Current Toronto headlines note that "systemic barriers hinder newcomers" and "faster integration into society key." The Annual Immigration Minister's report says that "55% of newcomers were in the economic class and they were skilled workers, business people and investors." As Karen Thorne-Stone, Executive Director of Economic Development at the City of Toronto states, "the education and skills that immigrants bring to Toronto are absolutely essential for the competitiveness of our economy."

The conference will bring together over 700 Internationally Educated Professionals (IEPs) to explore possibilities and solutions on how best to integrate into Toronto's labour force and advance their careers in Canada.

The conference will include:

- A series of solution-focused workshops and seminars targeted at the engineering, finance/accounting, information technology, teaching and healthcare professions

- An opportunity to network with professionals from employers, government, accreditation bodies, professional associations, educational institutions and successful IEPs.

This conference is focused on helping our most valuable asset - our people resources. It will provide newcomer and immigrant professionals with timely, practical and relevant information to help them integrate as seamlessly as possible into the Canadian labour force so that they become fulfilled, productive and participating members of our communities across the nation.

The 2005 IEP Conference is a joint venture coordinated by the Progress Career Planning Institute (PCPI), Toronto Community News, the University of Toronto Professional Development Centre, and the City of Toronto Economic Development Division. For info, call Rhonda Singer at (416) 439-3037