically talk about diversity of gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, nationality etc., but we must not forget to also include neurodiversity. We not only look and act differently, we also think differently. Furthermore, it is important to understand that everyone is a conglomerate of identities, and that we cannot address a lack of diversity by viewing people as “building blocks” that individually add one dimension, or unit, of diversity.

Rather than focusing on specific attributes, building a diverse team starts with providing an inclusive environment. Inclusion allows us to bring together different people with different strengths and different weaknesses; people that complement each other and make a stronger team. We need diversity; diversity drives innovation, and diversity is key to our growth as individuals and as organizations. STEM is no exception.

Diversity leads to innovation

STEM is a term used to group together the academic disciplines science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and when we talk about STEM professions, we include a very broad spectrum of roles and industries. One thing they all have in common though, is that we associate them with creativity and innovation. We rely on STEM to give us new medical devices that save lives, smart applications to make our banking easier and fun games that help us learn a new language. Such innovations would not be possible without diversity in STEM.

Innovation is the ability to imagine something new, something no one has done before. Innovation is having the creativity, and courage, to ask new questions and seek out potential answers. A homogeneous group is likely to ask the same questions over and over again, potentially with some minor variations. A heterogeneous group, on the other hand, is more likely to ask different questions because its members all bring different perspectives and viewpoints.

Diversity improves performance

Diversity also makes us adaptable. In recent decades, we have seen plenty of big companies, including Kodak and Blockbuster, perish because they could not adapt. Some companies fail because they don’t adapt to a changing market and changing needs of their customers, or because they failed to innovate. Kodak is now infamous for having failed to recognize the impact of digital photography, despite the first digital camera having been invented by a Kodak engineer. Blockbuster had the opportunity to partner with Netflix early on, but their focus on profitability prevented them from seeing Netflix as the disruptive innovation it was.

It would be interesting to know how diverse the workforce was of companies that failed to keep up with change, in particular at the executive level. Organizations and teams need diversity to stay relevant, and leveraging internal differences can give companies a competitive advantage.

Furthermore, numerous studies indicate that organizations that have a diverse workforce outperform other companies financially. The most-diverse companies are more likely to have above-average profitability, and this effect is especially strong if the executive management team is diverse. Studies have found that in some cases, an increase in diversity generates a direct increase in earnings.

A diverse workforce also means you have access to more talent. Diverse hiring increases the talent pool significantly; there are more potential candidates when you take diversity into account, and diverse hiring is also likely to attract more talent. An organization that publicly states that it values diversity will have an edge over other organizations in the competition for talent.

Three ways STEM companies can boost diversity in hiring

  • Provide appropriate training in diversity and implicit bias to everyone involved in the recruiting process
  • Review job ads for bias, and strive to create job postings that attract a diverse set of candidates
  • Actively identify candidates, aiming for a diverse pool of candidates before the selection process begins
Building better teams

Are there any benefits of diversity for the individual? Interestingly enough, there is research that suggests that diversity makes us perform better. Working in a diverse group forces us to work harder and to critically review our work, thinking of alternative ideas and solutions before presenting it to another group member. We would be less inclined to engage in such scrutiny in a homogeneous group where we would anticipate no disagreement. Working in a diverse organization is also more stimulating and interesting, although it can create challenges.

To summarize, diversity drives innovation, diversity makes us adaptable and diversity even makes us smarter. A lack of diversity in STEM would lead to fewer discoveries, which means fewer, and potentially less viable, solutions to humanity’s most pressing problems. Without diversity, we cannot harness the full potential of STEM. That is a strong enough case for diversity being relevant to STEM, but there is more. Recent examples of how artificial intelligence amplifies biases from the real world very clearly highlight the need for diversity in STEM. The people working in STEM professions need to represent the people using STEM products and services – they need to be representative of society as a whole.

No matter how you look, behave or think, STEM needs you to build a more diverse, and thereby better, future for everyone.

Christin Wiedemann is a passionate advocate for women in STEM, a passion she pursues through work and volunteering. She has been on the Board of Directors for SCWIST, the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology, since 2015, and in 2018 she took on the role of Co-Chair of the BC Chapter of WCT, Women in Communications and Technology. As a consultant, Christin has been fortunate enough to work on a variety of projects in very different environments. Her work has increasingly been focused on coaching and training.

References

Why diversity matters (McKinsey&Company) 

Businesses perform better when they have greater ethnic and gender diversity, study reveals (Independent)

More Evidence That Company Diversity Leads To Better Profits (Forbes) 

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Careering

How Eastern Ontario is addressing gaps in the manufacturing workforce

February 6, 2019By
The manufacturing sector offers many opportunities – and they’re not always what you’d expect

By Alysha Dominico

Isn’t it wonderful when we can set our kids up for a career success, encouraging them to take courses they love and that will lead to meaningful work? That could start to happen a lot more in Canada, but only if we start to give young people the advice they need now about the future of work and the manufacturing sector’s place within it.

According to Ontario East Economic Development Commission (OEEDC) data, in Eastern Ontario alone, there are currently 65,000 employees in manufacturing, and a large portion of that population is reaching retirement age. Manufacturing, you say? Isn’t that the career that generation X and millennials were told to aim higher than and avoid?

For whatever stigmas it has acquired, it turns out our economy can’t really survive without manufacturing. Granted, manufacturing in Canada is not the manufacturing you may expect – there are incredibly clean, lean and advanced processes happening in facilities across the country.

Bay of Quinte-based Kruger offers a clean, technology-focused facility and is a leader in new technologies, like robotics. The Proctor and Gamble plant in Belleville, ON, provides opportunities for skilled workers to use self-guided vehicles and “arm-like loading robots.” Hannafin Inc. provides support to companies that want to include automation and technology in their plants, and the Bay of Quinte area, where Hannafin is based, is rich in demand for technological services for advanced manufacturing. According to CME research, manufacturing in Canada helps to provide growth in every single other sector by 3.5% per manufacturing facility. It’s facilities like these ones, based in eastern Ontario, that help to drive the Canadian economy.

As extreme technological, social, and economic change increase demand for workers, the manufacturing sector faces new challenges to prepare the workforce for future jobs. The sector will need to fill the gaps left by the retiring baby boomer generation, and is already needing to fill positions for the following while also ensuring workers have the technical skills required to keep facilities globally relevant:

  • Entry-level labourers
  • Skilled trades such as industrial millwrights and electricians
  • Engineering professionals such as manufacturing and chemical engineers
  • IT professionals such as computer programmers and systems analysts, and
  • Purchasers
  • Human resource professionals,

Given the pace of technological change, many of the jobs that students train for now will change in just a few years’ time. In fact, in the report “Humans Wanted: How Canadian Youth Can Thrive In the Age of Disruption,” RBC says that despite “heavy job displacement in many sectors and occupations, the Canadian economy is expected to add 2.4 million jobs over the next four years.” This will require a new mix of skills for which we currently are not trained.

A skill set that combines soft and hard skills will be in high demand in future employees. Manufacturing requires people to have soft skills in order to work together to solve problems. As technology continues to evolve, employees will need to be able to adapt, solve problems and effectively communicate, as part of a team or in leadership positions.

To prevent these gaps in workforce and training from widening in the coming years, Eastern Ontario’s workforce development offices have aligned to identify the key contributing factors to this growing problem. The Eastern Ontario Manufacturing Workforce Development Project (EOMWDP) is working to address these issues and provide solutions for employers, jobseekers and youth to attract, hire and retain quality employees, develop skills and create opportunities for further professional development.

3 ways the EOMWDP is addressing the gaps in the manufacturing workforce

The EOMWDP is a holistic undertaking, bringing together key players throughout Eastern Ontario to create conversations and provide resources around the exciting opportunities in manufacturing for jobseekers, young people and students.

Removing the stigma around manufacturing by raising awareness of the great opportunities that exist in the sector can help open new paths for jobseekers and young people. Below is a sample of how the EOMWDP is beginning to assess the resources and opportunities available in the region to:

 

1. Develop strategies to fill anticipated workforce skills gaps

Jobseekers, youth and manufacturers have to know the other exists and may need help connecting to each other. The EOMWDP can facilitate those connections, whereas the other parties might struggle to find the resources to make strategic alliances or conduct outreach. Communications will be created in order to provide outreach tools to assist the many audiences of the project.

Career advisors can help, too, by making clients aware of the opportunities available to them. Courses such as Elevate Plus from Loyalist College are helping people who are underemployed or unemployed retrain for key manufacturing positions required at the entry level in the Bay of Quinte area in Eastern Ontario. It’s this kind of innovation – industry partnerships with post-secondary institutions – that has the power to transform our workforce, giving them the skills they need to enter into a new sector and quickly climb to positions that may not have previously been available to them.

2. Show the world that manufacturing in Eastern Ontario is a first-choice career

A primary goal of EOMWDP is to communicate and effectively market careers in manufacturing as exciting, high-technology, top-choice options. Highlighting incredible stories like those you see in Team Brockville Job Bank’s videos on YouTube shows you a culture of people who are incredibly proud of what they have accomplished in manufacturing. Current opportunities in manufacturing are often underestimated or misunderstood, but by better explaining the industry and its perks, potential jobseekers can be better informed to determine if an opportunity in manufacturing is a good fit.

Additionally, existing programs to attract residents to the region can be built upon by sharing the job opportunities that exist in manufacturing.

3. Determine how best to support economic development offices

The EOMWPD is investigating how to help local economic development offices (EDOs) best communicate with workforce development boards using workforce data. This will allow the two groups to work together to address current skills shortages within manufacturing and future skills shortages over the next few years.

Educational communications will be constructed to help inform EDOs about the tools they can use to skillfully attract the workforce to the region. These tools can also be used by EDOs to work with educational experts, workforce development officers and employment offices to bring everyone onto the same page to support manufacturing labour in the region.

Facilitating strategic partnerships for manufacturing workforce training

The EOMWPD is embarking on an information-gathering, partnership-building, strategy-creation project for Eastern Ontario’s manufacturing sector. It will bring together the experts, innovators and communicators to ensure that all the best information is gathered to support workforce development in the region. The lessons and best practices learned in Eastern Ontario could apply across the country, in the hopes of supporting this rapidly changing technological industry on a national scale. If you want to know, more follow EOMWDP blog for news, strategies, and updates.

Alysha Dominico is Project Coordinator of the Eastern Ontario Manufacturing Workforce Development Project (EOMWDP). The EOMWDP is a project by the Ontario East Economic Development Commission and is funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to support manufacturers and jobseekers in finding each other.

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Careering

Women and girls weigh in on gender diversity in STEM careers

February 6, 2019By
Policy makers, educators and career advisors have worked to remove barriers, but stereotypes still contribute to low numbers of women in the field

By Beverlie Stuart

Across the country, we have seen an increase in the number of forums and discussions regarding gender disparity in STEM fields. These efforts symbolize a movement to change the career choice story girls have absorbed over generations: that they are less capable than boys when it comes to careers in STEM. Nationwide, policy makers, educators and career advisors have worked tirelessly to remove barriers and encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM, but stereotypes persist and contribute to low numbers of female workers and students in the field.

According to Statistics Canada, girls remain less likely to choose a career in STEM, especially in engineering, mathematics and computer science. Unfortunately, even in 2018, young girls are subtly discouraged from advancing their STEM skills and knowledge in school and in play.

What girls are saying

Early intervention with respect to career awareness and exposure is necessary to attract girls to STEM and retain their interest throughout their education. Parents are unquestionably the greatest influence over their children’s career decisions, and tools and resources must be provided for families to foster interest and support their girls to explore STEM careers.

At a recent CanU event (a Winnipeg-based charitable organization run out of the University of Manitoba), young girls in Grades 7-12 were asked if they knew of anyone who worked in a STEM career. All the girls knew men (fathers, uncles, brothers) in this field, but only one out of 15 knew of a woman who worked in STEM (as an electrical engineer).

When asked why they think girls do not take STEM courses/programs, they shared that they: feel they do not fit in, do not have enough confidence and that teachers encourage the boys in class more than the girls. The girls also had some solutions: spread awareness and offer support to girls, have teachers encourage both genders in all subjects and change the stigma for girls.

The value of role models

The adage that you can’t become what you can’t see has never been more accurate than when it is referencing female role models in the workforce. For the past three years, a dedicated group of volunteers from Manitoba’s ICT sector have gathered to discuss, brainstorm and implement change for gender parity in the field. Led by the Information, Communication and Technologies Association of Manitoba (ICTAM), the Maven Action Committee plans and executes ongoing roundtables to recruit and showcase female role models in the STEM workforce.

At these forums, women currently working in STEM careers and women who have left careers in STEM have shared many insights. Among them:

  • Women often feel that they are not smart enough to pursue careers in STEM. One woman shared that it was her mother who suggested she do so because it paid well and she would always be able to support herself.
  • Like the young girls interviewed in the CanU event, many of the women indicated that throughout secondary education they were seldom encouraged in STEM learning or to pursue careers in STEM.
  • Policies such as allowing employees to work from home and work flexible hours are integral to improving gender parity. This is especially valuable for women who are the primary caregiver in their family.
  • Some women have lower confidence when returning to work after maternity leave.
  • Men can create a dominant and aggressive culture, which can exclude women from participation.
  • Women are comparatively more receptive to constructive feedback, which can be interpreted as being submissive.
  • Women found men were offered more money for the same position. Being transparent about salaries in an organization can help pay equity.
Recommendations from women

In addition to criticisms of the status quo, the women who attended the forum also had ideas to improve things for the future. The attendees of the roundtables shared the following recommendations with one another:

  • Disrupt the education system by intentionally infusing STEM learning coupled with career awareness and exposure to careers in STEM as early as kindergarten.
  • Parents, teachers and caregivers should introduce girls as young as five years old to STEM learning through play. There should be more gender-neutral toys that embed STEM learning.
  • Female role models need to be purposely introduced to girls throughout their formative years.
  • Support one another by sponsoring/mentoring young women in the STEM community.
  • Be an advocate of using gender-neutral language.
  • Blow your own horn – it was observed that it’s easier for men to take credit. Women need to get better at taking ownership of their work.
  • Employers should offer training and personal development opportunities to employees who are on or returning from maternity leave.
  • Career development and succession planning in an organization can create retention.
  • Support the attraction, recruitment and hiring of women into careers in STEM.

Young women (and the parents and teachers who guide them) need to recognize that STEM learning paves the way for careers in all sectors and positions, from the front lines to leadership roles. The career possibilities are truly endless.

The future of work will include technologies and jobs that we can only imagine in 2018. The world of work is changing so rapidly that sought-after skills that include the knowledge, skills and abilities realized through STEM learning are essential. Girls are wanted (and needed) in STEM careers.

Beverlie Stuart, Associate Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Initiatives, Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, has close to 30 years’ experience in organizational leadership, career and workforce development, and strategic human resource planning and development. Her experience includes designing, developing and implementing initiatives and strategies for developing Manitoba’s workforce.

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Changing the status quo for women in STEMCareering

Changing the status quo for women in STEM

February 6, 2019By
Initiatives to encourage girls and women to pursue technical careers haven’t translated into the realities of the workplace

Rachel Morgenstern-Clarren

This is an exciting time for women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) industries. However, there are still lots of challenges to overcome before true systemic change results in women being treated equally. What is the current status of women in STEM in Canada? What are the challenges and solutions? And what can be done to change the status quo?

Overview of the status of women in STEM in Canada
In the tech industry, the quit rate for women is more than twice as high as it is for men.

While there have been many initiatives designed to encourage girls and young women to pursue technical careers, as well as programs and organizations that advocate for women leaders, research from the Center for Creative Leadership shows that those investments don’t translate into the realities of the workplace, where very few women are actually retained and promoted to senior roles in STEM[i]. Across the board, the quit rate is higher for women than for men in STEM[ii]; this is especially true in the tech industry, where the quit rate for women (41%) is more than twice as high as it is for men (17%).[iii] Furthermore, instead of progressing into more senior engineering and leadership roles as they gain experience, many women end up moving into project management and marketing positions. This is a loss for STEM industries that must be addressed.

Where’s the Dial Now?, a 2017 study by Toronto-based organization #MovetheDial, MaRS and PwC Canada that surveyed over 900 Canadian tech firms, confirmed that gender inequality exists in the industry. Only 5% of Canadian tech companies had a solo female CEO and only 13% of executive team members were women; 53% of tech companies had no female executives; and women accounted for an average of 8% of director roles. Additionally, 73% of firms had no women on their boards; 70% of Canadian venture capital firms that finance young tech firms had no female partners; and only 12% of all partners were women. Although this study was tech-specific, the trends are unfortunately similar for all STEM fields. According to a PEW Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, for instance, women make up 75% of health-care practitioners and technicians, but only 25% of computer professionals and only 14% of engineering professionals[iv].

Overview of the challenges faced by women in STEM

In recent years, different studies have been conducted in order to determine why the figures on female retention and promotion in STEM fields are so dire, with the hope that companies can try to address the root of the problem. Research shows that several factors play a role in women leaving their jobs or being unable to access leadership positions.

Some of the most common issues with regard to the corporate culture are pay inequality, a lack of mentorship and coaching, implicit gender bias, unpaid maternity leave and a lack of flexibility around outside commitments, especially family[v]. Ultimately, many women switch companies to move up the corporate ladder or end up leaving their fields altogether. Companies need to be more proactive about fostering an inclusive, collaborative work environment where women feel safe (and supported) to brainstorm, try out new ideas and put them into practice.

Solutions for increasing women’s retention and access to leadership in STEM

The issues connected to why STEM women leave their jobs and/or are unable to rise to the ranks of upper management are complex and interrelated, as are the solutions. However, there are several straightforward steps that companies can take to improve the workplace culture for women and help buck these trends.

In the office, employers can provide opportunities for mentorship and peer coaching to their female employees – recognizing their talent and potential by investing in their professional development[vi]. Both mentoring and peer coaching offer a safe environment for developmental feedback to be exchanged and mutual learning to occur, which helps not only the women, but the company[vii].

… instead of progressing into more senior engineering and leadership roles as they gain experience, many women end up moving into project management and marketing positions. This is a loss for STEM industries that must be addressed.

Outside of work, women often place a high premium on flexibility, so that they can pursue personal interests and/or have more time with their families. If women have children, an employer can invest in their future at the company by providing paid maternity leave as well as better (and more) childcare options to relieve the financial strain, while also giving the employee more time and energy to focus on her career[viii].

YES, a non-profit organization that is committed to career and business development for Quebecers, has developed a variety of initiatives over the past seven years to promote the recruitment, retention and advancement of women in STEM. Its Women in Tech project (2012-2015) focused on supporting and encouraging women to break into the tech industry, with a coaching series, mentorships, internships and workshops.

Currently, YES is running a project called Systemic Change: Advancing Women in STEM, which aims to increase the understanding of systems and institutional practices that affect women in STEM; provide access to strategies, tools and frameworks to help with the promotion and retention of women in STEM; and promote internal initiatives that will support female employees and influence their organizations to counteract gender bias. The project’s findings as well as a library of tools, resources, policy recommendations, and research will be available at www.YESAdvanceWomen.com in the coming weeks.

These initiatives are just a couple examples of how YES is working to engage employees and management across Canada to advance the status of women in STEM.

Why women give STEM companies a competitive edge

A diverse workplace reflects the diverse world we live in. Women are themselves customers and bring a unique and diverse perspective to any project – not to mention that female-led teams tend to have greater precision and attention to detail[ix], which means that they are more efficient and productive. In short, hiring and retaining women in STEM is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do, for all Canadian STEM companies.

Rachel Morgenstern-Clarren is a writer, translator and editor. She earned her BA from the University of Michigan and her MFA from Columbia University. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, she is now based out of Montreal.

References/Références

[i] Leadership Development Training for Women in STEM Careers, www.ccl.org/blog/leadership-development-training-women-stem-careers/

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Women in Tech: The Facts (NCWIT), https://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/resources/womenintech_facts_fullreport_05132016.pdf

[iv] 7 facts about the STEM workforce, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/09/7-facts-about-the-stem-workforce/

[v] The Leadership Lab for Women: Advancing and Retaining Women in STEM through Professional Development, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5737089/

[vi] Retaining Women in STEM Careers: Graduate Students as the Building Blocks of Change (NSF), www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/gradchallenge/images/winners/entries/second-place-parasite-ladies.pdf

[vii] The Leadership Lab for Women: Advancing and Retaining Women in STEM through Professional Development, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5737089/

[viii] How to Level the Playing Field for Women in Science, toolsforchangeinstem.org/how-to-level-the-playing-field-for-women-in-science/

[ix] The Competitive Advantage: A Business Case for Hiring Women in the Skilled Trades and Technical Professions (Status of Women Canada), https://cfc-swc.gc.ca/abu-ans/wwad-cqnf/bc-cb/index-en.html

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