Expat graduates moving to Canada for a job are having a tough time finding work that matches their skills.
Less than half of expats with degrees are in a highly-skilled job, while 70% of Canadians find professional or management roles, according to research.
The study found that 50% of graduate expats found a skilled job in the 90s, while the figure has dropped to only 43% now, while the number of Canadians with degrees in top jobs has remained the same.
The research by the University of Toronto also revealed expat women with degrees have problems finding executive posts, with just 34% succeeding, while 66% of Canadian women with good qualifications manage to find a skilled job.
The odds are, according to the study, that a skilled expat is more likely to end up in a low skilled or manual job.
High calibre talent
This waste of talent is costing the Canadian economy around £6 billion.
“The research indicates that although the government is trying to attract high calibre expats to Canada, when they get here their talents are not utilised properly,” said sociologist Jeffrey Reitz, director of ethnic, immigration and pluralism studies at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs.
Since 1996, the Canadian government has poured millions into enticing talented expats to the country.
Once in Canada, efforts are made to link them with employers and colleges to get them to join programs to help them find a job that suits their qualifications.
But the researchers found finding a skilled job for a graduate expat often depends on where they settle in the country.
Problem worsening
The study showed expats in Quebec found better jobs than their counterparts in British Columbia, while those in British Columbia still did better than expats in Ontario.
Despite the targeted spending, the problem seems to be worsening, says the report.
“Demand is not the problem,” said Reitz. “For instance, more skilled people were needed in 2005 and 2006 than in 1996, but expat graduates found finding a job tougher more recently than in the 90s.”
Researchers discovered that one problem was proving expat qualifications matched those in Canada and recommend a standard set of qualifications comparing foreign degrees to those from Canadian universities and colleges would help employers.
The lack of other skills that led to problems included speaking adequate English and other communication skills which differ between cultures.
