A 10-year record of immigrant success: TRIEC

Good profile on Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) celebrating its 10 year anniversary:

Over the past decade TRIEC has become so admired that it is now copied in 12 cities across Canada and in countries around the world, including the U.S., Finland, Germany and New Zealand.

Indeed, it is a true Canadian success story.

“Ten years ago the landscape facing skilled immigrants was pretty dim,” Omidvar said at a recent event in Toronto celebrating the 10th anniversary of TRIEC. The event was attended by hundreds of newcomers and employers who have been helped by TRIEC.

“Today, we’ve made much progress, but we’ve a long way to go and in many cases have actually fallen back in terms of immigrant jobless rates and poverty levels,” she said.

In general, poverty rates have been rising among immigrant groups and falling among Canadian-born residents. More than 36 per cent of immigrants who have been in Canada less than five years live in poverty, according to a 2012 Canadian Labour Market Report. In the 1980s the rate was 25 per cent.

At the same time, researchers have found that while 70 per cent of immigrants find a job within six months of arriving here, only 40 per cent of those get work in their chosen occupation.

A 10-year record of immigrant success: Hepburn | Toronto Star.