10 Frequently Asked Questions about the LMIEC:
What led to formation of the London-Middlesex Immigrant Employment Council?
The LMIEC is one piece of a significant chain of action already undertaken at the community level identifying immigrant attraction and retention as a vital issue for London-Middlesex.
In October 2003, the community issued “Voices for Change: Making Use of Immigrant Skills to Strengthen the City of London (pdf)."
That call for action was later echoed through London’s Creative Cities Task Force in its final report (pdf) released in April 2005.
In response to these calls for action, the City of London and United Way of London and Middlesex formed a Welcoming Cultural Diversity Committee and brought together community stakeholders to move London closer to becoming a welcoming and inclusive community for newcomers. A Celebrating Cultural Diversity Conference was held in November 2006. The Welcoming Cultural Diversity Action Plan (pdf) issued in the Spring of 2006.
Who formed the LMIEC?
Through the "Income" priority area of its action plan (pdf), the Welcoming Cultural Diversity Committee approached the Employment Sector Council London-Middlesex (“ESCLM”) to implement a regional employer-driven, multi-stakeholder initiative, loosely modeled after the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.
The ESCLM acted upon this recommendation and successfully secured funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, along with additional support from the City of London and London Economic Development Corporation, to form a regional Task Force and develop a made-in-London employer-driven approach to recruiting and retaining international talent.
The leadership of the following volunteer Advisory Committee facilitated the initial formation of the London-Middlesex Immigrant Employment Task Force (LMIETF): Anne Langille, ESCLM/WIL, Jeny Wallace, LEDC and Ross Fair, City of London.
Why was the LMIEC formed?
With an aging workforce and a declining birthrate, Canada's entire net labour growth will come from immigration by 2011 (Statistics Canada). London-Middlesex employers are in increasing competition with other businesses throughout the province, across the nation and around the globe for this emerging international talent. To address this issue, London Region employers expressed an interest in coming to the table and directly identifying strategies to recruit and retain the immigrant talent essential to sustaining our regional economy. For more information on the business case for hiring internationally-trained individuals, click here.
How does this Strategy benefit all job seekers?
Beyond supporting employer efforts to source local immigrant talent, this Strategy indirectly benefits all job seekers. Through this business-to-business exchange, employers are becoming more aware of the wealth of resources available through this region's employment and training sector. By tapping into these resources, employers will experience greater success in reaching the hidden labour market as a whole.
This Strategy also strengthens London's diversified economy by helping employers to meet current workforce demands in those industry sectors that experience skill shortages. All businesses will be better positioned to meet projected workforce demands by proactively planning for the impending labour crunch. When businesses are able to find individuals with the skill sets they need to grow their company - all job seekers benefit from the market expansion.
What is the difference between the LMIEC and LMIETF?
LMIEC and LMIETF refer to the same initiative. What is known as today as the London-Middlesex Immigrant Employment Council (LMIEC) was first established as the London-Middlesex Immigrant Employment Task Force (LMIETF). In November 2008, members elected to change the name of the LMIETF to LMIEC to better reflect the progress and growth of the initiative and its mandate. The LMIEC is also pleased to bring you its new logo, colour scheme, tagline and website -- all developed through this rebranding effort.
When did the LMIEC (former LMIETF) launch?
A core group of London Region business leaders held its first meeting in February 2007. Gus Kotsiomitis, VP Commercial Banking, RBC Royal Bank and Phyllis Retty, Compensation & Talent Solutions, 3M Canada Company stepped forward as Chairpersons early on in the process to move the initiative forward through their leadership. They were joined at the table by a group of regional executives that spoke to the unique demands of their particular sectors and how to better bridge those demands with the supply of international talent in our region.
Through the LMIETF Action Plan development phase, more than 40 stakeholder institutions came together to develop employer-driven strategies designed to reduce barriers immigrants face when trying to connect with the local labour market.
What did the LMIEC Employers recommend?
LMIEC employers found that the local tools are in place for companies of all sized to cost-effectively connect with international talent. LMIEC business leaders recommended that employers themselves take an active role in sharing information on the business case as well as the range of regional recruitment and retention resources available. On January 25, 2008, employer champions called business colleagues into action at the LMIEC launch event. To read the Employing International Talent (pdf) document from that event, click here.
What LMIEC activities are underway?
LMIEC Employer Leaders are engaging London and Region’s broader business community in leveraging international talent. Beyond addressing the business case for hiring immigrants, these Employer Leaders are marketing recruitment and retention resources to assist businesses of all sizes in connecting with the immigrant talent pool. Employer Leaders are also marketing local labour market opportunities by sharing a more accurate picture of regional workforce demand as a vehicle to attracting the talent our region needs to grow, and ultimately facilitating newcomer integration into the local labour market upon arrival. For more information on the Employer Leadership Strategy: the LMIEC Go-to-Market Plan, click here (pdf).
What are the LMIEC's next steps?
LMIEC priorities for 2009-2010 include a campaign to engage small to medium sized companies in the Strategy and a slate of industry-specific events. To read more industry-specific perspectives on the business case for hiring immigrants, click here.
How can I get involved in the work of the LMIEC?
There are many opportunities for businesses to take a lead in this Strategy. For more information on getting involved, click here.