Workforce Innovation and Inclusion Project

The Workforce Innovation and Inclusion Project (WIIP) brings together settlement agencies, diverse employers and nonprofits to address the employment needs of newcomers and produce a skilled and resilient Canadian workforce

The WIIP contributes research insights to address gaps and needs of the settlement sector as well as results from testing of innovative pilot projects: we’ve tested 12 pilots between 2018-2021.

We’ve built an extensive partner network to collaborate on research and evaluate innovative tools, models and approaches to improve service delivery outcomes.

We’ve also mapped the ecosystem of service delivery in the settlement sector, looking for programming that supports newcomers’ skills for the workplace as well as provides entrepreneurship support.

Explore the WIIP Database

 

This project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and focused on five provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Nova Scotia.

Stay tuned for the Diversity Institute’s Workforce Innovation and Inclusion Report.

Project Goals

Identify proven methods for addressing economic and social challenges for newcomers

Identify underserved newcomer groups and areas for program improvements

Broaden the talent pool by scaling effective skills development programs

Enhance partnerships between employers and the immigrant-serving sector

Develop new models, partnerships, tools and programs that have high potential impact

Increase employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for newcomers

Research & Project Activities

We’ve conducted extensive research, engagement activities and solutions testing including:

Evidence review of relevant studies and reports

Interviews & surveys with stakeholders

Ecosystem mapping identifying close to 750 employment and entrepreneurial supports offered by organizations serving newcomers in the five target provinces of the project

Piloting innovative service delivery models, tools and programs

Creating an evaluation guide and a common measurement framework for pilot projects

Find out more about The WIIP research here.

Partners

100+ partners engaged

We’ve built strategic partnerships in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nova Scotia to engage partners in the settlement sector and across multiple industries, representing the needs of both employers and newcomers.

Our efforts created tools, insights and new connections to support best practices for sharing, evaluating, replicating and scaling innovative employment and entrepreneurship programming and innovations.

Find out more about our partners and pilot projects here.

Our Funder & Pilot Partners