Top challenges for newcomers in Huron County include cost of living, lack of recognition of international education, shortage of family doctors and isolation.
That’s according to a recent survey by the Huron County Immigration Partnership, which polled nearly 200 immigrants in Huron and Perth Counties – presented to County council by Immigration Partnership Manager Mark Nonkes on Wednesday morning (May 22).
Notably, the survey highlighted that many immigrants are highly educated and multilingual, with 71% holding college or university degrees and 81% speaking more than one language fluently. However, Nonkes indicated that many respondents indicated that their current employment did not match their qualifications.
The survey also took suggestions from participants about community improvements that would increase their satisfaction.
During the discussion, Mayor of Central Huron Jim Ginn expressed concerns about the underutilization of immigrants’ skills, particularly in professional fields like medicine and engineering.
There were suggestions for holding job fairs to connect immigrants with local employers, and Mayor of Bluewater Paul Klopp called for more support from professional bodies (like the College of Nursing, or Professional Engineers of Ontario) to recognize international qualifications.
The survey also revealed that libraries received the highest satisfaction among government services, with 94% of respondents rating their experiences as excellent or good. Reeve of Howick Doug Harding commended the Huron County Library for their active participation in improving the community experience for newcomers.
The Immigration Partnership will use the survey data to inform and improve service delivery, with plans to conduct further research on housing in the coming years.
You can view the full reports here.
Written by: B. Shakyaver