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Let’s Get to Work Creating Welcoming Communities in Northern Ontario

Jan 17, 2023 at 08:03

What role do organizations play in creating welcoming communities and do they have the resources to do so? This is the question Northern Policy Institute wanted answered by employers and service providers throughout Ontario’s northern regions.

 

In February 2022, Northern Policy Institute and organizations across Northern Ontario launched a data-collection exercise to hear from different groups from around the regions. The reports with those findings, specifically “Let’s Get to Work: New Tools Needed in the Employer Recruitment Toolbox for Newcomers” and “Serve it Up: The Roll of Service Providers in Creating Welcoming Communities” are now available.

 

In general, it was found that surveyed employers in the five Northern Ontario RNIP communities – North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, and Thunder Bay – have positive attitudes towards hiring newcomers and diverse groups. Though, navigating the immigration process was difficult for employers, meaning support could be beneficial.

 

In terms of service-providing organizations, there was found to be a variety of programs and services to help with the integration and retention of immigrants and diverse groups, as well as promote community acceptance and welcoming. Additionally, a large majority of surveyed organizations worked in collaboration with other organizations, specifically through resource sharing.

 

“The role organizations play in creating a welcoming community for immigrants and diverse groups cannot be understated,” Author and Senior Policy Analyst, Mercedes Labelle, expressed. “Ensuring employers and service providers have adequate resources and knowledge of the tools and services available to them is fundamental to the successful completion of this work.”

 

The recommendations based on the findings support ongoing priorities such as:

  1. Understand and monitor the needs of employers and service-providing organizations;
  2. Form strategic partnerships and work to continue, or increase, collaboration with other organizations;
  3. Make full use of human capital to mitigate labour and skills shortages; and,
  4. Work to promote and foster welcoming workplaces through diversity training to employers and employees.

It is further recommended that efforts should continue to be made across Ontario’s northern regions to share, promote, and complete these surveys.

 

To read Let’s Get to Work (Employer Preparedness Survey Summary), visit: https://www.northernpolicy.ca/employer-survey-summary-2022

To read Serve it Up (Service Provider Capacity Survey), visit: https://www.northernpolicy.ca/spo-survey-summary-2022

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