Canada relies on immigration as a key driver of population and economic growth and is viewed internationally as a leader in immigrant labour market integration, with governments at all levels investing heavily in settlement services such as language training and employment programs (Esses et al., 2021). However, many newcomers face a myriad of labour market barriers impeding their earnings and pathways to sustainable livelihoods (Bhuyan et al., 2017; Huot et al., 2021; Warman et al., 2015). In recent decades the Canadian labour market has become increasingly insecure and new immigrants find that many opportunities are for non-standard forms of employment such as gig work, temporary contracts and self-employment with little job security or workplace benefits (Busby & Muthukumaran, 2016; Lamb, Banerjee, & Verma, 2021). Recent research from the Future Skills Centre shows that issues for immigrants arise at multiple levels in the skills and employment ecosystem, including factors on the supply side, the demand side, with policies, as well as, with intermediaries.

During the first three years of Bridging Divides, the employment and life-long learning theme will explore the following three specific areas of potential opportunity and concern with an aim to provide policy, practical and theoretical contributions.