YORK UNIVERSITY STUDENTS STUDY FOREIGN ACCREDITATION
WITH THE HELP OF JIAS CANADA

JIAS Canada Executive Director,Mila Voihanski with students Bryan Herskovits and Daniel Held

"Research in the Community" is a York University course in the Division of Social Science.  The course helps students learn and apply research skills to practical research in communal organizations.   In the first part, students learn basic research skills in the classroom setting.  In the second part students undertake a research project in collaboration with a community organization.

In January, JIAS Canada was approached by two students taking this course, who were interested in examining the integration of immigrants into the Canadian work force.   Mila Voihanski worked closely with them while they prepared a questionnaire reflecting the experiences of immigrants as they have attempted to enter the work force.  The questionnaire was posted on the JIAS Canada website and distributed to immigrant clients of Jewish Family Service Agencies across the country. 

Over 100 newcomers participated in the survey which provided a comprehensive overview of immigrant experiences during their initial period of job search. 

The results of the research project not only gave the students and faculty a better understanding of the immigrant experience, but provided important information that was utilized in JIAS' presentation to the Parliamentary Committee on Citizenship and Immigration on April 4, 2005.