ICTC's Immigration Initiatives: Your Global ICT Connection is paving the way towards integrating internationally educated professionals (IEPs) into the Canadian ICT sector by developing key programs, resources and tools for IEPs and employers with the integral support of partners and stakeholders.

Key programs include: strategic mentor training for employers (Strategic Mentoring), IEP-ICT employer networking (Corporate Connections) and bridge-to-work programs benefiting both IEPs and ICT employers (Integrated Work Experience Strategy or IWES). Essential resources developed include guides for IEPs (IEP Entrepreneurial Guide, IEP Guide to the ICT Sector, Pocket Guide for IEPs) and a Human Resources Management Guide for Canadian ICT companies.  Online tools developed include a Directory of ICT Employers in Canada, a professional networking site (IEP Tech Network), Workshops Online: Immigration to Integration for IEPs and immigration stakeholders, and a competency-based self-assessment tool (Canada Readiness Tool).

IEPs – whether seasoned professionals, recent graduates or currently employed outside their field – are particularly well positioned to fill vital roles in Canada’s ICT sector.  According to ICTC’s Labour Market Intelligence, IEPs are under-represented in the ICT field, and improving the integration of highly qualified ICT IEPs into Canada’s ICT labour market is essential to ensuring Canada maintain a highly competitive and innovative ICT sector.

ICTC’s Immigration Initiatives are developed within a number of important projects:

The Internationally Educated Professionals Integration Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition Program within Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC).  Key programs (Strategic Mentoring, Corporate Connections, IWES – Vancouver), resources (IEP Entrepreneurial Guide, IEP Guide to the ICT Sector, Pocket Guide for IEPs, Human Resources Management Guide for ICT Companies) and  online tools (Directory of ICT Employers in Canada, IEP Tech Network, Canada Readiness Tool) have been developed within this project.

Workshops Online: Immigration to Integration is funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Foreign Credential Referral Office.  Workshops Online: Immigration to Integration has five modules: three have been developed to help IEPs planning to come to Canada, in the process, or already here in Canada, as well as two modules for immigration stakeholders to help them better serve their ICT IEP clients.

The Enhanced Online Learning Workshops - Francophone Edition and New Language/Communications Module for Newcomers in Information and Communications Technology project will extend ICTC's Workshops Online: Immigration to Integration to include a francophone audience and is funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Foreign Credential Referral Office. 

Integrated Work Experience Strategy (IWES) is funded by the Government of Ontario and Government of Canada. IWES is ICTC’s bridging program for Internationally Educated ICT professionals looking to find work in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sector.