Presentation by Monica Anne Batac 18th National Metropolis Conference - March 5, 2016 Toronto ON Canada

1. Filipino Professionals Finding Work in Canada Project:
Initial Findings
Monica Anne Batac
Graduate student
Community-based researcher
18th National Metropolis Conference | March 5, 2016

2. Agenda
The deprofessionalized Filipino
Project background & design
Initial findings
• Settlement staff
• Landscape outside KMC
• Newcomer focus groups
Closing thoughts
Future talks
March 11 - Ryerson University
June 2015 - Canadian Association of Social Work
Education at Congress (Calgary AB)
Research report
To be released mid-summer

3. “In the context of global competition for skilled labour, Canada may
experience serious social and economic consequences as a result of the
underemployment… of its highly educated immigrants.”
(George et al. 2012, p. 422)
Categories for Filipino workers’ Canadian employment
perfectly matched different/flexible deprofessionalized
(Kelly et al. 2009, 2012)
Highly skilled immigrants are keen to access employment services,
yet this group reports that they do not obtain the type of help and
support required for their job search needs. (Cukier et al., 2010)

4. Participatory Action Research (PAR)
A "philosophical approach to research that
recognizes the need for persons being studied
to participate in the design and conduct of all
phases (e.g., design, execution, and
dissemination) of any research that affects
them" (Volman, Anderson & McFarlane, 2004,
p. 129).
The staff at KMC are
research subjects, as well as
co-designers and researchers in
research project.
Since 1977, KMC has been providing settlement,
employment and social services for the Filipina/o
immigrant community in Toronto.

5. Our research questions
What is currently being done to support the employment
support needs of highly skilled Filipina/o workers?1
2
3
What service delivery gaps exist, as identified by settlement
and employment support staff and highly skilled Filipina/o
workers?
What are the potential opportunities for developing
improved employment support services for highly skilled
Filipina/o workers?

7. community need + agency need + funding opportunity
shared experiences + shared goals

8. & now, some very preliminary findings

9. Initial findings | settlement staff
Sharing the deprofessionalized immigrant narrative
“Still I feel… like a newcomer. When I came here, I thought like I was
in a suitcase earlier, when I was back home. And now, I thought I am
in the garbage bin… In order to come out of the garbage bin, [I had]
to do something, to find something, because I was a college lecturer
back home.”

10. “When you come, you have your funds, [they’re] depleting every
day because nothing comes in to replenish whatever expense.
I actually applied to so many positions here at the start, but nothing
came. I realized, I only had a few interviews. But nothing came to
reality…
… In fact, I also applied [to] the bottom, which is the factory worker,
because there are so many agencies here looking [for workers], but
still, I cannot! I don’t know why! I have my complex resume, I have
my simplest resume, I have the medium resume! But really, I can’t, I
can’t, I was not able to find one [job].”

11. Initial findings | settlement staff
Settlement workers offered many suggestions for new or improved
services, but what tempered their imaginations?
Mandate | Capacity | Funding
Referral versus internal supports | quality control and capacity
Generalist versus specialist | specific skills & training

12. “For the very ideal program, the employment agency –
not for me, we are a settlement agency, we have
boundaries. For the comprehensive one, for me, actually,
I don’t want to do for everybody. That’s very mess[y], we
cannot do many things at the Centre.
Some have a huge organization, one team particularly
handling one program, another team handling another
thing, that’s ok. Otherwise, it’s for me, having one good
thing [focus] is better than having too many not effective
things.”

13. Mapping out the agency landscape
Different places do different things
basic resume support | credential assessment | job search
job fair | employer links | training and education | internships
|mentorship | the list goes on and on . . .
Finding the right information is challenging
for both the settlement worker and client
• what’s what, and where to go for what
services/programs
Supports for the information flow
• LIPs, GEO, HealthForceOntario

14. to duplicate or differentiate ?

15. Initial findings | focus group
information finances support
• Filipino in Greater Toronto Area
• Residing in Canada for less than 5 years
• University degree or higher
Target participants
Priority needs
The needs, information, and supports are VERY context-specific.

16. Andres, IT professional Maria, midwife
Anthony, teacherRoland, teacher

17. Challenges with focus groups
Revamping design?
What if we include “settled” highly skilled Filipinos, asking them
to think back about what supports/information would have been
beneficial?
Reality for recruitment
• Need jobs
• Need support
• Lack time

18. “The ethnic agency . . . represents the bridge to ethnic
communities – a bridge that may be useful to mainstream
agencies as they strengthen their service delivery capacity
for working with ethnic minority communities.”
Iglehart & Becerra, 2010, p. 200

19. Looking back, looking forward
• Uncovering past innovations
• Reviving partnerships
• Developing new collaborations

20. Thank you.
Monica Batac
monica.batac@ryerson.ca