Involvement in External Initiatives

Calgary Coalition for Meaningful Employment

In 2007, the Emerging Issues Committee identified foreign credential recognition as a priority issue. The committee learned that an external group— the Calgary Coalition for Meaningful Employment (CCME)—had already begun to mobilize around this issue. The committee agreed that the best way for ISCC to address this issue would be to sit as a representative on this committee. Members from immigrant serving agencies, mainstream agencies, government, funders, and internationally trained professionals make-up the membership of the Coalition. In 2008, CCME finalized its Terms of Reference, Action Plan, and Vision: to create a seamless process for the integration of skilled immigrants. While foreign credential recognition is a key focus area of the Coalition, broader employment issues are also being addressed. Key activities of the CCME include supporting the activities of its member organizations, coordinating the identification of key policy issues through research, and engaging key stakeholders to collectively work towards foreign credential recognition and equitable access to employment for skilled immigrants. The CCME is currently working out operations and structure, but intends to move forward on its Action Plan in 2009.

For more information, please contact:
Dianne Fehr, Chair - dianne@iafcanada.org

Immigrant Housing Sector

As a result of the ISCC’s influence, the Immigrant Housing Sector has been added as the ninth sector of the Calgary Homeless Foundation’s funding priorities. In 2008, a representative of the ISCC attended Immigrant Housing Sector meetings, where strategies were discussed. In Fall 2008, the Immigrant Housing Sector plans to: conduct a language survey of non-immigrant housing agencies to identify which language translators they have available through their staff; develop a common data set on immigration to be included on all intake forms for housing and homelessness agencies; and organize special meeting in with housing/homeless serving agencies & immigrant serving agencies. They have also asked the ISCC to respond to a number of federal, provincial and municipal policy asks. The ISCC will review the Policy Asks and decide whether or not to develop a communications strategy in 2009 on the specified Policy Asks.

For more information, please contact:
Rob Bray, Chair - rbray@ccis-calgary.ab.ca

1 The select market sample excluded immigrant serving agencies and non-profit organizations who were not seen to focus predominantly on the human services.