Full slidedeck from panel presentations March 5, 2016 at the 18th National Metropolis Conference (Toronto, Ontario CANADA) Rowell Clarito Perez | OCT, Internationally-trained teacher Flordeliz Dandal | Executive Director, Kababayan Multicultural Centre Monica Anne Batac | Graduate student, Community-based researcher Arif Virani | Member of Parliament (MP), Parkdale-High Park; Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

1. Suppor&ng highly skilled Filipinos in Toronto:
mobilizing knowledge for improved se4lement and
employment support
Rowell Clarito Perez | OCT, Interna?onally-trained teacher
Flordeliz Dandal | Execu?ve Director, Kababayan Mul?cultural Centre
Monica Anne Batac | Graduate student, Community-based researcher
Arif Virani | Member of Parliament (MP), Parkdale-High Park;
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigra?on, Refugees
and Ci?zenship
18th Na?onal Metropolis Conference | March 5, 2016

2. Perspec&ves
Personal experience
Se4lement agency
Par?cipatory ac?on research
Government thought leadership

3. Becoming a teacher in Canada:
a newcomer’s perspec?ve
Rowell Clarito Perez, OCT
Interna?onally-educated teacher
Newcomer to Canada

4. • Came to Canada in 2011 as a new graduate
• OCT cer?fied
• Holds a “survival job”
• Recently secured “part-?me” teaching
posi?on
I am an interna&onally-trained teacher.

5. ++==

6. Agenda
How to be a teacher in Ontario ( & the roadblocks)
Challenges beyond the cer?fica?on process
Insights about these challenges
Personal impacts

7. “The cer?fica?on process
is a mountain to climb
for newcomers.”
Obtaining a teaching cer?ficate

10. I have my teaching cer?ficate.
Now, what?

12. Seeking support

13. • Financial need
• Support from government, university, non-
profit groups
Insights

14. Impact

15. “We are here and we are able and willing
to contribute to the economy of the country
we now consider our home.
I hope we are given that opportunity.”

16. Thank you.
Rowell Clarito Perez
rowellclaritoperez@gmail.com

17. Suppor?ng highly skilled Filipinos in Toronto:
a se4lement agency perspec?ve
Flordeliz Dandal
Execu?ve Director, Kababayan Mul?cultural Centre
www.kababayan.org

18. Agenda
Profile of Filipinos in Ontario, Canada
Se4lement services for highly skilled Filipinos: the KMC experience
Crea?ng, partnering with and strengthening socio-professional
associa?ons

19. Filipinos in Canada
Filipino-Canadians are the third largest, fastest growing group in Canada.
1985, MCI published a report from U of T Urban Study
• “Filipinos has the highest percentage (63.6) immigrants having post-
secondary educa?on.”
2011 Na?onal Household survey – 662,600
IRCC Facts and Figures 2014 – Philippines was the #1 source country for
Permanent Residents

20. Filipinos in Canada
Kababayan Mul?cultural Centre (1977)
• 1313 Queen Street West Toronto
• Bathurst Finch Hub 540 Finch Ave West North York

21. KMC’s Services
Individual Services
• Needs Assessment and Referral
• Informa?on and Orienta?on services
• Suppor?ve Counselling
• Assistance for Employment-Related needs

22. KMC’s Services
Group Services
• Computer classes
• English Discussion group
• Employment related group sessions (Resume wri?ng, Goal senng,
Managing Career Transi?on & Labour Market info., Employable Skills
Assessment & Dev., Worker’s Rights & Labour Standards Act)
• General orienta?on sessions (Accessing Social Services, Volunteering in
Canada, Info Session on POLO Services, Financial Wellness, Recent
Immigra?on Laws)
• Personality development sessions (Time Management, Stress
Management, Enhancing Self-Confidence, Effec?ve Communica?on skills)

23. Partnerships with Filipino socio-professional associa&ons
Early 2000s - funding from ACCESS Equity and Human Rights
Accountants
Nurses
Teachers
Physiotherapists
Engineers

24. Associa?on of Filipino Canadian Accountants (AFCA)
CARE Centre for Interna?onally Educated Nurses
Philippine Teachers Associa?on of Canada (PTAC)
Ontario Associa?on of Filipino Canadian Engineers (OAFCE)
Society of Physiotherapists with Interna?onal Creden?als

25. Associa?on of Filipino Canadian Accountants (AFCA)
Established in 1979
Long partnership with CGA/CPA
1998 – Advocacy results: CGA approved advanced standing
credits (transfer credits) for Philippine CPAs who qualified
ater 1992
CPA informa?on sessions
Bi-annual Professional Development Conven?on
www.afcatoronto.ca

26. Associa?on of Filipino Canadian Accountants (AFCA)
Scholarship fund
Mentoring Program in partnership with TRIEC and JVS Toronto
Free community tax clinics
Social events
www.afcatoronto.ca

27. CARE Centre for Interna?onally Educated Nurses
Established in 2001: KMC one of the cofounders with
• WoodGreen Community Services
• St. Michael’s Hospital
• Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care
Case management: individualized ac?on plans
Exam prepara?on, language and communica?on courses, employment
search support, mock interviews, job shadowing, professional development
Newest program: Pre-Arrival Supports and Services (PASS)
www.care4nurses.org

28. Philippine Teachers Associa?on of Canada (PTAC)
Celebra?ng 10 years in 2016
Consistent supports
• Informa?on and support for applying to OCT
• Professional Development
Programs offered/expanded as needed
Strong social support, weaker professional support
www.ptacanada.com

29. Society of Physiotherapists with Interna?onal Creden?als
This society is not limited to Filipinos.
Naviga&ng the system
Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators
(exams, creden?al assessment)
College
(regulatory body)
Canadian Physiotherapist Associa?on
(advocacy)
Society
(exam and workplace prep)
Bridging program
(U of T)
Developed support curriculum for 4 different kinds of members
No website (Jeffrey Andrion - jeffrey.andrion@utoronto.ca)

30. Ontario Associa?on of Filipino Canadian Engineers
(OAFCE)
Established in 2002
In the past, OAFCE provided ongoing professional development (skill
enhancement) workshops and informa?on about applying to PEO
Consistently strong: a4endance at social events
Current challenges and needs
• More members to help build organiza?on
• Advocacy case/research for fair PEO creden?al assessment
facebook.com/Ontario-Associa&on-of-Filipino-Canadian-Engineers

31. Crea&ng more connec&ons for improved supports
Finding more avenues to support highly skilled workers
• Iden?fying addi?onal agencies, organiza?ons,
associa?ons
• Reconnec?ng to the Filipino socio-professional
associa?ons

32. Thank you.
Flordeliz Dandal
fdandal@kababayan.org | www.kababayan.org
Kababayan Mul?cultural Centre
Empowering the immigrant community since 1977
Queen Street Office: 1313 Queen Street W. Suite 133 Toronto ON M6K 1L8 (416-532-3888)
Bathurst-Finch Office: 540 Finch Ave West Rms 117/119 Toronto ON M2R 1N7 (416-633-5056)

33. Filipino Professionals Finding Work in Canada Project:
Ini?al Findings
Monica Anne Batac
Graduate student
Community-based researcher

34. Agenda
The deprofessionalized Filipino
Project background & design
Ini?al findings
• Se4lement staff
• Landscape outside KMC
• Newcomer focus groups
Closing thoughts
Future talks
March 11 - Ryerson University
June 2015 - Canadian Associa?on of Social Work
Educa?on at Congress (Calgary AB)
Research report
To be released mid-summer

35. “In the context of global compe??on for skilled labour, Canada may
experience serious social and economic consequences as a result of the
underemployment… of its highly educated immigrants.”
(George et al. 2012, p. 422)
Categories for Filipino workers’ Canadian employment
perfectly matched
different/flexible
deprofessionalized
(Kelly et al. 2009, 2012)
Highly skilled immigrants are keen to access employment services,
yet this group reports that they do not obtain the type of help and
support required for their job search needs.
(Cukier et al., 2010)

36. Par&cipatory Ac&on Research (PAR)
A "philosophical approach to research that
recognizes the need for persons being studied
to par?cipate in the design and conduct of all
phases (e.g., design, execu?on, and
dissemina?on) of any research that affects
them" (Volman, Anderson & McFarlane, 2004,
p. 129).
The staff at KMC are
research subjects, as well as
co-designers and researchers in
research project.
Since 1977, KMC has been providing se4lement,
employment and social services for the Filipina/o
immigrant community in Toronto.

37. Our research ques?ons
What is currently being done to support the employment
support needs of highly skilled Filipina/o workers?
1
2
3
What service delivery gaps exist, as iden?fied by se4lement
and employment support staff and highly skilled Filipina/o
workers?
What are the poten?al opportuni?es for developing
improved employment support services for highly skilled
Filipina/o workers?

39. community need + agency need + funding opportunity
shared experiences + shared goals

40. & now, some very preliminary findings

41. Ini?al findings | se4lement staff
Sharing the deprofessionalized immigrant narra&ve
“S?ll I feel… like a newcomer. When I came here, I thought like I was
in a suitcase earlier, when I was back home. And now, I thought I am
in the garbage bin… In order to come out of the garbage bin, [I had]
to do something, to find something, because I was a college lecturer
back home.”

42. “When you come, you have your funds, [they’re] deple?ng every
day because nothing comes in to replenish whatever expense.
I actually applied to so many posi?ons here at the start, but nothing
came. I realized, I only had a few interviews. But nothing came to
reality…
… In fact, I also applied [to] the bo4om, which is the factory worker,
because there are so many agencies here looking [for workers], but
s?ll, I cannot! I don’t know why! I have my complex resume, I have
my simplest resume, I have the medium resume! But really, I can’t, I
can’t, I was not able to find one [job].”

43. Ini?al findings | se4lement staff
Se4lement workers offered many sugges?ons for new or improved
services, but what tempered their imagina?ons?
Mandate | Capacity | Funding
Referral versus internal supports | quality control and capacity
Generalist versus specialist | specific skills & training

44. “For the very ideal program, the employment agency –
not for me, we are a se4lement agency, we have
boundaries. For the comprehensive one, for me, actually,
I don’t want to do for everybody. That’s very mess[y], we
cannot do many things at the Centre.
Some have a huge organiza?on, one team par?cularly
handling one program, another team handling another
thing, that’s ok. Otherwise, it’s for me, having one good
thing [focus] is be4er than having too many not effec?ve
things.”

45. Mapping out the agency landscape
Different places do different things
basic resume support | creden?al assessment | job search
job fair | employer links | training and educa?on | internships |
mentorship | the list goes on and on . . .
Finding the right informa?on is challenging
for both the se4lement worker and client
• what’s what, and where to go for what
services/programs
Supports for the informa?on flow
• LIPs, GEO, HealthForceOntario

46. to duplicate or differen?ate
?

47. Ini?al findings | focus group
informa?on
finances
support
• Filipino in Greater Toronto Area
• Residing in Canada for less than 5 years
• University degree or higher
Target par&cipants
Priority needs
The needs, informa?on, and supports are VERY context-specific.

48. Andres, IT professional
Maria, midwife
Anthony, teacher
Roland, teacher

49. Challenges with focus groups
Revamping design?
What if we include “se4led” highly skilled Filipinos, asking them
to think back about what supports/informa?on would have been
beneficial?
Reality for recruitment
• Need jobs
• Need support
• Lack ?me

50. “The ethnic agency . . . represents the bridge to ethnic
communi?es – a bridge that may be useful to mainstream
agencies as they strengthen their service delivery
capacity for working with ethnic minority communi?es.”
Iglehart & Becerra, 2010, p. 200

51. Looking back, looking forward
• Uncovering past innova?ons
• Reviving partnerships
• Developing new collabora?ons

52. Thank you.
Monica Batac
monica.batac@ryerson.ca