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16 + WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, March 14 Employment network hopes to reduce professional barriers for local immigrants ome skilled and profesâ€" Ssional immigrants in Waterloo Region are driving taxis. Others are working in security jobs. "They have to survive while they try to get to a point of working in someâ€" thing that‘s relevant (to their experience}," said Peter McFadden, the executive director of a local immigrant employment organization. He even knows of one immigrant who has two master‘s degrees and a PhD, but is struggling to get a job interview here. Helping people like her use the skills they acquired before moving to Canada is something the Waterloo Region Immigrant Employâ€" ment Network is working towards. When looking at Canaâ€" da‘s unemployment rate, 14 per cent of skilled and proâ€" fessional immigrants are unemployed, versus five per cent of Canadians, McFadâ€" den said. "Roughly, immigrants are experiencing about three times more difficulty in findâ€" ing skilled, relevant work than say a Canadian skilled professional." Plus, many skilled immiâ€" grants are underemployed, working in "survival" jobs, which means their potential is not being realized, he said. He attributes this to a number of barriers that are preventing them from findâ€" ing relevant employment. For starters, credential â€" was deemed significan recognition can be a probâ€" _ enough to create a commu By Jennirer Ormston Chronicle Staff Our famous homemade 8 oz ‘r with fixins F | $ 299 _ 3 al da MONDAY BURCER® www .ethelslounge.com WEEKLY SPECIALS 2 , wWEDNESDAY WINCG NIGHT® T 10 Baked wings for lem, as can the notion of experience. "There‘s this request for Canadian experience." As well, language can be an impediment for those who don‘t speak English. . And a lack of underâ€" standing about different culâ€" tures can also stand in their way. Meanwhile, statistics preâ€" dict an employee shortage will occur in the future with the baby boomers retiring, the low fertility rate and the strong economy. "When you put those together, the other reality is that by 2011, it is projected that 100 per cent of the workforce growth will come from immigrants." "So the fundamental aspect here is if Waterloo Region wants to sustain and perpetuate its standard of living and its economy, then we really need, as a commuâ€" nity, to embrace the idea of tecruiting, hiring, engaging and retaining skilled talent. By that time, "we would not be able to hold our own" without immigrants because of deaths and retirements, he said. And, Canada will be comâ€" peting for the best talent around the world because this is a global phenomeâ€" non. "Part of that talent is going to have to come in the form of the immigrant workâ€" force." This realization was a driving force behind a regional summit held in 2005. At that time, this issue was deemed significant $s699 2007 4 pm on TACO TOONIE TVESDAY® *taxes extra with drink purchase 114 King St. N. Waterloo 519.725â€"2361 BUSINESS 400 it‘s Back! 4 beef tacos Peter McFadden, executive director of the Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network, says the group will pursue a number of initiatives, including mentorship and internship programs, to help skilled immigrants find relevant employment nity initiative â€"â€" and WRIEN, the Waterloo Region Immiâ€" grant Employment Network, was formed. The group, which hopes to bring employers to the same table as service providers and the governâ€" ment to look at immigrant employment from a comâ€" munity . viewpoint, . was 4 pm on I hear there‘s a great DEAL in the Waterioo Chronicle CHRONICLE [ established in May 2006 "WRIEN is really that leadership and facilitation entity to bring the parties together." The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Comâ€" merce subsequently agreed to serve as the organization‘s host, and it is now housed out of its Queen Street North NOW OPEN ON SUNDAYS A Perfect Weekend Outing West side of Weber Street across from St. Jacobs Farmers‘ Market Sunday: 10 a.m.~ 4 p.m. Saturday: 7 a.m.~2 p.m. all year +« Meat & Cheese + Fresh Produce * Baking + Crafts « Quality Flea Market and more... «Tel. 519â€"747â€"1830 office WRIEN has a threeâ€"year mandate, during which time McFadden said it will pursue a number of initiatives, proâ€" grams and partnerships. _ It held a workshop in the fall on credential recogniâ€" tion. And this winter it hosted one on the support the province provides to compaâ€" nies looking to bring in a skilled immigrant on a work permit. McFadden hopes to announce its mentoring program this spring; it will facilitate immigrants who want to learn from a Canaâ€" Continued on page 18 iENNIEER ORMSTON PHOT