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FREDERICTON Region Five-year Immigration Strategy
2
Overall Population: Job Forecast:
59,220 54,300
Increase from
41,700 today to
According to the most recent 2016 Census The number of jobs in Fredericton is expected to increase from 41,700
data, the overall population of Fredericton today to 54,300 by 2041. This forecast equates to 1,200 more people
is now at 58,220, an increase of 3.6 per each year, on average. Communities outside the city will continue to
cent since 2011. Though this increase is grow at a slower rate, with the metropolitan population projected to
lower than the national growth rate (5.0 reach 175,000 by 2041.3
per cent), it greatly supercedes that of
New Brunswick (-0.5 per cent).1
Immigration Numbers:
2006 2016
Population Forecast:
50% 93,600
by 2041
4,240 to 6,445
Numbers of new immigrants who have settled in Fredericton have
Fredericton’s overall population is increased significantly in recent years from 4,240 (2006) to 6,445
forecasted to grow by 50 per cent, (2016). In 2016, immigrants made up 11 per cent of Fredericton’s
from an estimated 62,000 (2016) to population, an increase of more than three percent since 2011.4
approximately 93,600 by 2041.2
This percentage is quite low, however, compared to the overall
immigrant proportions in Canada (21.9 per cent) but double than
that of New Brunswick (4.6 per cent).5
population trend:
Since 2006, immigrant
populations in all cities Demographics:
have increased. In that ten-
year period, Fredericton’s
33%
immigrant population has
increased by approximately
33 per cent. In looking at most recent immigrants
(2011 to 2016) to Fredericton, the vast
majority were from two countries,
China and Syria.
Strong immigrant representation was also found from Vietnam, Iran,
Applicant type: South Korea, and the Philippines.6
65.3%
The three top languages spoken by most recent immigrants were
Arabic, Mandarin and Vietnamese.7
The majority were also in the prime wage-earning years of 24 to
44 years.8 These new immigrants come from a younger cohort with
a median age of 29.4 years, compared to that of 45.9 years for all
From 2011 to 2016, economic immigrants
Fredericton immigrants.9
make up 65.3 per cent of new immigrants
to Fredericton, compared to refugees at
27.7 per cent.103
contents
Executive Summary 4
At-A-Glance Plan Highlights 7
The Newcomer Journey 11
Immigration Landscape 11 In the latest (2018) Fredericton
Immigration Support
Growth Strategy within the
Ecosystem in Fredericton Region 13 Municipal Plan, the City of
Fredericton reported that they
The Vision 14
need to increase its population
The Goal 14 by more than 1,000 people each
Objectives 16 year, with a target of 32,000 by
Overall Initiative Target Outcomes 17 2043. That target is aggressive
The Plan and Process 17 but achievable, and requires
Phase I: Ecosystem Review and Alignment 18 outside-the-box thinking.
Recommended Activities 19
Lead Coordinator 21 For the Fredericton Region,
Phase II: International Students and 27 immigration must be at
Entrepreneurs the forefront of economic
development. It will help reach
Target Group One: International Students 28
the City’s population growth
Target Group Two: Immigrant Entrepreneurs 31
targets, stimulate the local
Phase III: Other Newcomer Groups 34 economy, and develop more
Attraction 35 inclusive, diverse workplaces.
Settlement 38 Newcomers want to obtain good
Retention 41 jobs here, and are willing to invest
Marketing and Communications 42 their time and resources. Highly
trained international students
Messaging and Positioning 43
want to remain here as well.
Coordinating Existing Marketing 47
Campaigns and Promotion
Now is the time to maximize
New Initiatives 48 newcomers’ passion, prospects,
Government Programs that Support 49 and potential for the
Granting of Immigration Status Fredericton Region.
The Information Repository / 52
Knowledge Base Are we ready?
Summary of Recommendations 55
and Next Steps
Appendix I: Additional Actionable Items 61
Endnotes 654
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
The need for immigration in New Brunswick || In New Brunswick, there are hundreds of small
and the Fredericton Region has grown businesses that plan to exit their companies in the
considerably during the last four decades. next ten years. There is a growing demand to find
suitable owners for the many businesses that may
|| At the recent Fredericton Region Immigration close or relocate without people to take them over.
Forum, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Newcomers have demonstrated they have the right
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, reiterated skills and business mindset to succeed, but need
the need for newcomers to Canada. In 1972, assistance to find the right opportunity.
Canada had seven working Canadian adults
to support each retiree. By 2012, that ratio had || In addition, research indicates that “New Brunswick
dropped to four, and by 2036 we will have just two has a retention rate of 72 per cent and the prov-
working Canadians for each retiree. ince aims to increase it to 80 per cent (the national
average) with concentrated integration and reten-
tion efforts.”115
Newcomers already in the Fredericton The Fredericton Region has shown leadership
Region can help mitigate these needs, by adopting a forward-looking immigration
but require additional support: policy and embracing and supporting
innovation through dedicated resources
|| There are approximately 1,000 international and initiatives.
students at the post-secondary institutions in our
region. This market has been untapped for more There are multiple organizations in the Fredericton
than two decades. There is an opportunity to learn Region that are either focused on, or have initiatives
what we can do to tailor programming and cus- supporting services for diverse newcomer clients. There
tomized services to better assist and retain these are many individual programs, marketing campaigns,
students and capitive audience to our region. These government advocacy efforts, and community supports
students have gone to great lengths to select the focused on attracting newcomers, and helping them settle
Fredericton Region as their choice for immigration in Fredericton. There is room for improvement and to
and want to remain in our community longer-term continually evolve immigration services and support.
(confirmed in both focus groups conducted as part
of this exercise). But there is not enough effort to While activities are underway to support the three
support them, guide them and help them find suit- stages of immigration (attraction, settlement, and
able employment. retention), the local immigration support ecosystem
is impacted from lack of consolidated leadership.
|| There is a tremendous opportunity to improve the We can improve overall coordination, align priorities,
Fredericton Region’s leadership in workforce devel- remove duplication of efforts, fill gaps, and maximize
opment and training, and alleviate the local and our results.
provincial skills gap.
|| Per capita, New Brunswick is the largest recipient
of Syrian refugees in Canada. Now is the time to address
|| The Fredericton Police Force has a very clear these issues, supercharge
mission to hire newcomers to promote diversity
and develop appropriate responses to issues the local support ecosystem
between the police and racial, cultural or ethnic
minority groups. This effort is a unique social and boost the Fredericton
opportunity for our community to continue to
evolve and diversify. Region’s leadership in immigration
attraction and support6
To achieve this goal and meet the target of 1,000 new This approach will help local newcomers, attract and
residents yearly during the next 25 years, there is retain more immigrants, achieve greater impact for
a need for an overarching immigration agenda and activities, and turn the Fredericton Region into an
strategy. This strategy should be delivered by a local Atlantic Region immigration hub. It is hoped that the
support ecosystem and coordinated under one ecosystem will ultimately in the long-term provide
organization, to better lead activities, communicate tools and best practices for other immigration support
with stakeholders and work with newcomers. This ecosystems in the province and beyond.
approach will help direct opportunities that are currently
not being pursued or managed to full potential.
The proposed Fredericton Region Immigration Strategy is divided into three consecutive
phases which are outlined in greater detail in this report:
Phase I: Phase II: Phase III:
Conduct ecosystem review, Operationalize pilot project Expand pilot to other
audit, alignment, and with two target groups, newcomer groups, as
coordination. Establish international students and well as full community
stakeholder agreements newcomer entrepreneurs. engagement, marketing
(Memorandums of This phase would include and communications
Understanding). all communication activities efforts, and launch
(partial campaign), and government advocacy.
government advocacy
(partial).
Although there are many supporting organizations, and business community liaison within the Chamber
the bulk of the strategic activities and program delivery of Commerce. Overall coordination should remain with
is centered around the Multicultural Association of the Local Immigration Partnership Council.
Fredericton (MCAF), the Fredericton Chamber of
Commerce, and Ignite Fredericton. The strategic plan While there are multiple intake channels for immigration,
identifies and recommends the following alignments: priority focus should be placed on international students
settlement and employment services within MCAF, and entrepreneurial newcomers who will have the
economic development and entrepreneur programs largest overall benefit to the Fredericton Region.
consolidate within Ignite Fredericton, and advocacy7 AT-A-GLANCE PLAN HIGHLIGHTS These highlights are recommendations that can help to newcomers and maximize results for attraction, to guide the direction for the implementation of the settlement and retention for the Fredericton Region. strategy. Additional feedback and confirmation from For a detailed breakdown of the full recommendations, ecosystem partners is required prior to finalizing please see the Summary of Recommendations and direction. The goal is to reduce reduncancy, stream- Next Steps for additional information at the end of line efficiencies, increase overall support and services this report. The goal is to reduce reduncancy, streamline efficiencies, increase overall support and services to newcomers and maximize results for attraction, settlement and retention for the Fredericton Region.
8
Phase Timeframe Activities Lead Support
1 Year 1 Identify liasions from all ecosystem organizations LIPF Ignite
1 Year 1 Audit the ecosystem LIPF Ignite
1 Year 1 Establish LIPF as Coordinating Body Lead LIPF n/a
Maintain MCAF as Settlement & Employment
1 Year 1 LIPF MCAF
Services Lead
Maintain Ignite Fredricton as Economic
1 Year 1 LIPF Ignite
Development & Acceleration Lead
Maintain Chamber of Commerce as Advocacy &
1 Year 1 LIPF Chamber
Business Lead
Develop a working Memorandum of
MCAF, Ignite,
1 Year 1 Understanding between MCAF, Ignite Fredericton, LIPF
Chamber
and the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce
1 Year 1 Augment LIPF staffing LIPF Ignite
Move BIMP, Hive and Succession Connect under Chamber/ Chamber/
1 Year 1
Ignite Ignite Ignite
Align all activities for Settlement, Employment
1 Year 1 LIPF MCAF
Services and Job Readiness under MCAF
Align all economic development and wealth
1 Year 1 LIPF Ignite
creation activities under Ignite
Align all business advocacy activities under the
1 Year 1 LIPF Chamber
Chamber
Identify and spearhead potential funding
1 Year 1 LIPF Ignite
applications to support proposed activities
Ensure all programs, materials and communications
is prepared and delivered in both official languages:
1 Year 1 LIPF MCAF
English and French. Work with MCAF to align
with existing activities.9
Phase Timeframe Activities Lead Support
Establish new International Student Business and
2 Year 2-4 Employment Accelerator – Employment Stream Ignite MCAF
program
Establish new International Student Business
2 Year 2-4 and Employment Accelerator – Entrepreneurship Ignite MCAF
Stream program
Extend BIMP Program to International Students
2 Year 2-4 Ignite Chamber
and Immigrant Entrepreneurs
Establish Ladies Leadership in Business
2 Year 2-4 Ignite MFAC
Immigration Program for Immigrant Entrepreneurs
Create communication and outreach plan for all Ignite, MCAF,
2 Year 2-4 LIPF
audiences (English and French) Fhamber
2 Year 2-4 Create advocacy strategy for all audiences LIPF Chamber
2 Year 2-4 Create data management plan for all audiences LIPF MCAF
Create needs assessment and referral process
2 Year 2-4 LIPF Ignite, MCAF
and guidelines for all audiences
Ignite, MCAF,
2 Year 2-4 Identify newcomer attraction opportunities LIPF
Chamber
MCAF,
Create and launch data repository / knowledge
2 Year 2-4 LIPF Chamber,
base for all audiences (updated continuously)
Ignite
Participate in planned recruitment missions for all
2 Year 2-4 LIPF MCAF
audiences
Develop attraction criteria and strategies for new
3 Year 5 LIPF/All
priority audiences and sectors
Create national / international marketing
3 Year 5 LIPF
campaigns10
Phase Timeframe Activities Lead Support
3 Year 5 Conduct recruitment missions LIPF MCAF, Ignite
Augment a francophone-specific attraction
3 Year 5 LIPF MCAF
strategy
3 Year 5 Create a partner / spousal employment program MCAF Ignite
Create a skilled worker-specific settlement
3 Year 5 MCAF Ignite
strategy
Provide employer resources and assistance for
3 Year 5 such areas as: recruitment, cultural competency, MCAF Ignite
training and workplace inclusion
MCAF,
3 Year 5 Update advocacy strategy for new audiences LIPF Chamber,
Ignite
Update data management plan for new
3 Year 5 MCAF
audiences
Update needs assessment and referral process
3 Year 5 LIPF MCAF
and guidelines for new audiences11
THE
NEWCOMER
JOURNEY
IMMIGRATION LANDSCAPE
According to the most recent Census data (2016), 6,445 As seen in Figure 1, immigration support efforts in the
immigrants live in the city, comprising 11 per cent of the Fredericton Region target five broad categories of
population; 4.3 per cent of the total population (2,505 newcomers (with three sub-categories relevant to all),
people) arrived since 2016. During the past five years in and two broad categories of the local community. For
New Brunswick, the Fredericton Region has attracted newcomer groups, support means making the process
more recent immigrants than any other municipality. of choosing the Fredericton Region, arriving, settling and
Overall, 80 per cent of immigrants are choosing to integration easier and smoother. For the local community,
reside in New Brunswick’s main three cities, which support means education and awareness about new-
is promising for urban renewal as 52 per cent of the comers and their integration in the community, as well
New Brunswick population lives in urban areas.12 as supporting business owners in newcomer employ-
ment and other immigrant-related issues.
6,445 immigrants live in the city of fredericton, comprising
11 per cent of the population; 4.3 per cent of the total population
(2,505 people) arrived since 2016.12 Figure 1: Target groups for immigration-related support efforts Note: The chart is illustrative, the box size does not indicate the level of support to each group. For these groups, immigration support in Fredericton Region will be grouped on the three main stages of the immigration process, as seen in Figure 2. Figure 2: Stages of the immigration process
13
IMMIGRATION SUPPORT ECOSYSTEM IN FREDERICTON
There are multiple organizations in the Fredericton MCAF provides the majority of the support for settlement
Region that are either focused on, or have programs/ and employment services. Ignite and the Chamber of
initiatives targeting, immigration. These include: the Commerce provide support for entrepreneurial and
Local Immigration Partnership of Fredericton (LIPF), economic development activities. If the three orga-
Opportunities New Brunswick, various post-secondary nizations can streamline activities, it is possible to
education institutions (UNB, STU, NBCC, and others), enhance the service offering to newcomers and
the Multicultural Association of Fredericton (MCAF), leverage additional support that will result in greater
Anglophone School District West (ASDW), Ignite support (financial and human) for all three entities.
Fredericton (including Knowledge Park and Planet
Hatch), the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, the A number of recommendations in this report have
YMCA, the Fredericton Region, the Province of New been provided to reduce the redundancy within the
Brunswick (through Post-Secondary Education, ecosystem, streamline services and provide better
Training and Labour), and the Fredericton Police Force. overall support to the newcomers. This is based on
feedback received from focus groups and outreach
and information collected through extensive sec-
ondary research in understanding and learning best
the main three organizations practices in other exemplary jurisdictions.
providing support services and
programming to newcomers is:
the Multicultural Association
of Fredericton (MCAF), Ignite
Fredericton and the Fredericton
Chamber of Commerce.14
The
Vision
THE GOAL
The Fredericton Region will be the location of choice and the
demonstrated leader for immigration in the province of
New Brunswick over the next five years.
The Fredericton Region will take the lead in championing In addition, the Fredericton Region’s immigration support
the program with the provincial and federal governments. ecosystem will undergo a coordination and alignment
Changes will be needed to the Provincial Nominee exercise. This approach will help local newcomers,
Program and other immigration status-related programs, attract and retain more immigrants, achieve greater
international student recruitment, integration and impact for activities, and turn the region into an Atlantic
retention efforts, skills development for immigrants, Region immigration hub. It is hoped that the ecosystem
and proactive outreach campaigns. will eventually provide tools and best practices for other
immigration support ecosystems in the province.15
Success will be measured by use of the following criteria:
1. Number of newcomers over a five-year period (to 2. Number of newcomers retained over a five-year
assess the level of success with pre-settlement period (retention is a measurement of settlement
efforts). success).
a. Number of international students over a five- a. Number of international students retained
year period. over a five-year period.
b. Number of immigrant entrepreneurs over a b. Number of immigrant entrepreneurs retained
five-year period. over a five-year period.
c. Employment growth for newcomers over a 3. Number of locations in the province
five-year period.16
OBJECTIVES
This new immigration strategy will achieve the overall twin objectives of:
|| Coordinating the Fredericton Region’s immigration || Creating a strengthened local economy – a collab-
and population growth strategic planning and orative ecosystem where the Fredericton Region’s
operations to advance the successful long-term communities, post-secondary institutions, businesses,
settlement and integration of all newcomers and, and newcomers support each other, enhancing
diversity, filling skills gaps, and creating jobs,
wealth, and prosperity for all.
Figure 3: The strengthened local economy enabled by immigration
International
Students
Entrepreneurs
French Speaking
Newcomers
Specific objectives have been itemized to include:
|| Improving support and success of attraction, settle- || Offering a welcoming environment to attract, settle,
ment, and retention efforts of newcomers and the and retain newcomers through strategic marketing
functionality of the local immigration-related eco- and communication efforts (e.g., We Speak Welcome).
system through coordination, alignment, and focus. These three components also include the integration
and enhanced full participation and retention of
|| Increasing retention of newcomers in the newcomers.
Fredericton Region through improved programming,
initiatives, and overall support for newcomers || Expanding the number of businesses started or
throughout their immigration stages. acquired by newcomers.
|| Changing the mindset towards immigration into an || Augmenting the number of people employed by
accepting and supportive one through strategic newcomer-led businesses.
advocacy and marketing and communication efforts.
The goal is to create a welcoming and inclusive || Raising the number of newcomers employed in
mindset towards immigration and diversity. local businesses.17
OVERALL INITIATIVE TARGET OUTCOMES
There are four main target outcomes for the Fredericton || Achieve a vibrant, culturally-diverse community
Region and its population growth requirements. The and economy in the Fredericton Region.
immigration strategy will help to support this popula-
tion growth mandate: || Achieve a cohesive, streamlined, and functional
immigration support ecosystem in Fredericton
|| Increase City of Fredericton’s population by 1,000 Region, with tools and best practices adopted in
people each year during the next 25 years. other locations in the province (and / or the Atlantic
Region).
|| By 2036, the Fredericton Region is to reach a target
of four Canadian adults to support each retiree
(compared to two Canadian adults to support each
retiree on average in Canada).
THE PLAN AND PROCESS
To support and enable the vision and desired outcomes, the Fredericton Region immigration support ecosystem
will be coordinated, aligned, and follow a phased strategy.
A three-phased process is proposed:
Phase I: Phase II: Phase III:
Conduct ecosystem review, Operationalize pilot project Expand pilot to other
audit, alignment, and with two target groups, newcomer groups, as
coordination. Establish international students and well as full community
stakeholder agreements newcomer entrepreneurs. engagement, marketing
(Memorandums of This phase would include and communications
Understanding). all communication activities efforts, and launch
(partial campaign), and government advocacy.
government advocacy
(partial).
Each phase will have two components:
1. Internal activities: Includes surveying, connecting, and 2. External-facing activities: Includes deploying solutions
examining local organizations; creating a knowledge and filling in gaps when needed; outreach to orga-
base and a data repository; identifying gaps and nizations and individuals outside the Fredericton
priorities; creating a marketing and communication Region ecosystem; government advocacy and
plan and materials; and other relevant activities. lobbying; and other relevant activities.18
PHASE I:
ECOSYSTEM REVIEW
AND ALIGNMENT
The Fredericton Region’s immigration support eco-
system is broad-based, with many organizations and Five needs emerged from the
individuals participating in settlement assistance for
newcomers. In the past, the coordination of activities discussions:
between the organizations occurred organically with
a shared vision. There was no official owner, however
of the overall immigration strategy. || mutual benefit to the community and
newcomers;
There is a particular need for this coordination to improve
settlement efforts for international students, immigrant || newcomers to be hired more easily (and easier
entrepreneurs, and French-speaking immigrants. Recent for employers to hire newcomers);
stakeholder discussions from 18 immigrant-facing
community groups revealed that: || global impact;
|| International student retention is very low (which || identification of focused strategy; and,
may indicate a lack of settlement support and
resources for the students and / or their families); || better data collection / sharing.
|| Current employment services and entrepreneurial
support for newcomers is lacking impact; and,
|| Improving settlement efforts through greater
coordination would create mutual benefit for
future newcomers and the Fredericton regional
community.19
These needs were identified by participants from two 2. Audit the ecosystem (through the liaisons) and map
unique focus groups conducted as part of this exer- service offerings, available data, data sources,
cise. Both of the focus groups revealed frustrations and gaps: Due to the current nature of operations,
from newcomers on barriers to employment, access to there is no clear mapping of available services,
services to ease settlement, and difficulty in locating / programs, and resources in the ecosystem. It
understanding information that could improve the set- is recommended to map such assets based on
tlement experience. Part of the issue for information newcomer group and immigration stage, and
awareness and understanding was tied to ineffective share the information across all organizations in
practices for addressing language barriers, in having the local immigration support ecosystem. A link to
English as a second language. the various organizations can be a starting point in
this exercise. These coordinated efforts, bolstered
Coordination of service organizations, the immigration by transparency and a shared data repository for
agenda, and activities across the ecosystem is neces- immigration (pre-arrival to retention data), will
sary to maximize resources, eliminate redundancies, improve operations by removing effort duplication,
present a unified voice and address these concerns. increase access, and provide information on a just-
in-time basis. Note: See the Information Repository
Section on page 52 for additional information.
RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES
3. Establish the LIPF as the overall lead coordinating
Internal Activities body: The LIPF is the logical choice for the coordi-
nation for the overall immigration strategy.
1. Identify liaisons from the organizations across
the ecosystem: Many organizations are currently Currently the LIPF is in its third funding round
operating separately from each other and from and is structured under Ignite Fredericton for
the LIPF. To streamline the coordination efforts, management and operational leadership. It is
it is recommended to have liaisons identified from recommended to maintain the structure as is.
each organization to participate in coordination- An executive committee is to be established for
related discussions. It is important to note that the the LIPF to include Ignite Fredericton, Fredericton
inventory of newcomer services must reflect the Chamber of Commerce and MCAF.
strategic direction proposed in this strategy. The
programming must be indexed accordingly to align 4. Augment staffing and programming as needed.
with the needs of newcomers, existing services Note: additional information on page 25-26.
offered and the gaps between the two.20
5. Establish MCAF as the Settlement & Employment 7. Maintain the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce
Services Lead: MCAF plays a vital role in establishing as the Advocacy & Business Lead: The Fredericton
communication and fostering understanding Chamber is an active business organization engaged
between the community, settled immigrants and in policy development and advocacy that affects
newcomers. This role includes all activities for pre- the competitiveness of its members and the
arrival, resettlement, job seeking, employment services Canadian business environment.
and settlement services for other family members.
a. Align all business support and business
a. In addition to the services noted above to broader advocacy activities under the Chamber.
audiences, align all activities for refugees and
settlement services under MCAF. 8. Establish detailed metrics and data collection, anal-
ysis, and reporting for attraction, settlement, and
6. Establish Ignite Fredericton as the Economic retention to track progress towards the Strategy’s
Development & Acceleration Lead: Ignite Fredericton target outcomes. A prerequisite to utilizing any
attracts, retains, and supports entrepreneurs, business, proposed services will be a commitment to answering
and economic builders in Fredericton Region. This pre- and post-program questionnaires. It is a common
role will include economic development, entrepreneur- approach to evaluate the impact of an instructional
ship and attraction activities aligned with driving intervention. This approach will measure various
an economic agenda as part of the overall immi- indicators, as well as immigrants’ changing levels
gration strategy. of awareness, knowledge, skills and program
uptake. Client satisfaction surveys will also be
Transition BIMP, the Hive Incubator Program undertaken on a regular basis.
and Succession Connect program under Ignite:
These economic development-oriented programs a. The LIPF will manage the data repository
are currently under the Fredericton Chamber of (housed in the proposed Information Repository /
Commerce, and may have higher impact if directed Knowledge Base) and leverage it to enhance
by Ignite Fredericton. A review and restructure of current and future programming activities to
the Succession Connect program is recommended maximize target outcomes.
(as briefly mentioned below, and in greater detail in
an upcoming report by an external consultant).
a. Align all economic development and wealth
creation activities under the Economic
Development Lead.
External Activities
1. Apply for funding for resources.
2. Based on the results of the mapping and gap analysis, lobby and advocate to the provincial and /
or federal governments for additional programming, funding, or initiatives, if needed.21
LEAD COORDINATOR
The LIPF will play the coordinating and leadership role for the five-year
Immigration Strategy for the Fredericton Region.
In its last strategic plan, the LIPF identified three pri- The LIPF, however, has not been properly funded or
orities and seven service gaps. It defines a roadmap resourced. In order to undertake responsibility for strategy
with specific recommendations and actions to address implementation, partnership coordination, marketing
integration and retention issues in collaboration with and communications, advocacy, and government /
all regional stakeholders.13 media / public relations, the LIPF would require addi-
tional resources and an updated Immigration Strategic
The current priorities of the LIPF include: Increase Plan. An executive committee is recommended under
support capacity for integration of newcomers; the LIPF to include Ignite Fredericton, the Fredericton
increase the number of newcomers successfully inte- Chamber of Commerce and MCAF.
grated within the community; and improve tracking
and measurement of retention results.14
The LIPF is the logical choice for the coordination for
the overall immigration strategy, due to:
|| the alignment of these priorities and identified gaps
with those voiced by other stakeholders in the
ecosystem;
|| the mandate of a multi-level governance system
aimed at enhancing local service delivery to region-
based newcomers;
|| the investment and successes to date (including
two strategic planning cycles to build the LIPF and
two years of successful activity); and,
|| the support of Ignite Fredericton as the economic
development organization for the region.1522
LIPF’s Priority Focus Areas and Activities
There are five priority areas under the LIPF-led coordinated ecosystem. These areas are relevant across all immi-
gration stages, and serve all newcomer groups and the local community (through modification, where needed).
1. Data management: A data collection, analysis b. Strategic initiative assessment: The success
and sharing plan will be augmented using the of attraction and settlement support pro-
existing MCAF platform to coordinate and support grams and initiatives will be measured and
assessment efforts of the LIPF members. Data tracked. Example metrics include the number
is currently not uniformly collected, with limited of clients referred to a service, the number
coordination between stakeholders across the of clients who applied / were admitted to /
local, provincial, regional, and federal levels. A graduated from a program, newcomers’ satis-
shared repository for immigration (pre-arrival to faction level with a service and others. Some
retention) data, as well as an up-to-date informa- of these metrics will be gathered by the orga-
tion on organizations, initiatives, and assets in the nizations administering the services and some
local immigration support ecosystem, will guide by the LIPF (as a semi-neutral third party).
activities and monitor success of immigration. Data Based on these results, the LIPF will provide
needs to become streamlined and de-duplicated, support to the administering organization in
and reporting authenticity must be ensured. improving and managing the service.
Ultimate strategic outcomes will be longitudi- Note: Data from sources external to the
nal. Due to the census publication lag time from Fredericton regional ecosystem might not be
Statistics Canada, overall immigration outcomes readily available. It is recommended to begin
need to be reviewed three years after the census outreach efforts to various data sources as
(e.g. 2022 > 2025). soon as possible to review availability, create
a framework and assess the optimal way to
Note: See Information Repository section on page proceed with data-related efforts following
52 for additional information on the recommended these initial efforts.
components.
a. Attraction success and settlement success /
retention: The main measurement of settle-
ment success is reflected in the attraction
and retention numbers. It is recommended to
annually survey the immigration landscape
including numbers attracted and demographic
information, as well as the settlement and
retention data.23
2. Promotion and Pathfinding: The LIPF will provide To further meet newcomers’ needs, the
additional support to the MCAF existing program- information service will be offered in French
ming for pathfinding and promotion to maximize and English. As one of only two Canadian
the promotion of opportunities to newcomers. provinces to be bilingual, Fredericton Region
MCAF will continue to act as the liaison for new- will capitalize on its location in its recruitment
comers in the community and refer them to the efforts, targeting francophone-speaking
appropriate resources(s), organization(s), and regions with strong populations in selected
program(s). MCAF will work more directly with LIPF markets.
members to ensure an increased flow of communi-
cation to improve settlement and retention success. Triaging the wide range of immigrant needs,
coming from refugees, to protected persons,
a. Needs assessment and referral process: temporary workers, and international stu-
A needs assessment process is recom- dents, takes a very particular skill set. New
mended and a current standard is in place bilingual personnel will be trained to assess
with MCAF that can be used as a starting immigrant needs, with the aim of becoming
point. Assessment and referrals to relevant a combination welcome centre, “one-stop-in-
services rely on an iterative four-component formation-shop,” and personalized consulting
cycle: assessing the newcomer needs; locat- service.
ing and understanding available programs
and services; successfully matching of the As noted, these services will be delivered by
newcomer with the most beneficial solutions, MCAF and supported by the LIPF and LIPF
and evaluation to determine if there were any members with a focus on newcomer entrepre-
barriers to service uptake and offer reassess- neurs and international students.
ments. These components ensure that service
provision is client-centric, personalized, and b. Review and refresh: The LIPF will regularly
delivered in the newcomer’s requested format, review, audit, and refresh (if needed) the
language, time, and place. Needs assess- organizations involved, service offerings, and
ment will happen at the client intake stage. initiatives. To achieve this goal, it is recom-
Intake will be based on walk-ins and referrals mended that the LIPF will organize a quarterly
from local partners. Program information will meeting between all organizational liaisons,
be added to the current intake information and that external opinions are introduced
package delivered by all organizations. Walk- during the proposed biannual conference.
ins will meet with staff for an intake interview
to understand their needs and ensure proper
referral. Assessments will also be done via
phone or Internet (e.g., Skype) to extend
access. Applicants with special needs will be
assisted in the modality of their choosing.24
3. Advocacy: The LIPF will lead the identification and Resource Requirements and Reporting
structure of potential policies and funding opportu- Transition
nities and the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce
will act as the champion on behalf of the LIPF to As the strategy coordinator, it is recommended the
municipal, provincial, and federal levels of govern- LIPF will work in close coordination and collabora-
ment for policy changes that are needed to better tion to MCAF (the Settlement & Employment Services
support newcomers. The LIPF will work in coor- Lead), Ignite Fredericton (the Economic Development
dination with Government Relations leads from & Acceleration lead), and the Fredericton Chamber
MCAF, Ignite, the Chamber, and local academic of Commerce (the Business and Advocacy lead).
institutions to represent newcomers on topics such The LIPF will primarily guide the overall strategy and
as topics such as certificate transfers, Nominee provide execution support.
Program criteria and other areas of interest. See
Government Programs section on page 49 for In order for the LIPF to properly function as the eco-
additional information on relevant programs. system coordinator, it is recommended there be two
new resources added to the LIPF in support of the
4. Communication plan: The LIPF will build a five-year immigration strategy, and two positions
short- and long-term communications plan that retitled to reflect new responsibilities:
is multi-audience, multi-lingual and multi-modal
in approach, reflecting each step of their journey. || Strategic Leadership (new): A visionary and strate-
Awareness for newcomers, employers and the gic leader will build a business strategy based on
local population will help smooth and improve several priorities to align stakeholders, increase
the immigration process. See Marketing and awareness, advocate on behalf of its members
Communication section on page 42 for additional and develop new initiatives, programming, and
information on relevant campaigns. assets. The Leader will also collaboratively work
with the directors of the Economic Development
5. Proactive attraction: The LIPF will identify prioritized & Acceleration, the Settlement & Employment
opportunities in select target markets to pursue Services, and the Business and Advocacy leads
newcomers for the Fredericton Region. Proactive on high-level priorities and initiatives.
attraction will help to improve the overall number
of newcomers in the region. Attraction criteria will || Program Manager (seconded/reassigned position):
be tailored for each of the subsequent phases. An experienced program leader will oversee the
Succession Connect and BIMP programming.
This position is a transition from the Fredericton
Chamber of Commerce existing position. The the
specifications for the role will be finalized and
redefined dependent upon the initiatives discussed
in the ecosystem audit and coordination process.25
|| Coordination Manager (existing, retitled): The || Communications Manager (new): Immigration
Coordination Manager (current LIPF member support activities are inherently external facing,
with experience in multi-stakeholder alignment) either to clients (newcomers) or government and
will liaise with the various organizations across other stakeholders. Proper messaging and com-
the ecosystem. They will work with liaisons from munication tools are crucial for the success of
external organizations and community-run groups these efforts. It is recommended to augment the
to align priorities, activities, communications, and LIPF with a Communications Manager to assist the
provide execution support. Executive Director with corporate identity, messag-
ing and marketing communications campaigns.
|| Community-Run Working Groups: Current LIPF-
coordinated community groups include Basic A proposed organizational chart for the new LIPF that
Needs; Welcoming Communities and Awareness, including these resources and reporting transitions is
Education and Employment, Multilevel Governance. shown in Figure 4.
|| Liaisons from External Organizations: These
include local academic institutions, Opportunities
New Brunswick, MCAF, the Fredericton Chamber
of Commerce, BDC, the YMCA, the Fredericton
Region, the Fredericton Police Force, and others.
Figure 4: Proposed LIPF operational chart26 Figure 4A: Proposed LIPF operational chart with lead stakeholders Figure 4B: Proposed LIPF operational chart with lead stakeholders and primary activities
27
PHASE II:
INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS AND
ENTREPRENEURS
International students and entrepreneurs are recommended to be the
focus for the pilot operationalization of the new five-year strategy.
There are approximately 2,524 businesses operating in in the city, unlocking wealth creation, social diversity and
Fredericton and 1,000 international students living in prosperity for the community. In addition, Fredericton
the Fredericton Region every year. A growth rate of five per Region’s business community already has many resources
cent for businesses and target of a 25 per cent retention and assets set up to support entrepreneurial activity which
rate for International Students would have a significant will be leveraged to support newcomer entrepreneurs.
impact on the overall goal for newcomer enhanced
services and population growth targets for the Collaboration already exists among the lead organizations:
Fredericton Region. Ignite Fredericton, Fredericton Chamber of Commerce
and MCAF. This collaboration is further evidenced from
International students also represent a highly skilled the special project between MCAF and the Chamber
workforce with NB Credentials, who have already lived through the BIMP program (in 2017/2018) and ongoing
in the Fredericton Region for several years (they can pathfinding between the organizations to leverage
integrate more easily than a newcomer), and have an settlement services through MCAF. This type of
already an established support system (e.g., through collaboration is recommended for the pilot program
the local academic institutions’ international students’ whereby Ignite and the Chamber take the lead on
offices, fellow students, and instructors). supporting the International Students and Entrepreneur
newcomers and triage new newcomers through MCAF
Entrepreneurs also bring cultural diversity, global for the settlement services, job readiness and employ-
perspectives and a different business acumen. They ment services portion of the newcomer journey.
increase the creation of net new businesses and jobs28
TARGET GROUP ONE:
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Internal Activities
Currently, retention of students is very low (as indicated by The LIPF Coordinator Manager will partner with local
participants in the recent Stakeholder Strategy Session). post-secondary institutions (e.g., international student
This is likely a result of several barriers facing students offices) to identify the current status, needs, and gaps
who wish to remain in Fredericton Region, including: of the local international students’ landscape. Based
on these findings, they will build an international
|| Lack of employment opportunities in their field of study; student support strategy, with the LIPF providing
support to the international student offices.
|| Difficulty of gaining Canadian working experience
(especially at the undergraduate level) needed for Components of the strategy will include:
obtaining permanent residency status (through
Express Entry); 1. Aligning and augmenting programs and initiatives
to support students when settling in the Fredericton
|| Hesitation from employers to consider them as Region (e.g., real-estate/housing, banking, and similar
future employees (as they often don’t have a per- needs), and with funding for part-time or post-
manent Canadian landed immigrant status); graduation employment (e.g., job seeking or
entrepreneurial endeavours). Consideration of the
|| Lack of support for the families of international existing programs within MCAF includes intake,
students; and, needs assessment, referral and orientation sessions
covering real estate, housing, banking and other
|| Absence of family support and of a local network. settlement services.
Local academic institutions are supporting students in a. Example initiative #1 (Settlement, New) –
finding meaningful employment, but additional client- International Student Business and
centric support will be given to international students Employment Accelerator – Employment
who might face language challenges. Stream program: Review existing programs
within MCAF in Phase I. Based on feedback
To reverse this trend, it is recommended to collaborate from focus groups as part of this exercise,
with post-secondary education institutions to provide additional services and support is required.
them with additional capacity and programming to Once review of existing programming is con-
support the international student settlement process ducted and augmented to provide additional
while they are still students and post-graduation. UNB, support, the International Student Business
NBCC and STU all have programs for attraction, but and Employment Accelerator – Employment
indicated that retention is not part of their mandate; it Stream program will be developed. This busi-
is therefore recommended to have the support ecosystem ness program for international students will
(through the LIPF and partner organization) lead these prepare them for employment in local existing
efforts, but work closely with the academic institutions businesses. Programming will include curric-
to support and prepare to link potential intern students ulum development for specific group needs,
with employers. Augmentation of existing activities mentorship, matchmaking with employers,
within MCAF will help to streamline this activity. and work placement incentives for employers.29
Employers will gain advantage from an out- c. Example initiative #3 (Settlement, Existing) –
reach program and toolkit including Wage Business Immigrant Essentials (BIE)
Subsidy information (online and print) to help Program: Oversight will be transitioned from
clarify the benefits of international student the Chamber to Ignite Fredericton, and the
employment, including: obtaining diverse program will be refreshed. This program
knowledge and skills that are not available focuses on the essential skills of setting up,
in the local labour pool; expanding interna- running and sustaining a business in New
tional experience with a global perspective for Brunswick. It will also help newcomer entre-
export opportunity; providing service in other preneurs to build and expand their network
languages; and growing a culturally diverse through this “one-stop shop” where business
workforce. development and high-level employment
needs would be met. Components will include:
It is hoped that this project will breed mutual introduction to topics such as business culture
familiarity between international students and in New Brunswick, industry information, chal-
Canadian employers, encouraging interna- lenges business face, pre-requisites essential
tional students to remain long-term. If they for immigrant entrepreneurs, and other rele-
do choose to return to their home countries, vant topics, access to one-on-one mentorship
a great employment experience fosters the from existing business owners, and help in
kind of relationship that opens doors to future creating a business plan.
trade, commerce and cultural connections.
The training and incubation cycle will spread over
b. Example initiative #2 (Settlement, New) – three months for each trainee. The incubation
International Student Business and will be extendable up to six months for
Employment Accelerator – Entrepreneurship selected cases. The program can occur three
Stream program: Ignite Fredericton, in col- times a year, with few overlaps to be handled
laboration with Planet Hatch – the only individually by staff. One-on-one mentorship
designated start-up visa incubator in New from existing business owners will also be
Brunswick – will develop a Start-up Visa Pitch offered. Client intake will be based on walk-ins
Competition specifically for the international and referrals from other organizations.
student community. The Competition will offer
international student entrepreneurs in the 2. Producing a marketing communications plan
province the opportunity to showcase their and materials for student attraction, support
innovative business ideas, receive advice and throughout their schooling, and post-graduation
training from experts, and accept qualified settlement.
teams into the Start-up Visa incubation stream
where they receive permanent residency and 3. Identifying of new pathways for study permits,
acceptance into an acceleration program. and / or immigration status granting based on need
Programming and co-working space will be assessment data.
provided to qualifying companies through
partnerships with New Brunswick’s robust
network of incubation and co-working centres.30
4. Creating a data repository for international stu- 5. Participating in recruitment missions: New
dent-related metrics (e.g., demographic profiling, Brunswick routinely conducts job fairs and recruit-
socio-economic background such as education ment missions abroad, mostly recently in Mexico,
level, landing numbers, and retention numbers). Singapore, Brazil and the Philippines. These
can be augmented by including LIPF and expe-
a. Attraction criteria: Based on the data, there rienced settlement staff representing linguistic
might be a need to establish attraction criteria and ethonocultural communities as well as local
to craft targeted messaging. All criteria must post-secondary staff focused on student recruit-
align with those of the country overall and be ment. This approach will allow the establishment
inclusive in approach. Examples of such crite- of relationship with potential future students early
ria for international students include: on, increasing the likelihood of settlement and
retention success.
ii. Students in high-growth sectors such as
healthcare and business services (including IT).
iii. Current international post-secondary
students from other NB institutions.
iv. Undergraduates from North American
post-secondary institutions to pursue post-
graduate studies in Fredericton Region.
External Activities
1. Connecting with the local community and businesses through MCAF to find solutions for housing,
banking, and other needs of incoming international students.
2. Partnering with the local community and businesses through MCAF to find employment pathways
for students while in school (e.g., overcoming language barriers) or post-graduation (e.g., overcoming
visa issues).
3. Conducting government advocacy and outreach for international student-related tri-level government
data, as well as visa and immigration status issues, if needed.
4. Deploying programming and assistance to international students based on the collaboratively
developed strategy.31
TARGET GROUP TWO: NEWCOMER ENTREPRENEURS
Internal Activities
The LIPF Coordinator Manager will partner with Ignite Fredericton
and the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce to identify the current
needs and gaps within the local immigrant entrepreneur landscape.
Based on these findings, a newcomer entrepreneur support strategy
will be built, with the LIPF providing operational support to these
organizations.
Components of the strategy will include: (4) Business ideation and discovery through
working groups
1. Programs and initiatives to support entrepreneurs
with settling in Fredericton Region. (5) Business design, marketing plans, research
and acceleration
a. Example initiative #4 (Settlement, New) –
Ladies Leadership in Business Immigration (6) Going to market, presenting the business
Program: This activity targets increased and sourcing funding opportunities
awareness and participation of female
entrepreneurs in available programs and The above modules are aligned with the phases of
opportunities for business, science and tech- an entrepreneur’s journey. The same approach is
nology and innovation with a specific target adapted to address the service gaps that exist for
of newcomers and First Nations. The program women entrepreneurs. Hidden but real barriers exist
will run two cohorts per year, targeting six to for women attempting to engage in the support struc-
eight female entrepreneurs in each cohort. tures in place. This situation is often the result of scale
The description of the modules which will be where males dominate the tech sector. By providing
covered in the program are as follows: dedicated programming and resources focused on
female entrepreneurs, we can extend across multiple
(1) Female life in Canada – discovering lead- business sectors. Collaboration will be a cornerstone
ership and economic opportunities of the development and execution of the modules to
ensure proper support is provided to immigrants, as it
(2) Entrepreneurship – essentials training for relates to language and cultural considerations.
women in business
(3) Building a social enterprise – making a
profit while giving back to the community32
b. Example initiative #3 (Settlement, Existing) – Succession Connect will be further augmented
Business Immigrant Essentials (BIE) Program: by including international promotion to entre-
Oversight will be transitioned from the Chamber preneurs in their native countries (Attraction,
to Ignite Fredericton, and the program will New), Provincial business opportunities will
be refreshed. This program focuses on the be featured across the globe at trade shows
essential skills of setting up, running and and immigrant information gatherings.
sustaining a business in New Brunswick. It Presentations will include in-person atten-
will also help newcomer entrepreneurs to dance and / or through promotional video
build and expand their network through this of the opportunities available to immigrant
“one-stop shop” where business development investors in Fredericton Region. Follow-up
and high-level employment needs would be will include online chat and scheduled infor-
met. Components will include: introduction mational webinars to answer questions
to topics such as business culture in New pre-arrival.
Brunswick, industry information, challenges
business face, pre-requisites essential for d. Example initiative #7 (Settlement, Existing) –
immigrant entrepreneurs, and other relevant The Hive Incubator Program: Oversight
topics, access to one-on-one mentorship from will be transitioned from the Chamber to
existing business owners, and help in creating Ignite Fredericton, and the program will be
a business plan. refreshed. This program offers resources,
guidance, space, individual-directed cur-
The training and incubation cycle will spread riculum, and support services to immigrant
over three months for each trainee. The incu- entrepreneurs to help start and grow their
bation will be extendable up to six months for businesses in Fredericton Region.
selected cases. The program can occur three
times a year, with few overlaps to be handled Located in Knowledge Park, the Hive has
individually by staff. One-on-one mentorship office space that allows newcomer investors
from existing business owners will the chance to immerse themselves in the
also be offered. Client intake will be based on centre of the Fredericton Region’s business
walk-ins and referrals from other organizations. development ecosystem. This location also
offers opportunities such as networking, train-
c. Example existing initiative #6 (Settlement, ing, and mentoring through a partnership with
Existing) – Succession Connect: Oversight Planet Hatch and Ignite Fredericton. Those
will be transitioned from the Chamber to involved with the Hive Incubator Program will
Ignite Fredericton. A review and restructuring receive benefits (e.g., access to BIE, access to
of the Succession Connect program is rec- working space, peer-to-peer support activi-
ommended to include businesses based on ties, on-site administrative support, business
sector, size, success, and other metrics (as will networking, and general support).16 The LIPF
be described in greater detail in an upcoming will provide a client stream and execution
report by an external consultant). The LIPF support to Ignite for newcomer clients.
Coordinator will work with the Ignite liaison to
match newcomer client needs with high-qual-
ity businesses they can purchase that offer
the best opportunity for growth and success.You can also read
