Webinar : Retaining Immigrants in Rural Communities

Source: Rural Development Institute, Brandon University.
April 18, 2012. Appropriate recruitment and retention strategies are contingent upon and shaped by social, economic and political contexts. Experiences of migrants to rural areas may be different from urban areas, given that larger centres have been destinations for international immigrants over a prolonged period of time.

Addressing issues and opportunities related to retention and ‘integration’ in rural areas merit different approaches for whole community solutions involving multiple stakeholders, including business. Join us in this free webinar to hear leading research on retaining immigrants in rural centres.

Drawing on research undertaken in rural Scotland and other parts of the UK, Dr. Philomena de Lima will:

* Address the rationale for attracting migrants, related trends and challenges.

* Identify strategies and actions, focusing on the importance of seeing migrants as active agents in the process of adaptation in their new destinations.

From a review of literature and RDI case studies, Anisa Zehtab-Martin discusses strategies from provincial levels and local communities.

Our third presenter is Ian Shanghvi a student research assistant at RDI who will report on his research regarding employer retention strategies. He finds employers need to pay particular attention to retaining multi-cultural employees.

Together, these three presenters provide valuable perspectives on retaining newcomers for elected officials, government service providers, settlement agencies, economic developers, and business owners in rural centres.

This free webinar will be: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 - 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

For more information or to register: rdi2@brandonu.ca or 204-571-8550 (RSVP by April 13, 2012).

WWW: www2.brandonu.ca/rdi