About the study
This study examined immigrants’ participation in job-related training in Canada. Using Statistics Canada’s Access and Support to Education and Training Survey (2008), the training participation rates for immigrants are compared to that of their Canadian-born counterparts. The study explores training barriers faced by immigrants, including such factors as the availability of employer supports as well as immigrants’ demographic and labour market characteristics.
What can be learned from this study?
• Both immigrant men and women received less job-related training compared to their Canadian counterparts. In comparison to Canadian-born men and women, immigrant men were 20 percent less likely while immigrant women were 15 percent less likely to take part in job-related training. Even with the support of their employers, immigrants were less likely to receive job-related training.
• Immigrants were most interested in professional training.
• The majority of immigrants reported that they were satisfied with the training they had received.
• Family-class immigrants who immigrated for family reunification reasons were much less likely to receive job-related training compared to the Canadian-born population. In addition, those without Canadian citizenship were less likely to receive job-related training than the Canadian-born and naturalized Canadian citizens.
• Job training rates for adult immigrants were lower compared to someone who had immigrated when they were young. Moreover, established immigrants were more likely to receive job-related training than recent immigrants.
• Family-class and recent immigrants received significantly less employer-supported training compared to the Canadian-born and naturalized citizens.
• Among immigrants, women in the 45 to 64 age group were more likely to receive job training than those who were in 18 to 24 age group. However, for immigrant men, those from age 25 to 44 were more likely to receive training than men in the older age group.
• Immigrants and the Canadian-born with low income level were less likely to receive job training.
• Larger firms offered more training opportunities for both immigrants and the Canadian-born.
• More immigrants reported barriers to job training than the Canadian-born.
What method(s) did the study use?
Descriptive and regression analyses of Statistics Canada’s Access and Support to Education and Training Survey (2008)
