Visible Minorities In The Workplace: Foreign Educational Credentials Not Seen As On Par With Canadian Equivalents
…visible minority managers, professionals and executives experienced lower rates of career satisfaction….
 
www.ryerson.ca/faculties/business/diversityinstitute/
New Research Findings by Catalyst and Ryerson University
Excerpts….
TORONTO, Feb. 28 /CNW/ - Preliminary findings from a national research study by Catalyst Canada and the Diversity Institute in Management and Technology at Ryerson University sheds new light on the recognition of foreign educational credentials. The study, which examines the career development and advancement of visible minorities in Corporate Canada, is based on the responses from more than 6000 professionals, managers and executives in Canadian corporations and professional service firms. These findings are part of a larger study in progress: Career Advancement in Corporate Canada: A Focus on Visible Minorities.

Preliminary Research Findings:
The Catalyst/Ryerson research notes clear differences in the perceptions of visible minority and white/Caucasian respondents. All Survey participants have been working in Canada for an average of 20 years.

- Overall, visible minority managers, professionals and executives experienced lower rates of career satisfaction than white/Caucasian respondents.

The survey findings suggest that a perceived lack of recognition of foreign educational credentials may have implications for employees' career satisfaction and their interest in exploring opportunities outside Canada.

- Approximately 50 percent of visible minority respondents with foreign educational credentials felt their employers did not recognize their educational credentials as being "on par" with equivalent Canadian degrees, diplomas or certificates. Only 23 percent of white/Caucasian respondents with foreign educational credentials felt the same way.
 - Visible minority respondents with foreign educational credentials that were not recognized as being on par were the least satisfied with their careers. Twenty-four percent of these individuals plan to explore career opportunities outside Canada in the next three years. Visible minorities are individuals who self-identify as being non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour and exclude Aboriginal persons. As visible minority employees are not a homogeneous group, the Catalyst/Ryerson research team will gather data on the following Census Canada classifications: White/Caucasian, Chinese; South Asian; Black; Arab, West Indian; Filipino; Southeast Asian; Latin American; Middle Eastern, Japanese; Korean, multiple visible minority and Other.

Visit www.catalyst.org  or
www.ryerson.ca/faculties/business/diversityinstitute/  for full findings.

A Portrait Of Canadian Seniors

Tuesday, February 27, 2007
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/070227/d070227b.htm
2006

With millions of baby boomers knocking on the door, Canada's seniors are poised to become an even more heterogeneous crowd than they are today, according to a new statistical profile of people 65 years and over.

The report suggests that over the coming years, what it means to be a "senior" could undergo an important re-assessment, especially as the baby boom generation turns 65.

For one thing, seniors are living longer. Near the beginning of the 20th Century, the average 65-year-old Canadian could expect to live another 13.3 years. In 2003, this individual could expect to live another 19.2 years.

Even in the short span between 1991 and 2003, life expectancy at the age of 65 in Canada increased by 1.2 years.

Seniors themselves are changing. Financially, they are much better off than they were a quarter century ago. They are better educated, they are Internet savvy and they are active.

However, the report also points out that the characteristics of younger seniors aged 65 to 74 differ from those of their counterparts aged 85 and over, in many cases dramatically. This is especially true with respect to health, cultural origins, financial situations, living arrangements and so on.

And as individuals, seniors face many challenges. Rising rates of obesity are evident among Canadians of all ages and seniors are no exception. In addition, cancer and heart disease remain the leading causes of death among seniors, while arthritis/rheumatism and high blood pressure remain the most prevalent chronic conditions.

Trends in their population: The baby boom arrives
With "old age" now spanning a period of 20 years or more, the characteristics and experiences of seniors are varied and will become even more so as the baby boom generation starts turning 65 in 2011.

Today, low fertility rates, longer life expectancy and the effects of the baby boom generation are among the factors contributing to the aging of Canada's population. Between 1981 and 2005, the number of seniors in Canada increased from 2.4 million to 4.2 million. Their share of the total population jumped from 9.6% to 13.1%. (New information on the seniors population from the 2006 Census will be released in The Daily on July 17, 2007.)

The aging of the population will accelerate over the next two decades, particularly as baby boomers begin turning 65. Between 2006 and 2026, the number of seniors is projected to increase from 4.3 million to 9.8 million. Their share of the population is expected to increase from 13.2% to 21.2%.

Demographic trends will continue to vary considerably across age groups in the years ahead. Over the next two decades, the number of individuals aged 65 to 74 will almost double, from 2.3 million to about 4.5 million. The share of the total population comprised of these "young seniors" will increase from 7.0% to 11.9%.

The number of Canadians aged 85 plus will nearly double as well, rising from about 500,000 in 2006 to about 900,000 in 2026.

How they are faring at work, in society and in retirement
The financial situation of seniors has improved over the past quarter century. Between 1980 and 2003, the average total income (after tax) received by senior couples increased by 18%, from $36,300 to $42,800.

Increasing income levels have benefited seniors in lower income categories and have contributed to a decline in the incidence of low-income among this group. Even so, among seniors the incidence of low-income remains highest among women who live alone.

From the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s there was a steady decline in the share of older men participating in the paid labour force. But between 1996 and 2005 that share increased from 58.4% to 66.7% among men aged 55 to 64 and from 16.5% to 23.0% among men aged 65 to 69. Increases have been evident among older women as well.

According to the Labour Force Survey, just under 320,000 Canadians aged 65 and older participated in the labour force in 2005. The vast majority, about 308,000 were employed, while another 11,000 were actively looking for work. Altogether, this group accounted for 1.8% of the total labour force.
As more and more individuals in the baby boom generation slide into their 60s, the share of the labour force comprised of older workers will increase.

The level of education of seniors may have an impact on their labour force participation. Between 1990 and 2005, the share of seniors with a post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree jumped from 18% to 31%. This trend will continue, as half of the Canadians who will turn age 65 over the next decade have one of these credentials.

Labour force data show that seniors who had a university degree in 2005 were more than four times more likely to participate in the labour force than those with eight years or less of formal schooling.

Many seniors are active outside of the labour force. Among those aged 65 to 74, just over half belong to at least one group or organization and 39% volunteered during 2004. Seniors also provide help on an informal basis such as providing child care or running errands.

Many seniors are engaged in civic life as well. In 2003, about three-quarters of seniors aged 65 to 74 said they had voted in the last federal, provincial and municipal elections.

Health, stress, leisure: How seniors are faring
While aging is associated with a decline in general health and the onset of different forms of activity limitations, a large proportion of seniors are faring well.

For example, 40% of individuals aged 65 to 74 described their health as very good or excellent in health surveys, and another 37% reported it as good. Among Canadians aged 75 or older, 32% described their health as very good or excellent and 36% described it as good.

Approximately 6 in 10 seniors said their life is not at all stressful or not very stressful, compared to about 3 in 10 people aged 25 to 54. Seniors who say their life is stressful most often attribute this to concerns regarding their own health or the health of a family member.

Levels of physical activity vary across age groups and gender. In 2003, 53% of men aged 65 to 74 were physically active or moderately active, almost the same as men aged 25 to 54 (51%). A smaller proportion of women aged 65 to 74 (42%) were physically active or moderately active.

Rising rates of obesity are evident among Canadians of all ages and seniors are no exception. Between 1978/1979 and 2004, the incidence of obesity among seniors aged 75 or older increased from 11% to 24%; among those aged 65 to 74, it increased from 20% to 25%.

Cancer and heart disease remain the leading causes of death among seniors, while arthritis/rheumatism and high blood pressure remain the most prevalent chronic conditions.

In leisure time, computer use has become an increasing part of everyday life for many seniors, as it has for younger Canadians. In 1997, only 3.4% of households headed by a senior had Internet access; by 2004, this had jumped seven-fold to almost 23%.

Between 2000 and 2003, the share of individuals aged 65 to 74 using the Internet more than doubled from 11% to 28%. The same upward trend was evident among seniors age 75 and older, albeit at a lower level.

Immigrant and Aboriginal seniors: Aging evident in both groups
More than one-quarter of all seniors in Canada were born abroad. Most of these immigrant seniors initially arrived in Canada before the 1960s and about half of them were born in Western European countries.

However, this profile will change in the coming years as younger immigrants from other regions age. From 1981 to 2001, the share of immigrant seniors born in Asia increased from 5.6% to 19.1%.

Changes in the source countries of immigrants are increasingly reflected in the share of seniors who are members of a visible minority group, with this share increasing from 2.3% to 7.2% between 1981 and 2001.

Canada's Aboriginal population remains much younger than the non-Aboriginal population.
In 2001, the estimated 39,900 Aboriginal seniors represented 4% of the total Aboriginal population. By 2017, this is expected to increase to 6.5%. This is due in large part to gradually improving life expectancy and to declining birth rates among the Aboriginal population.

Nonetheless, fertility rates remain higher and life expectancies remain lower among the Aboriginal population than the non-Aboriginal population.

The compendium A Portrait of Seniors in Canada (89-519-XWE free) is now available from the Publications module of our website.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (613-951-5979; sasd-dssea@statcan.ca),  Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division.

Canada's growing gap at new 30-year high
Majority of families working harder, less payoff

http://policyalternatives.ca/index.cfm?act=news&call=1564&pa=BB736455&do=Article

March 1, 2007 TORONTO - Canadian families are putting in more work time, yet most - 80% of them - are getting a smaller share of Canada's growing economy, says a study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

The study finds Canada's income gap between the rich and poor is growing, largely because the lion's share of Canada's economic growth is going to the richest 10% of families. It's not going to the majority, the 80% of families earning under a $100,000.

"Canada's gap is growing at a time when Canadian families are playing by all the rules - working harder, contributing to a growing economy - but most aren't getting payback," says study author Armine Yalnizyan, research fellow with the CCPA.

The study, The Rich and the Rest of Us: The Changing Face of Canada's Growing Gap, looks at the earnings and after-tax incomes of Canadian families raising children under 18, comparing families in the late 1970s and those in the early 2000s.

The study finds:
* Canada's income gap is growing: In 2004, the richest 10% of families earned 82 times more than the poorest 10% - almost triple the ratio of 1976, when they earned 31 times more. In after-tax terms the gap is at a 30-year high.

* Bottom half shut out: Between 1976-79 the bottom half earned 27% of total earnings. Between 2001-04 that dropped to 20.5%, though they worked more. Up to 80% of families lost ground or stayed put compared to the previous generation, in both earnings and after-tax terms. The poorest saw real incomes drop.

* Work is not enough: All but the richest 10% of families are working more weeks and hours in the paid workforce (200 hours more on average since 1996) yet only the richest 10% saw a significant increase in their earnings - 30%.

Brown Wants Compulsory Community Work For Immigrants Seeking Citizenship

UK World News | Home
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/35091.html
Posted on : Wed, 28 Feb 2007 12:16:01 GMT | Author : James Simpson
News Category : UK (World)
LONDON: Britain's prime minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown said immigrants seeking citizenship of the country should participate in community work before they aspire to become citizens.

The chancellor of the exchequer said citizenship should go with rights as well as responsibilities and it should be a contract. It is necessary that those who want to become British citizens should demonstrate that they are ready to contribute to their new home, he told a seminar on Britishness at the Commonwealth club in London Tuesday. He added such a method will help foster a "stronger sense of national purpose" among the immigrants wanting to make Britain their home.

Brown also said the requirement of community work should go with the requirement of the immigrants learning English and acquiring a fair knowledge about British history and culture.

Brown, however, did not give any details of the plans he professed, including funding.

However, he gave an outline, saying, "Being a British citizen is about more than a test, more than a ceremony; it's a kind of contract between the citizen and the country involving rights but also involving responsibilities that will protect and enhance the British way of life. Citizenship means there are common rules and accepted standards. There is now agreement with the proposition I made some time ago that for new citizens, learning English should be a requirement. New citizens should have an understanding of our history and our culture.

Canadian International Development Agency has failed to make a difference in Africa for the last four Decades…says Senate committee
Excerpt from : Mike Blanchfield, CanWest News Service; Ottawa Citizen
Published: Friday, February 16, 2007
More Details
 

OTTAWA - The government should consider disbanding the Canadian International Development Agency because it has failed to make a difference in Africa for the last four decades, a Senate report recommended Thursday.

"Given the failure of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in Africa over the past 38 years to make an effective foreign aid difference, the government of Canada should conduct an immediate review of whether or not this organization should continue to exist in its present non-statutory form," says the Senate foreign affairs committee in a report that was two years in the making and heard from hundreds of witnesses.

Since 1968, CIDA has spent $12.4 billion in Sub-Sahran Africa, but has little to show for it. Part of the problem, the report says, is 81 per cent of CIDA staff is based in the Ottawa area - not in Africa.

"After 40 years of failure, can Canada help Africa ...and how?"
http://www.cbc.ca/checkup/archive/2007/intro070218.html

Rex Murphy's introduction to the February 18, 2007 program:
The Senate takes a lot of hits - and so do some Senators - but I do not think it possible to withhold approval, even praise, for the work of some Senators, in particular, for some of the reports they have generated.

Not so long ago we featured on Checkup a report by the committee of Senators Michael Kirby and Wilbert Keon on how mental illness is treated in Canada - an excellent example of a major issue, of great sensitivity and simultaenous neglect, was highlighted by the work of some Senators.

Today we're decided to feature another Senate report - on a topic, if anything, even more far ranging, which was released on Thursday of this week, and has - in my judgement - received less than it's fair due of attention. It's called: OVERCOMING 40 YEARS OF FAILURE: A NEW ROAD MAP FOR SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Essentially it's a vast, and dismal, report card on one dimension of Canada's foreign policy and humanitarianism. We think of ourselves as a "caring nation" as the phrase has it, and one of the areas of our "caring" has been that portion of Africa known as the sub-Sahara.

A Senate committee, chaired by Hugh Segal and Peter Stollery, has produced a detailed, rich, painful, and harsh report on our efforts over the last four decades, both from the particular perspective of Canada's efforts during that time - and that of the world in general - in attempting to assist, build, modify conditions in one of the most miserable areas of the entire world. It is impossible to read the report and not wonder why it is that certain areas of the world, miserable though they be, or studded with conflict, received - in proportion so much more attention, money, or time - in UN bodies, conferences, summits - while the plight of Africa in so very many cases is so much worse, worse now, and has been for such a long long period of time - and yet receives, by contrast, so little of national or international prioity, less urgency, less activism, and less press time.

See podcast of discussion at above url

Goan Voice designed and compiled by Demerg Systems India for Silverline Technologies Ltd.,
Campal Trade Centre, Next to Military Hospital, Campal, Panjim, Goa-403001
Tel: +91 832 2420797 Email: info@goanvoice.ca