Agenda LMLIP Employment Sub-Council Date and Time: January 21, 2015 1:00 3:00 pm Meeting Location: Councilors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Item Description 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Approval of November 19, 2014 Minutes 3. Additions to Agenda 4. Reports and Actions from Previous Business a. LMLIP Day of Learning, January 26 2015 Wilma de Rond b. We are London TV Show Martin Withenshaw c. Information sessions with Small Business Centre d. Update on the portal Nathan Ross e. The Local Labour Market Plan (LLMP) Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board Martin Withenshaw 5. 2013-2016 Strategic Plan Implementation Plan (Plan pp16-18) Employment / Education Joint Committee Update Wilma de Rond 6. Information Sharing: Presentation by Gord Fansher on the Job Development Network 7. New Business 8. Chairperson s Closing Summary and Review of Action Items 9. Adjourn 10. Next Meeting: March 18, 2015 1:00 3:00 Venue Councilors Lounge, Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St. N) Upcoming Meetings: April 15; June 17, Nov 18 (2015) (location Councilors Lounge, Middlesex County Building) Jan 20 and March 16 2016 (location TBD) 1
Minutes LMLIP Employment Sub-council Date and Time: January 21, 2015 1:00 3:00 pm Meeting Location: Councilors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Present: Wilma de Rond, Jennifer Hollis, Pauline Andrew, Michelle Cialacu, Martin Withenshaw, Gord Fansher, Mahnaz Beiraghdar, Ayshin Mousavi, Christelle Desforges, Huda Hussein Regrets: Yvonne Lindsay, Robert Collins, Nancy McQuillan, Nathan Ross Guest: Siamara Vignone Item Description Information, Update, Action, Lead and Due Date 1. Chair s Opening Remarks Wilma de Rond welcomed the group and the guest. Introductions were made. 2. Adoption of Previous Minutes A motion to approve November 19, 2014 Minutes was moved by Gord Fansher, seconded by Martin Withenshaw and approved. 3. Additions to Agenda One correction was made to the agenda. Under upcoming meetings, September 16 was added. 4. Reports and Actions from Previous Business a. LMLIP Day of Learning Wilma de Rond Wilma de Rond noted that the suggested topics from this Sub-council were taken into consideration for the January 26, LMLIP Day of Learning. The agenda for the day, includes: An Overview of Demographics & the Labour Market in London and Middlesex; Information from the 2014 Provincial Summits, Immigration 101; celebrating the work that has been done in the last five years by LMLIP in collaboration with the community; and the changes in the immigration model and the implications for settlement. She encouraged members to register for the day. b. We are London TV Show Martin Withenshaw Martin Withenshaw noted that they had a successful launch on January 9. The launch was attended by three MPPs and Mayor Matt Brown. Due to the weather conditions the Elgin Middlesex MP and staff from St. Thomas Elgin and Oxford Local Immigration Partnerships could not attend. Harold Usher attended, representing the Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board of Directors; 2
The group discussed some of the themes that may be showcased in the second season. There was agreement that some themes from the first season may be enhanced in the second season to benefit immigrants who have recently come to London; Interviews for hiring a TV producer are completed; an offer will be made to the preferred candidate who may start work on January 26 if the offer is accepted and Pictures from the launch have been sent to project staff. c. Information sessions with Small Business Centre Huda Hussein Huda Hussein reported on behalf of Nancy McQuillan. Huda noted that Nancy sent a draft flyer for the information session that this Sub-council is coordinating with the Small Business Centre. It was noted that as per the discussion at the last meeting, the recommended topic for the presentation was: Starting Your Own Business: What does it take? The group noted that the topic remains the same. The group also recommended having the LMLIP logo on the flyer since this is an action item from this Sub-council. Edited flyer to be shared with members to promote the event. Huda also noted that there will be another session on May 13. It was suggested that the second session should be longer to include the legalities around starting a new business. d. Update on the portal Nathan Ross Nathan Ross was unable to attend the meeting. Wilma de Rond reported his update to the group on his behalf. Wilma noted that the Working section on the portal has been revised, with the assistance of WIL Employment Connections into two sections: Information for Job Seekers and Information for Employers (http://immigration.london.ca/working). It was also noted that the London-Middlesex Immigrant Employment Council (LMIEC) Newsletter is listed under this area and continues to be very popular with job seekers. e. The Local Labour Market Plan (LLMP) Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board Martin Withenshaw Following up from last meeting with regard to the identification of immigrants in the LLMP, Martin Withenshaw noted that he checked in with Deb Mountenay, Executive Director, Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board. He reported that the information in the Plan was collected from employers and apparently employers have not identified the immigrants in the Plan. The Plan reflects the employers input. 5. 2013-2016 Strategic Plan Implementation Plan (Plan pp16-18) i. Employment / Education Joint Committee Wilma de Rond The Joint Committee met on January 14 for the third time. Wilma de Rond noted that the group is in its initial stages of exploring and investigating existing resources to avoid duplication. Huda will connect with the presenter from the Small Business Centre to confirm topic Huda to provide feedback to Nancy, the lead of this action item Wilma will reach out to Deb with questions to understand the process and if input may still be provided if the Plan is a living document Jennifer will reach out as the Manager for the LMIEC with questions on the Plan 6. Information Sharing: Presentation on the Job Development Network (JDN) Gord Fansher Gord Fansher noted that the JDN was funded by the City of London through the 3
Prosperity Plan and established in 2013. The terms of reference were drafted; there are 17 agencies in the network. Wilma de Rond noted that she will be presenting to the City of London along with Carol Stewart, Manager for the Employment Sector Council London-Middlesex (ESCLM) to request additional funding for the JDN from September 2015 to December 2015. She also mentioned that LMIEC will be presenting to request funding for Job Match for the same period of time. Wilma invited the group to support if available. 7. Chairperson s Closing Summary and Review of Action Items Wilma de Rond thanked everyone for their participation, noting the following action items: Members are encouraged to attend the LMLIP Day of Learning on January 26; 8. Adjourn Huda Hussein to connect with the Small Business Centre regarding the topic and edit the flyer as per the group s recommendations; The Small Business Centre will deliver another session on May 13 suggestion to include other speakers such as a lawyer and an accountant along with a presentation by the Small Business Centre; Wilma to reach out to Deb Mountenay to discuss opportunities for providing input to the Plan and Employment/Education Joint Committee will continue to explore to bridge identified gaps Meeting adjourned at 2:20 p.m. 9. Next Meeting Location and Date: March 18, 2015 1:00 3:00 p.m.councilors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Funded by: Co-led by: 4
Agenda LMLIP Employment Sub-Council Date and Time: March 18, 2015 1:00 3:00 pm Meeting Location: Councilors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Item Description 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Approval of January 21, 2015 Minutes 3. Additions to Agenda 4. Reports and Actions from Previous Business a. LMLIP Day of Learning, January 26 2015 (Update) Wilma de Rond b. We are London TV Show Michelle c. Information sessions with Small Business Centre Feb 11 Session: (Update) Nancy McQuillan d. Update on the portal Nathan Ross e. The Local Labour Market Plan (LLMP) Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board (follow up) Wilma de Rond 5. 2013-2016 Strategic Plan Implementation Plan (Plan pp16-18) Employment / Education Joint Committee Update Wilma de Rond 6. Roundtable Information Sharing: Agencies share upcoming events and current programs 7. New Business 8. Chairperson s Closing Summary and Review of Action Items 9. Adjourn 10. Next Meeting: April 15 8, 2015 1:00 3:00 Venue Councilors Lounge, Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St. N) Upcoming Meetings: June 17, September 16, Nov 18 (2015) (location Councilors Lounge, Middlesex County Building) Jan 20 and March 16 2016 (location TBD) 5
Minutes LMLIP Employment Sub-council Date and Time: March 18, 2015 1:00 3:00 pm Meeting Location: Councilors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Present: Wilma de Rond, Jennifer Hollis, Pauline Andrew, Michelle Cialacu, Gord Fansher, Mahnaz Beiraghdar, Ayshin Mousavi, Huda Hussein, Ermina Melkic, Robert Collins, Nancy McQuillan, Nathan Ross, Bill Pigram Regrets: Martin Withenshaw, Christelle Desforges Item Description 1. Chair s Opening Remarks Wilma de Rond welcomed the group and new members. Introductions were made. 2. Adoption of Previous Minutes A motion to approve January 21, 2015 Minutes was moved by Jennifer Hollis, seconded by Pauline Andrew and approved. Information, Update, Action, Lead and Due Date 3. Additions to Agenda Roundtable information sharing was added to the agenda since no guest speakers were scheduled for the meeting. 4. Reports and Actions from Previous Business b. LMLIP Day of Learning Wilma de Rond Wilma de Rond noted that 108 participants attended LMLIP s Day of Learning on January 26 and 67 completed a post-event survey. The content and purpose of the event were marked as excellent and very good by 80% of registrants who completed the survey. The event was remarked on as a new and unique approach and opportunity to meet all LMLIP members, share ideas and recapture current and past projects. It is suggested to have a Day of Learning on a regular basis in a similar or same format. Further survey analysis is required in order to generate ideas. f. We are London TV Show Michelle Cialacu Michelle Cialacu informed the group that a TV show producer was hired at the end of February. The next segment of filming is underway and the plan is to complete it by end May to allow Oxford and Elgin counties extra time to film their segments. Rogers own the TV show and require participants to sign waiver and release forms. Corinne Walsh joined the working group. 6
g. Information sessions with Small Business Centre Nancy McQuillan A presentation titled Starting Your Own Business: What does it take? was held at Middlesex County building. Event highlights legalities around starting a new business. Thirteen people attended including one LMLIP staff member. Only five completed the post event survey that was sent to all participating agencies. The feedback received from the survey is positive. Nancy McQuillan also noted that there will be another session on May 13. Pauline Andrew offered the set up and use of a laptop and projector. Huda Hussein suggested forming a working group of two or three persons to help with event planning and execution. Pauline and Nathan Ross agreed to be part of the group. The Working Group will meet to plan for the event. Robert Collins suggested that the group contact the Business Connector-Service London who will provide information on all legalities for starting a small business. No news. h. Update on the Portal Nathan Ross i. The Local Labour Market Plan (LLMP) Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board Wilma de Rond Following up from the last meeting with regard to the identification of immigrants in the LLMP, Wilma de Rond noted that she met with Deb Mountenay, Executive Director, Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board. She reported that the information in the Plan was collected from employers and apparently employers have not identified immigrants in the Plan. The Plan reflects the employers input based on identified demand. The demand was determined based on surveys, discussion tables, presentations and meetings. The recruitment of talent was determined by employers as a goal. LLMP has to work on opportunities identified in the plan, set actions and create or utilize partnerships in the community. Some opportunities could be informing employers of funding opportunities if talent is recruited from the skilled immigrant population. Another suggestion is to develop positive conversations with employers while explaining how community and staffing agencies can benefit them. The topic is to be revisited in the April meeting. http://workforcedevelopment.ca/sites/default/files/2014%20labour%20market%20plan.p df Nancy to confirm with Susan Abdulla, (LEHC employee), regarding joining the event planning group Robert to make initial contact with Business Connector- Service London Generate action plans from the opportunities identified in LLMP Link to the LLMP will be provided to members 5. 2013-2016 Strategic Plan Implementation Plan (Plan pp16-18) ii. Employment / Education Joint Committee Wilma de Rond The Joint Committee met on March 3 and the next meetings are scheduled for April and May. Wilma de Rond reported that the group is currently exploring programming for immigrants available in the community, such as London immigrants literacy project and other outreach projects.in order to have proper inclusive representation on the Subcouncil, Fanshawe College will be approached. 6. Roundtable Information Sharing: Agencies share upcoming events and current programs a. Mahnaz Beiraghdar The London Cross Cultural Learner Centre (CCLC) is 7
currently involved in an Intercultural Awareness project. Katy Boychuk is hired to network with organizations regarding the project. b. Bill Pigram Community Employment Choices in Middlesex County will roll out a pilot project in September this year. Two job developers have been hired to assist immigrants obtain employment. c. Pauline Andrew Reported on the new Show, We Are Middlesex. She noted that they have established a Steering Committee to plan for the Show. The committee includes: the public library, social services, Economic Development Office, Chamber of Commerce and Business Help Centre. The show will focus on success stories of immigrants who chose to live in Middlesex County in six episodes. Taping will take place in June, July and August. The episodes will be aired in September and December. The committee is currently securing the use of Superstore s kitchen in Strathroy. Two hosts are confirmed Shannon for the first two segments and Pauline for the cooking segment. d. Robert Collins Currently in London 500 jobs in technology are advertised. The London and Area Works link on the CTV website gives job search tips every week. This information could be communicated to immigrant population. Currently we have the lowest employment rate since 2008. Lots of smaller job fairs are taking place. e. Michelle Cialacu International Women s Day was celebrated by the francophone community early this month f. Jennifer Hollis London Middlesex Immigrant Employment Council (LMIEC) is an established organization linking employers to effective, no-cost tools and resources for recruiting, hiring and retaining skilled immigrants. It was launched in 2007 and now has a pool of about 250 employers. Canada s Immigration Summit is in April. g. Huda Hussein LMLIP s Settlement Sub-council has an event scheduled at the Central Library on April 28 to engage landlords and tenants. h. Ayshin Mousavi Literacy Link South Central (LLSC) created multi-cultural videos on literacy. The videos are posted on the Literacy Link website; a newsletter will be issued on April 1; which will have useful information for immigrants. Ayshin also noted that LLSC is offering two webinars on literacy from the immigrant s perspective. i. Nancy McQuillan Large number of immigrants are coming to the London Employment Help Centre. This is attributed to having an employment counsellor from the immigrant community. 7. Chairperson s Closing Summary and Review of Action Items Wilma de Rond thanked everyone for their participation, and noted the following action items: Work group will be set up for the May 13 session which will take place at Middlesex County building; Robert Collins will make the initial contact with the Business Connector-Service London and pass it on to the working group; Further discussion and action plans from the opportunities identified in LLMP and Jennifer to provide feedback from the summit in April Huda to share event flyer with the group Ayshin will email link to the webinar 8
8. Adjourn Jennifer Hollis to provide feedback from the Canada Immigration summit in April. Meeting adjourned at 3:00 pm. 9. Next Meeting Location and Date: June 17, 2015 1:00 3:00 p.m. Councillors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Funded by: Co-led by: 9
Agenda LMLIP Employment Sub-Council Date and Time: April 15, 2015 1:00 3:00 pm Meeting Location: Councilors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Item Description 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Approval of March 18, 2015 Minutes 3. Additions to Agenda 4. Reports and Actions from Previous Business a. We are London TV Show Martin b. Session with the Small Business Centre (Update) Pauline/Nathan/Ayshin/Nancy c. Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board - Local Labour Market Plan (LLMP) Issue 2 Discussion 5. 2013-2016 Strategic Plan Implementation Plan (Plan pp16-18) Employment / Education Joint Committee Update - Wilma 6. Strategic Plan Moving forward (2015-2016) Discussion 7. New Business 8. Chairperson s Closing Summary and Review of Action Items 9. Adjourn 10
Minutes LMLIP Employment Sub-council Date and Time: April 15, 2015 1:00-3:00 pm Meeting Location: Councilors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Item Description Present: Wilma de Rond, Jennifer Hollis, Pauline Andrew, Yvonne Lindsay, Michelle Cialacu, Gord Fansher, Mahnaz Beiraghdar, Ayshin Mousavi, Nazia Bano, Nathan Ross, Martin Withenshaw, Christelle Desforges, Huda Hussein, Maria D Souza Regrets: Robert Collins, Bill Pigram, Nancy McQuillan Information, Update, Action, Lead and Due Date 1. Chair s Opening Remarks Wilma de Rond welcomed the group and introduced Maria D Souza, LMLIP s new Project Assistant. 2. Adoption of Previous Minutes Motion to approve March 18, 2015 Minutes was moved by Pauline Andrew, seconded by Jennifer Hollis and approved. 3. Additions to Agenda Roundtable information sharing is added to the agenda since no guest speakers were scheduled for the meeting. We Are Middlesex Pauline Andrew Agenda approved with the added item 4. Reports and Actions from Previous Business c. We are London TV show Martin Withenshaw Martin Withenshaw informed the group that three cooking segments had been filmed. He noted that this Sub-council provided one theme for the show (entrepreneurship) which has been taped and aired on April 6. He also informed the group that the second theme, a show on mock interviews, has been suggested by the Employment & Education Joint Committee. The plan is to have this show taped at LUSO Community Centre. Martin also noted that an episode focusing on Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender (LGBT) immigrants settling into a new life in Canada and the difficulties they face with transitioning is currently being considered Wilma de Rond wondered if a more immediate idea or need came up if Sub-councils could be asked if they would be willing to give up one of their suggested themes to focus on the new idea instead. Christelle Desforges added that the 13 th episode of the show would be in French and would probably air in November during National Francophone Immigration week. She Martin requested members to tweet about the show which is being aired 11
noted this year marks 400 years of the French community in Ontario. The topic for the episode will be settlement or entrepreneurship. j. Session with the Small Business Centre Pauline Andrew, Nathan Ross Pauline Andrew informed the group that they had met two weeks ago. Nancy McQuillan spoke to Steve at the Small Business Centre who agreed that Phil Singeris would present at the event. Nancy had also drafted a flyer. Nathan Ross contacted Nicole Mussico, who confirmed she will present. Awaiting a response from Yvonne Hill (CA) and a lawyer still needs to be confirmed. Martin Withenshaw mentioned that he has 250 DVDs Be your own boss, which is aimed at youth but the information is relevant to all ages. He offered to give copies for the event and Nathan accepted. Christelle Desforges also volunteered to arrange for translators for the DVD through College Boreal if needed. k. The Local Labour Market Plan (LLMP) Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board Wilma de Rond Wilma de Rond noted that at the last meeting she had requested ideas to implement. Issue 2 highlighted in the LLMP report, Employers are often unaware of the employment and support services available to them through the non-profit sector and government funded programs. The group suggested the following ideas: - Informing employers through the Job Developer Network about resources - Hosting a Business After Five type of event - Using booths at bilingual job fairs - Developing a directory of resources for employers - Using Social Media - Including Pillar in reaching out to employers - Organizing a resource fair similar to one that was hosted by the Sarnia Lambton Local Immigration Partnership After some discussion, the group agreed to host a participatory London-Middlesex Resource Fair where employers are actively engaged. Jennifer to share ideas on the Resource Fair in June meeting Jennifer to provide survey feedback from conference session to Wilma 5. 2013-2016 Strategic Plan Implementation Plan Discussion Employment / Education Joint Committee Update Wilma de Rond The Joint Committee met on April 14 and the next meeting is scheduled for May 20. Wilma de Rond informed the group that Martin Withenshaw had discussed We are London. 6. Strategic Plan Moving forward (2015-2016) Discussion Wilma de Rond commented that the activities in the Sub-council s strategic plan have all been completed or are being worked on. She observed that one area they may want to focus on, is strengthening communication between Sub-councils. The following ideas were suggested for the 2015-2016 Plan: - Showcase the Access Centre for Regulated Employment (ACRE). Wilma de Rond wondered if this topic may be covered by one of the Counties for this year since otherwise, the Employment Sub-council would present this topic for next year; 12
- With regard to the strategy on e Worktrends.ca, it was noted that last year the group presented on worktrends.ca and this Sub-council provided feedback. Going forward it was suggested to find out if a link to the work of the Employment & Education Joint Committee could be linked to the website and - Call for a joint meeting of the Education and Employment Sub-councils to further discuss and identify gaps 7. New Business a. We are Middlesex Pauline Andrew Pauline Andrew reported that Middlesex County would be producing six episodes and is looking for suitable locations to shoot the cooking segment. The episodes had all been mapped out and participants had been emailed. The shooting schedule is to be finalized. Pauline will be hosting the cooking segment and two hosts have been secured for the other two segments. Taping of the six episodes will start in June and the shows will be aired in the Fall. b. Canadian Immigration Summit Jennifer Hollis The event was organized by the Conference Board of Canada in Ottawa. There was strong representation from London. Information was shared on the Express Entry Program. Pierre Poilevre, Minister of Employment and Social Development, spoke about the international trained individuals loan pilot project. The results were positive. The default rate was only 1% and based on this success, they will roll out the low interest loan program next year. Employment & Social Development Canada released a report from the Panel on Employment Challenges of New Canadians http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/credential_recognition/consultations/index.shtml Wilma to check in with Martin Wilma to check on linking work of E&E Joint Working Group with WorkTrends Jennifer to share the link c. Chairperson s Closing Summary and Review of Action Items Wilma de Rond announced that this was Gord Fansher s last Sub-council meeting. She thanked him on behalf of current and previous Sub-council members, saying his work and support were much appreciated. Gord explained he now has new responsibilities, so regretfully has to step back but he has suggested a new member, Adrianna Reino-Nino, who he thinks will be an asset to the group. He then thanked everyone in the group. Wilma thanked everyone for their participation, and noted the following action items: Report to Debra Mountenay that we will plan a resource fair using their template. Jennifer will provide information on the logistics in June and will form a working group to plan for the fair. Reach out to Muriel Abbott regarding a joint meeting with the Education Subcouncil Bring back information to the Employment & Education Joint Committee identifying gaps, environmental scan in the community Ask Martin Withenshaw about showcasing the Access Centre in one of the County s shows as it represents South Western Ontario. If not, we can feature them next year. 13
d. Adjourn Meeting adjourned at 3:00 pm. e. Next Meeting Location and Date: June 17, 2015 1:00 3:00 p.m. Councillors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) 14
Agenda LMLIP Employment Sub-Council Date and Time: June 17, 2015 1:00 3:00 pm Meeting Location: Councilors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Item Description 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Approval of April 15, 2015 Minutes 3. Additions to Agenda 4. Information Sharing: Presentation by Deb Mountenay, Review of the results of the Employment One Survey 5. Central Council Strategic Plan Update 6. Reports and Actions from Previous Business a. We Are London TV Show Martin b. We Are Middlesex TV Show - Pauline c. Session with the Small Business Centre Update Pauline, Nathan, Ayshin 7. 2013-2016 Strategic Plan Implementation Plan (Plan pp16-18) Employment / Education Joint Committee Update Wilma London & Middlesex Resource Fair Jennifer 8. New Business 9. Chairperson s Closing Summary and Review of Action Items 10. Adjourn 11. Next Meeting: September 16, 2015 Councilors Lounge, Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St. N) Upcoming Meetings: November 18 (2015) (location Councilors Lounge, Middlesex County Building) Jan 20 and March 16 2016 (location TBD) 15
Minutes LMLIP Employment Sub-council Date and Time: June 17, 2015 1:00-2:30 pm Meeting Location: Councillors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Item Description Present: Wilma de Rond, Jennifer Hollis, Pauline Andrew, Yvonne Lindsay, Michelle Cialacu, Ayshin Mousavi, Christelle Desforges, Robert Collins, Bill Pigram, Nancy McQuillan Huda Hussein, Maria D Souza Regrets: Nathan Ross, Martin Withenshaw, Mahnaz Beiraghdar Information, Update, Action, Lead and Due Date 1. Chair s Opening Remarks Wilma de Rond welcomed the group and informed them that Nazia Bano, who sits on two Sub-councils, will be leaving the Employment Sub-council to focus on her work with the Education Sub-council. 2. Adoption of Previous Minutes Motion to approve April 15, 2015 Minutes was moved by Pauline Andrew, seconded by Christelle and approved with an amendment to point 4.a Immigration was added and the sentence will now read: Christelle added that the 13 th episode of the show would be in French and would probably air in November during National Francophone Immigration week. 3. Additions to Agenda None. Motion to approve agenda moved by Yvonne Lindsay, seconded by Michelle Cialacu and approved. 4. Information Sharing: Presentation by Deb Mountenay, Review of the results of the Employment One Survey The presentation combined data from the Employer One survey and the Apprenticeship Network. The manufacturing sector had a higher response than other sectors. Deb observed that there are two barriers to hiring immigrants in trades. The first is that trades have not been an immigration category and the second is the difficulty in finding mentors to partner apprentices with. She mentioned that the London and Area Works CTV series publicizes hiring opportunities. Questions on the survey can be sent to Huda to forward to Deb 5. Central Council Strategic Plan Update Wilma de Rond The Governance Task Group has met twice since the last Sub-council meeting. The group chaired by Dev Sainani, meets monthly. It includes representatives from the Sub-councils and Central Council. 16
The Theory of Change will be used to formulate the strategy. The governance group has decided on the type of data to be collected. They also looked at what documentation/resources in the community need to be reviewed since these could impact the plan. Many members volunteered to review the resources suggested before the group s next meeting. Involving Sub-councils in planning and developing the strategic plan was also discussed. The group is aware that they will have to trim action items to make it achievable. Timelines will be worked on since the Strategy has to be ready by March 1, 2016. In response to Robert s question if there would be any radical shifts, Wilma responded that there were none. The plan will have to fit into London s Strategic Plan. She also reiterated that we need to ensure what we do is based on a solid foundation of data and knowledge of what our community is doing. 6. Reports and Actions from Previous Business a. We are London TV show - Martin Martin sent his update since he could not attend the meeting. b. We are Middlesex TV show Pauline Two episodes were filmed, one of which highlighted Community Employment Choices. Home Hardware, an Alpaca farm and Amy s restaurant in Strathroy were also featured. Three cooking segments have been filmed. Filming is now scheduled for July 5, 15 and in August and will be completed by September. c. Session with the Small Business Centre Ayshin, Pauline The session was held on May 13. Pauline, Nathan, Nancy and Ayshin were in the working group. Pauline and Ayshin facilitated the information session which had 20 participants. Five presenters covered a variety of topics. The participants had many questions, so in future an effort will be made to increase the amount of time for presentations. Packages put together for attendees were practical and included notes from presenters. Positive evaluations were received from all participants. Robert pointed out that it maybe helpful to link participants to the Small Business Centre s information sessions on using social media. Christelle offered assistance if a bilingual event is held next year. Ayshin queried if the session s participants could be emailed information of relevance and interest to them. After some discussion it was decided that an email will be sent to attendees thanking them for their participation and provide them with contact information for the Small Business Centre and the County if they need further assistance. Wilma thanked the group for their work in organizing the event. Discuss in September if another session should be held Pauline & Ayshin to send thank you email to participants 7. 2013-2016 Strategic Plan Implementation Plan Discussion Employment / Education Joint Committee Update Wilma de Rond 17
The Joint Committee met on May 20. Wilma mentioned that the Literacy Focus group is developing an environmental scan to identify programming gaps in services for ESL, Literacy and Employment Services. London & Middlesex Resource Fair - Jennifer Hollis A Resource Fair for employers and service agencies to increase awareness of not for profit services and programs related to newcomer and immigrant talent has been proposed. Sarnia-Lambton hosted a similar event and they have shared the scenarios they used. Employers have requested continued information on resources available. The challenge is that sometimes service providers themselves are not aware of resources in the community. 8. New Business Francophone events Christelle Desforges Christelle informed the group that the Franco Fete would be held at Ed Blake Park on June 20 and that We are London would be covering the event. The Francophone community marks 400 years in Ontario this year. Information sharing Robert Collins The London Economic Development Board s London magazine is being printed with five different covers. The content, which aims to inform readers about various initiatives in the city, is the same but the covers are targeted at various sectors. The city is developing a video to attract entrepreneurs. The Small Business Centre is also involved. The video should be completed by the end of July. A total of 3,000 information cards on London have been printed. Accelerate your career in Canada s London lists links to employment websites and the benefits of living in city. It is distributed at events outside London that are aimed at recruiting professionals. An International Students Welcome Day will be hosted. London has more than 6,000 students and the event aims to boost awareness in the host community, while informing students of the community outside their campus. Literacy Links Ayshin Mousavi Literacy Links to employment has published its second newsletter. Ayshin requested the group to let her know if they were not on the distribution list. She mentioned that they are looking for two immigrant success stories to showcase in the newsletter and requested members to forward recommendations. 9. Chairperson s Closing Summary and Review of Action Items Wilma identified the following action items: Deb Mountenay will provide data on retirement trends and identifying trades for immigrants. At the September meeting, Sub-council will look at the questions embedded in the presentation on the Employer One Survey and provide responses to Deb Mountenay. Wilma to inform Deb about holding a resource fair to address one of the issues in the Local Labour Market Plan and then discuss it with Jennifer. Recommendation to be made in September. Viewing city s entrepreneurship video to be included in Sep/Nov agenda 18
Invest London is looking at the attraction and retention of immigrants to London. The Sub-council will look at work to date and discuss at the November meeting. The resource fair will be discussed at the September sub-council meeting. Updates from Martin will be emailed along with the minutes Holding another information session on entrepreneurship will be discussed in September Pauline and Ayshin will email thank you to small business information session participants Robert will present the video in September if it is ready. Wilma thanked the members for a productive year and for supporting the work of the group. She also thanked Pauline for the space and Huda and Maria for work behind the scenes. 10. Adjourn Meeting adjourned at 2:30 pm. 11. Next Meeting Location and Date: September 16, 2015 1:00 3:00 p.m. Councillors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) 19
Agenda LMLIP Employment Sub-Council Date and Time: September 16, 2015 1:00 3:00 pm Meeting Location: Councilors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Item Description 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Approval of June 17, 2015 Minutes 3. Additions to Agenda 4. Reports and Actions from Previous Business a. Employment One Survey Feedback - Wilma b. We Are London TV Show Martin c. We Are Middlesex TV Show - Pauline d. Session with the Small Business Centre Discussion 5. 2013-2016 Strategic Plan Implementation Plan (Plan pp16-18) Employment / Education Joint Committee Update - Wilma London & Middlesex Resource Fair Jennifer 6. Central Council Update / 2016-2019 Strategic Planning - Wilma 7. New Business 8. Chairperson s Closing Summary and Review of Action Items 9. Adjourn 10. Next Meeting: November 18, 2015 Councilors Lounge, Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St. N) Upcoming Meetings: January 20 and March 16 2016 (TBD) 20
Minutes LMLIP Employment Sub-council Date and Time: September 16, 2015 1:00 3:00 pm Meeting Location: Councillors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Present: Wilma de Rond, Jennifer Hollis, Pauline Andrew, Ayshin Mousavi, Christelle Desforges, Bharati Sethi, Deb Mountenay, Bill Pigram, Huda Hussein Regrets: Nathan Ross, Robert Collins Martin Withenshaw, Yvonne Lindsay, Nancy McQuillan Item Description 1. Chair s Opening Remarks Wilma de Rond welcomed the group and noted that Michelle Cialacu and Mahnaz Beiraghdar have moved on and will no longer be able to serve on this Sub-council. Wilma thanked them for their contributions. Bharati Sethi, the new member was introduced. Bharati served on the Grand Erie Local Immigration Partnership prior to moving to London where she currently works as an Assistant Professor at King s College. 2. Adoption of Previous Minutes Motion to approve June 16, 2015 amended Minutes was moved by Bill Pigram, seconded by Jennifer Hollis and approved. Information, Update, Action, Lead and Due Date 3. Additions to Agenda Motion to approve agenda as presented was moved by Ayshin Mousavi, seconded by Christelle Desforges and approved. 4. Reports and Actions from Previous Business a. Employment One Survey Feedback Wilma de Rond Wilma noted that the group had some time to review the four questions embedded in the Employment One Survey and asked group for feedback on each of the question. Q. 1 What needs to be done to create opportunities in skilled trades for immigrants to London/Middlesex? Debra noted that there are a few developments which will influence the decision and or the direction that this group may take are happening now and recommended that the group may discuss this issue once more information becomes available. Q. 2 How can we help connect immigrants to existing networks in London/Middlesex? The following suggestions were put forward: - Work with existing bodies and umbrellas such as the Access Centre for Regulated Employment; the Apprenticeship Network and find ways of better 21
engaging immigrants and facilitate their access to such services - Connect groups to services through their faith leaders/places of worships - Professional associations such as the International Medical Group may be one of the conduits to connect with immigrants - Mentorships programs - Remove barriers of participation in federal funded programs - Volunteerism review of current protocols of recruiting immigrants for meaningful volunteerism (for example: the library would open opportunities for volunteerism for shelving books which may not help the newcomer who is a skilled librarian from country of origin in obtaining the Canadian experience) - Build on current best practices - Presentations to newcomer groups - Communication and how to work on messaging (dispel myths, example, one immigrant experience does not reflect everyone s) - Collect information from what s happening now - Engage ethnic associations Question 3: Who do we connect with to help immigrants gain employment in these hard to fill occupations? - Identify hard to fill out occupations sector by sector - Employers It was noted that a federally funded project is underway to discuss the manufacturing industry and identify hard to fill jobs in this sector. The group is meeting in October. Group will be updated on their work in November. Question 4: What can we do now to help immigrants gain access to filling vacancies due to retirement - Data is not available on retirement plans - Employment services will identify which sector has vacancies due to retirement and plan accordingly - Through outreach working with existing programs/groups - Apprenticeship programs - Service trade continues to be in demand; construction sector depends on demand It was noted that lack of Canadian experience, language and networking continue to be barriers to employment for newcomers b. We Are London TV Show Debra Mountenay Deb reported back on behalf of Martin Withenshaw. - 10 shows for London completed; - a new volunteer will be leading the cooking segment on the show until December 2015; - francophone episode was shot today; - two more shows to be filmed in the next few months - shows filmed in April 2015 will be showcased next April c. We Are Middlesex: Pauline reported that: - Six shows have been completed; - Three shows will be aired starting September 22
- A launch of the show will be held on September 29, 2015; 40 individuals are expected to attend. d. Session with the Small Business Centre: Ayshin and Pauline reported that they met and provided a draft plan of organizing another session, based on the feedback from the session organized in May. 5. 2013-2016 Strategic Plan Implementation Plan Employment/Education Joint Committee Wilma Wilma noted that the scheduled meeting for this group which is October 21, 2015, has now been canceled. The group is in its initial stages of identifying the purpose. London & Middlesex Resource Fair Jennifer Group agreed to have this event as a collaborative event between this Sub-council and the London Middlesex Immigrant Employment Council. A working group was established to plan for the event. Pauline and Ayshin will plan for another session. Members will support by promoting event Christelle, Martina and Jennifer will meet and plan 6. Central Council Update / 2016-2019 Strategic Planning - Wilma The Governance Task Group has been meeting monthly to plan a consultation session with LMLIP members and the community The consultation session is now scheduled for October 21, 2015 (12:30-4:30 pm)and members as well as community members will be invited to provide input to the 2016-2019 Strategic Plan. Registration will start at 12:30 pm and the session will start promptly at 1:00 pm Activities for the day will include discussion at tables facilitated by community members In preparation for October 21, session, each Sub-council has been asked to provide their input with regard to the following question: What needs do you see on the horizon for newcomers and immigrants in London & Middlesex in the next three years? Categorize the needs into themes, and priorities The following needs have been identified: concern for increase of precarious employment for immigrants increase in some sectors of unfilled positions and how to make connection to immigrants with necessary skills the refugee situation and its potential impact on service delivery, programming, additional pressure on social services and supports and whether the community is prepared for it focus on women, 51% of immigrants are women and must be concerned about types of jobs they typically procure and the working conditions therein likely to see more temporary immigrants, often ineligible for services, the gaps that this will cause may see less immigrants settling in our area due to stagnant economy and also poor word of month about employment possibilities for immigrants overall may see less immigration in Ontario, federal government may be offloading to provinces other than Ontario impact of Express Entry and Provincial nominee programs will need core services such as ESL, settlement and employment, but must 23
be more focused and targeted at individual needs as immigrants pool could be vastly different in the course of three years striking a balance or strategy to deal with potentially larger numbers of newcomers and immigrants and continued work with those already here may see lower literacy, language and skills level which will need to be addressed through services and programming increase focus on attraction, transition and retention of newcomers and immigrants speed of change will require consideration of how to respond in efficient and effective manner getting to clients sooner and connecting them faster likely vast number of employment opportunities will be with small and medium size business that will not have human resource supports, how do we aid in connecting employers to talent pool available International Students, as soon as graduate they can apply for permanent status how do we serve and balance against other immigrant needs county experiencing major changes in demographics, shrinking population and number of services what will the employment focus be for the county entrepreneurship? should we be adopting a regional focus more collaboration and pooled resources to build capacity communication with those who need to know politicians, do we really have their ears? need for more language service for low language level immigrants but also need job/industry specific language training need to balance the broader needs with specific challenges Categories based on list of needs: 1. Cultural Adoption or adaptation 2. Employment 3. Education 4. Addressing the social/system Priorities: Attraction, Transition and Retention of Newcomers and Immigrants to our Community Coordination and Communication (who else needs to be part and how do we educate our community on immigrations) Employment how to serve the current and expected needs, trends, changes of newcomers and immigrants Rethink structure of LMLIP should we add, eliminate or refocus mandate of sub-councils? Education in broader sense of informing the public, employers, politicians etc on matters of importance and change related to this sector 7. Information Sharing Christelle noted that the raising of the flag for francophone will be held on September 25 at Victoria Park. Jennifer noted that LMIEC is holding a follow up session with Middlesex County mentors who joined the Mentorship program as mentors on October 21 to share their experience as mentors Ayshin noted that the third newsletter for the Literacy and Employment project is 24
out and the last one will be shared on October 1, 2015 8. Chairperson s Closing Summary and Review of Action Items Wilma thanked the group and reviewed the following actions from the meeting: Deb will provide the group with Information from the current developments to identify actions for Question 1 (embedded in the Employment One Survey) Session with the Small Business Center will be organized and members will assist in promoting the event. LMLIP may help secure a free location for the event Jennifer, Christelle and Martin will plan for the resource fair that may be held in February 2016 Plan to attend October 21 st consultation meeting (12:30-4:30 pm at Earl Nichols Arena, 799 Homeview Street). Details will follow Wilma thanked Middlesex County for providing the group with meeting space until March 2016. 9. Adjourn Meeting adjourned at 3:00 pm. 10. Next Meeting Location and Date: November 18, 2015 1:00 3:00 p.m. Councillors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) 25
Agenda LMLIP Employment Sub-Council Date and Time: November 18, 2015 1:00 3:00 pm Meeting Location: Councilors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Item Description 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Approval of September 16, 2015 Minutes 3. Additions to Agenda 4. Reports and Actions from Previous Business (2013-2016 Strategic Plan) a. We Are London TV Show Martin b. We Are Middlesex TV Show - Pauline c. Session with the Small Business Centre Ayshin/Pauline d. London & Middlesex Resource Fair Jennifer 5. Debrief: October 21, 2015 LMLIP Mobilizing for 2016-2019 Wilma a. Review of report to Governance Committee from Employment Sub-Council b. Report from other table discussions and Settlement Sector Meeting 6. Round table updates 7. New Business 8. Chairperson s Closing Summary and Review of Action Items 9. Adjourn 10. Next Meeting: January 20, 2015 Councilors Lounge, Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St. N) 26
Minutes LMLIP Employment Sub-council Date and Time: November 18, 2015 1:00 3:00 pm Meeting Location: Councillors Lounge at the Middlesex County Building (399 Ridout St N) Present: Robert Collins, Bill Pigram, Martin Withenshaw, Nancy McQuillan, Bharati Sethi, Wilma de Rond, Pauline Andrew, Jennifer Hollis, Yvonne Lindsay, Nathan Ross, Huda Hussein, Vivette Martin Regrets: Ayshin Mousavi, Christelle Desforges Item Description 1. Chair s Opening Remarks Wilma de Rond welcomed the group. Information, Update, Action, Lead and Due Date 2. Adoption of Previous Minutes Motion to approve September 16, 2015 Minutes with an amendment (Item 7- second bullet follow up session add Middlesex County before mentors) was moved by Bharati Sethi, seconded by Pauline Andrew and approved. 3. Additions to Agenda No additions. 4. Reports and Actions from Previous Business a) We Are London TV - Martin Withenshaw So far six episodes based on Employment, Inclusion & Civic Engagement and Settlement Sub-council themes have been aired. In addition, two episodes with French subtitles have also aired. Two more episodes need to be shot and content is still being decided. Still looking for four cooking guests, Polish, Ukrainian Italian and Dutch are potential groups that are being looked at. Members were requested to pass on any connections they had. b) We are Middlesex - Pauline Andrew Currently on the third episode, finished one more segment on the Business Help Centre. Brian Chalmers has left the organization so redid with the replacement. Pre production meeting on December 8, discuss plan for moving forward. c) Session with Small Business Centre Pauline Andrew Ayshin is working full time and has not had time to meet. Will be put on hold for now. 27