Task force eyes fast-track job program for Sarnia-Lambton newcomers

Immigration task force officials hope to create a fast-track employment program for newcomers to Sarnia-Lambton.

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“If we can get something like that,. . . I think we’ll have a way to fill skills shortages and have immigrants gain employment,” said task force chair Judith Morris.

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“And then all the other things we’re talking about will wrap around that to hopefully retain those immigrants.”

The Sarnia-Lambton Immigration Task Force, that’s composed of various community agencies and businesses and has a 35-member steering committee, is continuing talks with provincial and federal officials, she said, noting there have been effective examples of similar population-boosting initiatives in Atlantic Canada and elsewhere in Ontario.

Such programs “focus on the skill shortages. . . within a certain community and then provide an express entry; and . . . almost guaranteed access to employment through that portal,” she said.

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There’s no timeline for when a Sarnia-Lambton program might happen, but “we’re hoping to get some version of that,” she said, noting how it works depends on the federally driven visa process.

“It’s not really funding dependent,” she said, noting such a program could be run through the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership (SLEP), a task force member. “It’s more political in its dependence.”

It’s one of several initiatives the task force has been working on since it’s goals were announced earlier this year, Morris said.

Others include equity and diversity training for employers — 49 have taken part in training so far via SLEP — and a provincially funded Newcomer Connection Program, also through SLEP, aimed at filling 50 jobs in the community by the end of March, Morris said. Twenty-nine positions have been filled so far.

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“One of the biggest drivers is ensuring employment is accessible — that the barriers have been removed, that employers understand the process for hiring immigrants,” Morris said.

It’s not as difficult to hire an immigrant as employers sometimes think, she said, noting SLEP also is seeking three more years of funding to advance and expand the Newcomer Connection Program.

Branded recognition from the task force and SLEP also in the works for businesses that have diversity training and meet other standards, to “be seen as places where immigrants will want to go,” Morris said.

Along with those efforts, international students have attended volunteer fairs to learn about local opportunities, and Lambton College students have formed the International Business Professionals Club, giving students a chance to learn from and network with local employers, in collaboration with the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce, officials said in a release.

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Abd there are plans for community events recognizing and celebrating diversity, Morris said.

“It is complex, but we’re making strides,” she said.

Immigrants make up about 10 per cent of Sarnia-Lambton’s population, compared to 30 per cent in Ontario, and the community has seen relatively sluggish population growth, task force officials said in May.

Surveys of international students after they graduate generally have revealed they’d love to stay in the community, but need to find work, Morris has said.

A virtual or in-person one-stop shop where newcomers can get services they need is also a task force goal, she said. It and others soon could be listed at lambtoncollege.ca/community/sarnia-lambton-immigration-task-force.

“We can’t afford to have a separate website,” she said, thanking the college for hosting task force information, and praising task force volunteers’ commitment.

“It’s easy to not get work done, but when you have dedicated people who care from all sectors, it makes a difference,” she said.

International students and newcomers in Sarnia-Lambton also have been engaged in the work so far, she said. “They want to be here.”

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