Conferences, Presentations and Workshops

This presentation shared the Centre’s current initiatives and innovative work focused on incorporating AI and advanced digital technologies within the Canadian settlement sector, while discussing emerging opportunities, implementation considerations, and digital innovation in newcomer support services.

This workshop presentation shared survey findings from the TAIGA RISE project, examining newcomer attraction, integration, and retention capacities across Northern Canada, including perceptions of northern living among individuals residing outside the region.

Immigrant professionals in Canada continue to face significant barriers to labour market integration, often resulting in underemployment and the underutilization of skills, commonly referred to as “brain waste.” In recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, the adoption of digital platforms across settlement sector has accelerated, creating new opportunities to address these persistent challenges through advanced digital technologies (ADT). This study examines perceived effectiveness of ADT in supporting the labour market integration of immigrant non-AI-powered platform. Using in-depth qualitative interviews with immigrant professionals and stakeholders associated with these tools, the research explores users’ and stakeholders’ experiences of use, perceived benefits, limitations, and challenges. The analysis explores how different technological approaches are experienced by users and stakeholders, highlighting both opportunities and challenges associated with digital employment support tools. The study also highlights perceived gaps in current digital tools, including limitations related to personalization, guidance, and integration with human support mechanisms. 

The study aims to generate evidence-informed recommendations for the design and implementation of digital employment support tools that respond to the diverse needs of immigrant professionals. By examining both AI-powered and non-AI digital approaches, this research contributes to ongoing discussions on the role of digital technologies in promoting more equitable and inclusive labour market integration in the Canadian context. 

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This conference presentation examined AI-enabled settlement and employment support systems in Canada, focusing on digital inclusion, user experiences, personalization gaps, and practical pathways for supporting immigrant professionals through emerging technologies.

Krisha Hilario, Manager of the TIES Centre for Immigrant Research, joined this invited roundtable presentation discussing the successes, challenges, and gaps in using digital channels to share settlement information with newcomers across Canada.

This symposium presentation shared qualitative findings from the Voices in the Art (VIA) project, presenting data analysis from focus groups and interviews exploring the identities, experiences, and sense of belonging of newcomer 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.

This invited panel presentation introduced a community-based research outreach model highlighting collaboration between universities and service provider organizations, and discussed how these partnerships can strengthen applied research, community engagement, and knowledge mobilization in immigrant-serving contexts.

This paper presentation explored the intersecting identities, belonging, and experiences of newcomer 2SLGBTQIA+ youth through arts-based engagement ethnography, emphasizing visual storytelling, identity expression, and experiences of gender-based violence.

This presentation introduced the TAIGA RISE project and its citizen science approach to understanding Northern communities, while sharing emerging updates and community-based insights related to newcomer attraction, integration, and retention in the North.