ACS Summary of Top-Level Survey Findings: Interim Report | Envisioning the Future of the Immigrant-Serving Sector

Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) Association d’études canadiennes (AEC)

ACS-Metropolis & World Education Services (WES) – Mariam Assefa Fund

Published online August 12, 2021 | Publié en ligne le 12 août 2021

 

Background | Contexte 

“The newcomer and SPO surveys were conducted between May and June of 2021 and include responses from 1,017 participants in total. The objective of these surveys was to determine the key challenges facing newcomers prior to and during the pandemic, as well as identify opportunities for growth within the sector.

Main themes identified throughout the newcomer survey included employment concerns (i.e., unemployment and underemployment), general implications of COVID-19 on the immigrant community, information gathering, housing and affordability difficulties, issues related to discrimination, and settlement service access.

Main themes uncovered through the SPO survey involved the implications of COVID-19 on service delivery, access to technology and digital literacy, changes in settlement needs, upskilling and professional development within organizations, employment trends, challenges and developments, sector collaboration, funding concerns, as well as capacity for measurement within organizations.

These themes will inform the topics of our focus group discussions as well as our key informant interviews.”