Online Employment Services for Immigrant Professionals: An Environmental Scan

Abstract

This environmental scan assesses the current landscape of online employment services for immigrant professionals in Canada. The data collection method involved web scanning of twelve urban centers and two rural census areas with high per capita immigrant populations. The study analyzed 80 online services for immigrants in Canada based on geographical variation, the type of digital modality, clientele, and needs addressed. The findings reveal disparities in access to online employment programs tailored for skilled immigrants across different geographic locations. In addition, e-learning and self-paced online courses were identified as the most prevalent digital modalities. In terms of targeted clientele, findings show that the services primarily targeted immigrants as a homogenous group, with a notable emphasis on supporting skilled immigrants in high-demand fields such as IT and healthcare. Finally, access to job search resources emerged as the highest priority among the needs addressed, while areas such as financial assistance have the potential for further growth.

Keywords:

• Immigrant professionals
• skilled immigrants
• environmental scan
• online services
• digital services
• employment services

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)