In October 2023, Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB), RefugePoint, UNHCR, SkyHive, Tri-County Mennonite Homes and 369Global, with the generous support of World Education Services (WES), came together for a scoping mission in Kenya. The mission aimed to assess the potential of refugees to fill labour shortages in the Canadian healthcare sector and link qualified and experienced candidates with job opportunities in Ontario, Canada, through the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP).

Why Kenya?

The idea for the scoping mission was conceived six months prior during the Global Refugee Mobility Summit. Recognizing the success of RefugePoint in referring healthcare professionals to employers in Nova Scotia through the EMPP, TBB sought to explore how this model could be expanded nationally to connect more displaced people in Kenya with opportunities in other provinces. The EMPP allows refugees to rebuild their lives safely as permanent residents while advancing their careers.

A learning opportunity

There is a talented pool of experienced refugee healthcare professionals in Kenya, thanks in part to a teaching hospital operated by the International Rescue Committee in the Kakuma refugee settlement, which educates healthcare professionals. This presented a unique opportunity for TBB to partner with 369 Global, an organization with a personal support worker curriculum delivered by Computek College in Toronto, to assess if the hospital's curriculum met Canadian standards. The team was pleasantly surprised, notes Kat Orr, TBB Canada’s Assistant Director, “at the end of the first tour, we realized that they were incredibly overqualified, the level of education the candidates were receiving was above and beyond the standards in Canada.”

Steven Harrison, CEO of Tri-County Mennonite Homes in Ontario, eagerly embraced this opportunity to join TBB on this mission, contributing to its success. “In my world of long-term care, we are definitely feeling the pinch of shortages of personal support workers and nursing staff in particular,” Steven told us.

“The opportunity to have our feet on the ground, and meet people in their own space, learn about the education they are receiving and the skills they have, is very exciting for us as an organization and as a sector.”

The mission travelled to Nairobi, visited the teaching hospital in Kakuma and interviewed qualified candidates from both Kakuma and Dadaab refugee settlements. During the interviews with candidates in Kenya, Harrison was pleasantly surprised by the candidates' openness and willingness to share their personal and professional experiences, dreams, and desires. He noted that the interviews were characterized by a genuine exchange of information and a strong sense of heart.

Steven was particularly moved by one candidate's dream of becoming a doctor in Canada. The candidate was interviewing for a Personal Support Worker role but had a clear game plan for the future and was determined to make it happen. According to Harrison, hunger and ambition are a huge value for Canadian employers.

Risks & benefits of hiring internationally

Harrison shared that amongst his colleagues in the healthcare sector, the fear of the unknown and a lack of understanding of the Canadian immigration system were common concerns. To demystify the process, he stressed the importance of sharing information and experiences of other employers. Harrison also discussed concerns about candidates' skills aligning with Canadian standards, emphasizing the need to explore equivalency and translation processes for foreign credentials.

Many of the employers invited to participate in the job fair not only wanted proof that there were qualified candidates in Kenya but that there was a real return on investment for hiring someone internationally. TBB asked Harrison to weigh in on this for the blog. He acknowledged that while additional costs may be associated with recruiting from overseas, the benefits far outweighed the expenses.

“Getting someone in the door is one thing; getting someone to stay inside the home is another,” Steven shared. “I think the difference between the two is that while you’re obviously paying for a number of other elements that perhaps you wouldn’t have to in Canada, the desire to work is different.”

Harrison highlighted the importance of assessing the value brought by skilled individuals, their willingness to work and stay employed, their interest in Canadian culture, and their adaptability. He estimated that hiring from overseas could be approximately 5% to 10% more expensive than hiring locally but emphasized that the long-term benefits justify the investment. Given the challenges with hiring and retention domestically, more businesses will need to look internationally to meet their labour needs.

 Advice to Employers

What would it take to see widespread adoption of this model across Ontario? TBB's Canada Director, Lara Dyer, offers insights into the essential considerations. “With thanks to the Government of Canada and the new federal EMPP pathway announced last June, we now have a world-leading economic immigration pathway that takes into account the realities of being forcibly displaced. All of our candidates have to demonstrate that they have the skills to do the job; the EMPP offers flexibility in how they can prove they are qualified.”

When organizations include refugee labour mobility in their HR toolkit, there are some best practices to keep in mind:

• In our experience, we found refugee candidates to be highly motivated and loyal.

• Include Talent Beyond Boundaries in your long-term planning. We won't be able to meet every need, and refugees sometimes need more time to meet all the requirements of economic immigration applications, e.g. time to travel to where a language testing centre is available.

• Prepare your organization for the benefits and challenges of integrating workers from outside of Canada with cross-cultural competency training.

Dyer emphasizes the need for flexibility. “It's important to recognize people's transferable skills, hire based on potential, and support individuals in accessing training programs within the immigration system. Many training programs are being offered internationally already. How can we better align those to labour market needs in host countries and destination countries like Canada so displaced people can choose between local employment opportunities and immigration.”

Similarly, Harrison thinks the employer-driven model can extend across Ontario and be implemented in various sectors. He sees immense potential in healthcare, both in long-term care and acute care, and believes it can even be scaled nationally. He acknowledges that acceptance and cultural change will be key challenges but emphasizes the importance of embracing diversity and recognizing that Canada's strength lies in its immigration history.

The scoping mission to Kenya is a testament to the untapped potential residing within refugee populations. It reminds us that talent knows no borders and that we can foster growth, diversity, and innovation within Canada by opening our hearts and doors to skilled refugees. The mission's message to Canadian employers is clear: by welcoming and harnessing the talents of skilled refugees, we not only help address labour shortages and skill gaps but also help individuals achieve their dreams and contribute to the prosperity and cultural richness of Canadian society.

If you’re interested in following Steven’s footsteps and hiring a refugee with the qualifications and skills needed to fill a gap in your organization or sector, fill out our Request to Hire form today. It’s the smart thing to do. It’s the right thing to do.