Remote and Online Services for Professional Immigrants (ROSPI) is a project that will seek to leverage existing technologies settlement agencies utilized when making the transition to remote service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we will develop both online and mobile-friendly programming and resources for professional immigrants and resources for settlement agencies to support their remote delivery. The nature of these resources and programming will be determined by data we collect from interviewing and surveying professional immigrants’ digital needs, barriers, and preferences for using settlement services and seeking information online regarding re-establishing their careers in Canada.
The ROSPI project is an important research area for the settlement sector because of the very limited research on existing online services and their effectiveness for professional immigrants. Some of the research that is available on the role digital technologies have in professional immigrants’ settlement and integration suggests the critical need for professional networking and obtaining timely, accurate, and relevant information online to become successful at re-establishing careers. Moreover, some studies have shown that professional immigrants are least likely to access or recommend settlement services, either because they are unaware/unfamiliar with existing local services or because these services don’t meet their specific needs. The ROSPI project will explore these needs and barriers further.
The project will be accomplished by aiming to meet 5 goals through 4 phases:
1. The Knowledge Building phase will aim to:
a) Identify (1) unmet needs and gaps in settlement services, as well as the (2) general experiences and (3) digital needs, barriers, and preferences of professional newcomers re-establishing their careers in Canada;
b) Identify best practices in services for professional newcomers via an online platform or digital space.
2. The Development of Improvements and Innovations to Existing Online Settlement Services & Other Digital Materials phase will aim to:
Develop a process roadmap or resource toolkit and training resources for organizations to effectively transition their own services to professional newcomers to an online remote delivery environment.
3. The Pilot Implementation phase will aim to:
Implement mobile-friendly online programming and digital resources tailored for professional newcomers.
4. The Pilot Evaluation phase will aim to:
Determine the optimal approaches through which online delivery of settlement services will result in:
a) Improved access to services for professional newcomers
b) Improved online services that more efficiently and effectively meet needs
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This toolkit equips SPOs with a comprehensive set of tools and strategies to enhance their services, making them more accessible and impactful for highly skilled professionals aspiring to succeed in their new homeland. Whether you're seeking guidance on assisting highly skilled immigrant clients, searching for essential information to better serve them, or exploring strategies to enhance their access to your services, this toolkit serves as your guide. It offers insights, strategies, and best practices to empower SPOs and their clients to achieve successful settlement and seamless career integration.
We are looking to interview professional immigrants about their experiences with their success or unsuccess with re-establishing their careers in Canada, either in the Medical or Information Technology fields. We would also like to learn more about the digital behaviours and online settlement service usage of professional immigrants.
To be interviewed, the following eligibility requirements must all be met:
Participation involves:
You don’t have to participate in the interview if you don’t want to. Even if you don’t participate, The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) staff will continue to help you when you need it. By sharing your experiences, you will help us learn more about the experiences professional immigrants have re-establishing their careers in Canada. This will also help us develop and improve online settlement services for professional immigrants.
The University of British Columbia’s Behavioural Research Ethics Board has approved this research study (H22-01962).
To find out more about this study, you can email: newcomer.study@ubc.ca
Title of Project: Remote and Online Services for Professional Immigrant (ROSPI)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Anusha Kassan, Associate Professor,
Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, Faculty of Education,
University of British Columbia
Help us gain a deeper understanding of the digital needs, barriers, and preferences for professional newcomers or immigrants re-establishing their careers in Canada.
To participate in the survey, the following eligibility requirements must all be met:
Participation involves:
You don’t have to take the survey if you don’t want to. Even if you don’t participate, The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) staff will continue to help you when you need it.
This study has been exempted by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Michigan.
Title of Project: Remote and Online Services for Professional Immigrants (ROSPI)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Odessa Gonzalez Benson, School of Social Work, University of Michigan
Contact us to aid you through the process of registering for the program right for you.
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TIES is located on the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region, which includes the Blackfoot Confederacy comprising the Siksika, Piikani and Kanai First Nations, the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Wesley First Nations. The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III.
