For many new Canadians, earning their due in the workplace is a serious challenge, and those obstacles can be even more difficult to overcome for women.
Making matters worse, while there are many supports for unemployed newcomers, those who are underemployed often see their skills go to waste with few places to turn.
Those numbers can be seen in the average income of Canadian-born and internationally trained women, with the former out-earning the latter by $16,000 per year on average.
The Rotman School of Management is looking to bridge the gaps within the employment world through its Business Edge program, which helps internationally trained women professionals navigate the Canadian work environment.
The program, which is funded by the Government of Ontario and offered free of charge to qualified women, helps uncover the nuances of working in Canada and provides teaching and mentorship to help these women meet their potential.
For Indian-born professional Sabina Michael, the program's services were invaluable.
"What I took from the program was a clear development strategy," she said. "It shows women, where am I (in the job hierarchy), where do I want to go and how do I go about getting there?"
Michael was so taken with Business Edge, she joined the Rotman team after completing the program and now works as Business Edge's program manager.
Business Edge includes job shadowing, case studies and the sharing of experiences, with the focus universal enough it has helped everyone from doctors to engineers to teachers.
While many foreign credentials translate well to the Canadian work environment, subtler differences in the workplace can stall foreign-trained women's progress. From language differences in terms of business-speak to simple cultural differences, many qualities considered paramount in other cultures are not valued as highly here and vice versa.
"There's sometimes not that understanding of what we call the unwritten rules - things like how to influence (decisions) or negotiate," Michael said.
Some new Canadians come from cultures where hard work is easily recognized. For those women, a sense of immense frustration can arise when they are passed over for promotions simply because they have not done as much as their Canadian-born counterparts to ensure their employers know the work they put in.
"Often, it's 'How do you make yourself visible in the workplace,'" Michael said.
Business Edge focuses on soft skills such as workplace relations and interviewing skills rather than bolstering international credentials or boosting language skills. Women must already possess a level of fluency in English and have the necessary training to succeed in Canada.
Participants undergo a series of tests to determine their strengths and weaknesses, and the program caters to helping them in areas where they need improvement.
The program's second session will begin later in March, and results from the first set of classes have shown its effectiveness.
"Out of about 25 participants, at six months (after the course) 50 per cent have reported a significant change in status, either getting a raise or being moved into roles more suitable to their experience," Michael said.
The program is also accessible, with no tuition costs and classes taking place in the evening so it will not interfere with the typical work day.
Geeta Sheker, director of Rotman's Initiative for Women in Business, said the program helps women see the reality of the Canadian workforce.
"Quite often, women don't realize what's going on with some (elements) of their work," she said. "What are some of the dos and don'ts? What are some of the cultural disconnects?"
By ignoring the soft skills needed to make an impression on employers, she said, women can be overlooked in the workplace even though their credentials and productivity may equal or surpass those of fellow employees who know how to make themselves known.
"(Internationally trained women) don't understand why they're not advancing," Sheker said. "They have all the technical skills, but they're not advancing."
By helping to make Canadian work conventions more familiar, Sheker said internationally trained women can feel more comfortable and confident in their work environments.
While enrolment is limited - the upcoming session had more than 170 applicants for only 30 spaces - Sheker said its success to date cannot be taken lightly.
"These women all really struggle on their own with their careers," she said. "We had women from a number of different sectors and they all said they found the program effective in meeting each of their needs."
For more information on the program, visit www.rotman.utoronto.ca/open/business_edge