1. 5 Can Immigrants Solve Canadas Skill Shortage? Dr. Michelle Goldberg 8 th National Metropolis Conference, Vancouver March 25, 2006

2. Minister of Immigration Joe Volpe (2005) Canada's future is dependent on immigration…The evidence for this is clear: Our birth rate is among the lowest in the western world, our participation rate is the highest among countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and our unemployment rate continues to fall. Indeed, even smaller centres and rural communities across this country are now entering the competition for new Canadians as they seek to keep the critical mass of people needed for their long-term survival

3. Skill Shortage Discourse Brain drain and demographic issues –Low fertility rates, aging population Immigrants as solution to crisis Immigrants as commodity –Key to building human capital –Add value to economy Immigration as a benefit to the nation for economic prosperity Investment in economy Compete in global marketplace

4. Globalization & Neoliberal Era Economic logic used to justify a market- driven mentality –calls for deregulation or unrestrained policies –everything is couched in economic terms and competition –market-driven mentality Reduced state spending and eliminate public deficits and debt

5. Immigration and Globalization Increased mobility of capital and persons Proliferation of trade agreements –facilitate labour mobility Rapid technological advancements –facilitating information flows Policies couched in economic terms The education and skills that immigrants bring are an essential tool that Ontario employers need to utilize to keep pace with global competition

6. Canadas National Discourses Multiculturalism Equality Social justice Interaction –Immigration is not only fair and equitable but makes good economic sense (Government of Ontario, 1992)

7. Framework Beyond referential view Social constructivist view Social construction of reality through discourse Constitutive view of discourse Discourses are practices that systematically form the objects of which they speak…they are not about objects; they do not identify objects, they constitute them and in the practice of doing so they conceal their own invention (Foucault, 1974, p. 49) Informed by ideology

8. Discursive Web Multiple discourses Multiple voices Predominant discourse – Hub (Con)text Intertextuality – Gale (1999) Polycentricity – Hogwood & Gunn (1990) Policy web – Joshee & Johnson (2005)

9. Truth Common sense Affects our understandings, thoughts and behaviours which influences the reality we are living in Perpetual irritation in media & authority Multiple voices

11. Immigrants as a Benefit to Society Fill skill shortages Help business compete globally –Knowledge of overseas markets, cross cultural communication, language Right kind of immigrants who integrate –easily employable upon arrival –contribute quickly to the economy

12. Impact of Discourse on Immigrant Ignores other contributions Depersonalizing Limits the types of policy solutions Demands less government policy Constructs negative immigrant identities Ignores racism

13. Training Discourse Immigrants as foreign-trained –Devalued as not up to Canadian standards Immigration policy as training policy Blame the victim

14. Negative Impacts Negative Immigrant Identities –Drain on resources –Economic migrants Negative Attitudes –Threat to social cohesion –Erosion of Canadian national identity

15. Social Construction of the Other Binary Positive self & negative other presentation Limits what is thinkable Assimilatory Facilitates competition Canadian-born entitled to first choice

16. Discursive Interactions Self sufficiency discourse –Home grown solutions Distribution discourse –Rural communities Made in Ontario discourse

17. Conclusion Neo-liberalism emerges to suppress overtly racist discourses Reinforces Canadas tolerant, pluralistic, free of racism view Skill shortage is truth and immigrants are solution Only seen through web approach

18. Implications Limits immigrant professionals access to Canadian labour market Limits policy makers ability to implement policies to facilitate access Training, information and assessment policies distract from systemic change policies

19. Transformative Action Discourse that constructs positive identities Move away from binaries to thirdspace Highlight social benefits of immigration Value immigrant knowledge and culture Admit systemic racism exists