A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiences of Racialized Internationally Trained Non-Academic Staff in Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions

Abstract

An increasing number of Internationally Trained Professionals (ITPs) are entering the Canadian workforce, prompting various levels of government across the country to develop policies aimed at supporting the successful hiring, placement, and flourishing of all ITPs. These include Bill 98: Fairness for Ontario's Internationally Trained Workers Act (Legislative Assembly of Ontario, 2022), and the Canada Foreign Credential Recognition Program (Employment and Social Development Canada, 2021). Despite these important initiatives, the struggles of integration that ITPs experience remain unaddressed, making it difficult to assess the effectiveness of recruitment and transition programs for ITPs.

ITPs provide substantial educational assistance to the progressively growing number of international students (Deters, 2015; Schmidt & Block, 2010; Schmidt et al., 2010), and play a vital part in educating both international and domestic students to fit into the evolving school system. Although numerous studies have examined the experiences and challenges of internationally trained faculty (Ball & Tyson, 2011; Banks, 2015; Henry et al., 2017; Schmidt, 2015; Schmidt & Block, 2010), little research has focused on the experiences of non-academic staff in Canadian institutions, despite the growing number of ITPs in these equally essential roles.

In a 2007 equity review, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) noted that many equity-seeking groups remain seriously underrepresented in Canadian post-secondary institutions. The lack of consistent and reliable data about equity makes it very difficult for policymakers, administrators, and academic staff associations to determine the full extent of the problem and develop the most effective and appropriate tools to ensure equity. Daniel (2019) claimed that the experiences of racialized faculty members are continually under-theorized, marginalized, and frequently erased with stereotypes.

If the experiences of racialized faculty members are continually under-theorized and marginalized, then the experiences of racialized non-academic staff, a group that has received even less attention, are even more neglected. As a result, the need to explore the experiences of racialized non-academic staff became evident. Therefore, this study offers insights into the experiences of racialized ITPs and serves as a catalyst for further research into the experiences of all non-academic professionals in Canadian post-secondary institutions, not just racialized ITPs.