Category: digital literacy - innovation

I've written previously how the 2017 Standards for Technology in Social Work Practice is very applicable to the Canadian context, including the work Immigrant and Refugee-serving organizations do. It's a sector we should be paying attention to, because it is close in scope and focus to Settlement work, and is a regulated sector. What they do, we should adapt. What they learn, we should study. We don't, but we should.

I like to go through Settlement-related conference program agendas for conferences I’m not attending to see what might be of interest from a digital perspective. This year’s Metropolis Conference does not disappoint. Hopefully, at least the slides from these presentations, discussion notes, summaries, as well as reports mentioned will make it on the Metropolis conference platform or be shared publicly at some point. Here are some of interest.

OK, I haven't posted here for some time, and I don't tend to write personal reflections here, mainly snide comments on other content. I thought I would write out some thoughts about running a site like this on the side of my desk, now as a sector worker rather than as a consultant.

This November 2025 P2P Conference workshop examined how Canada can better leverage immigrant talent through workforce integration, upskilling, and pathways to entrepreneurship. Drawing on national research, presenters identified systemic barriers that limit newcomer participation and highlight policy and program solutions that support equitable employment outcomes.

This November 2025 P2P Conference plenary explores change drivers, focusing on how emerging technologies are influencing, and will continue to influence, immigration and settlement in Canada. The session looked at advances in AI and digital tools and their impact on: immigration decision-making and processes, the way in which information is accessed and used, and the delivery of services to newcomers.

In this November 2025 P2P Conference session presenters explored how recent Canadian and American migration policy changes, including immigration caps, are impacting Canada’s ethnically diverse settlement services sector. The workshop discusses a study the explored inter-ethnic relationships between service providers and users throughout 2023-2024, a critical period in migration policy.

In this November 2025 P2P Conference presentation, panelists asked: How confident are you that your services truly meet client needs? They introduced tools to evaluate service quality, measure client satisfaction, and support evidence-based decisions.

This November 2025 Refugee 613 webinar highlights early findings from the 2025 MTM Newcomers Survey and explores how to apply them in real settings, in ways that are practical and won’t add to your workload. The session reviewed communication patterns and gaps that affect outreach, program design, funding applications, and community partnerships.

Apparently, this survey may close tonight so here it is with some comments from me. Context? From IRCC's slide deck: "The purpose of this presentation is to solicit your early thoughts and co-generate ideas about how we can adapt the Settlement and Resettlement Programs to better suit the needs of clients over the next few years in a context of reduced funding and lower immigration levels."