Employers’ preference for Canadian Experience continues to be the biggest barrier for immigrants to find a job in their field. According to TRIEC’s Bridging The Gap report, more than 50% of immigrant women identified lack of Canadian experience as a major barrier to finding a job in their field.

Magdalene Cooman, Senior Research Associate, Immigration, Conference Board of Canada, and Jessica Borland, Manager, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility, Randstad Canada, join Preet Kiran Sandhu, Manager, Employer & Stakeholder Relations, TRIEC, to discuss what Canadian experience means, how it manifests during the hiring process, and its impact on immigrant professionals. They also share insights and best practices for employers to address this barrier at an organizational level.

This episode is Chapter Two of the Voices for Change project. Through data, stories, a series of podcasts and other activities, Voices for Change will kickstart a conversation about some of the more challenging issues that hinder immigrant professionals from finding skills-commensurate employment, advancing in their careers and having a sense of belonging in the workplace.