London's Invisible Engineers: Why Our Most Educated Residents Can't Get Hired
New research from the London & Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership reveals a striking contradiction at the heart of our regional economy: immigrants in our community hold bachelor's degrees at significantly higher rates than people born in the area, yet many remain locked out of careers that match their education.
The numbers tell a surprising story. According to LMLIP's latest Matter of Facts report, 57% of non-permanent residents in London and Middlesex hold bachelor's degrees or higher. Recent immigrants who arrived between 2016 and 2021 aren't far behind at 46%. Compare this with just 25% of non-immigrants holding the same credentials.
Source: Statistics Canada. Community Data Program, Table EO3775 – Ontario 3 – 2021 Target Group Profile cross-tabulated with Immigration Status by Period of Immigration and Citizenship
Even more telling is where these immigrants studied. Twenty-one percent specialized in architecture, engineering, and related trades, compared with only 14% of non-immigrants. Another 27% of non-permanent residents focused on business, management, and public administration.
Source: Statistics Canada. Community Data Program, Table EO3775 – Ontario 3 – 2021 Target Group Profile cross-tabulated with Immigration Status by Period of Immigration and Citizenship.
These statistics represent real people living in our community right now, many with the exact qualifications London employers claim they desperately need. With over 19,000 job vacancies reported locally, the question becomes unavoidable: why can't we connect them?
The Gap Between Credentials and Careers
The disconnect plays out daily across London. Research shows that 17.8% of newcomer men and 20.3% of newcomer women with foreign degrees work in jobs requiring only high school education. For engineers specifically, the numbers are even starker. Among immigrants with engineering degrees aged 25-34, only 13% of men and 10% of women actually work in engineering roles.
This represents what researchers call "brain waste": a troubling term for an even more troubling reality. Skilled professionals drive for ride-sharing services or work in retail while local manufacturers and tech companies struggle to fill specialized positions.
Three main barriers create this disconnect.
First, credential recognition remains inconsistent and confusing. Many employers are unaware of how to verify foreign qualifications, so they often default to requiring "Canadian experience" as a safety measure. This creates an impossible catch-22: newcomers cannot gain Canadian experience without someone providing them with that first opportunity.
Second, unconscious bias influences hiring decisions in ways that many employers may not recognize. Studies demonstrate that resumes with English-sounding names receive significantly more callbacks than identical resumes with Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, or Greek names. The qualifications might be identical, but the name on the application shifts the outcome.
Third, some argue that the concentration of immigrants in engineering and business doesn't match local needs. But the data challenges this assumption. These are precisely the fields where London reports persistent shortages. The problem isn't a mismatch, but a failure to connect supply with demand.
Why This Moment Matters
October 2025 brings unique circumstances that make addressing this disconnect more urgent than ever.
Canada's new immigration levels plan reduces permanent resident admissions by 21%, from 464,265 in 2024 to 395,000 in 2025. For skilled immigrants already in London, this intensifies competition for fewer permanent residency pathways.
Meanwhile, international student approvals have collapsed by 70%, dropping from 47% approval rates to just 33%. This pipeline traditionally supplied London with young, educated workers who knew our community and chose to stay. That pipeline is closing.
But there's also an opportunity. President Trump's imposition of $100,000 fees on H-1B visas has made it prohibitively expensive for American companies to hire foreign tech workers. Canada is explicitly positioning itself to attract this displaced talent. London could benefit significantly if we can demonstrate that we know how to integrate skilled immigrants successfully.
The contradiction becomes sharper: we're competing globally for talent while underutilizing the educated immigrants already living here.
What Works When We Try
London does have organizations working hard to address these barriers.
WILL Employment Solutions connects over 600 newcomers annually to workplaces across Southwestern Ontario. Their WILL Access program specifically helps internationally trained immigrants in regulated fields such as engineering understand Canadian workplace culture and licensing processes. Their other program, Immploy Job Match, provides employers with access to qualified newcomer talent while offering training on welcoming workplace practices.
The London Economic Development Corporation operates specialized job portals for tech positions and manufacturing roles designed to connect skilled newcomers with opportunities.
These initiatives show what's possible when we intentionally build bridges between educated immigrants and local employers. But they remain exceptions rather than standard practice.
Building the Connections We Need
Our research reveals an asset that has been hiding in plain sight. Our community has access to an educated and skilled workforce concentrated in fields where we often claim chronic shortages. The question isn't whether the talent exists; the data confirms it does. The question is whether we'll build systems that connect this talent with opportunity.
The LMLIP aims to create a welcoming community where employment opportunities exist for immigrants of all backgrounds, where coordination between organizations serves newcomers effectively, and where we actively work to eliminate the barriers preventing talented people from contributing fully.
For employers, this means examining hiring practices honestly. Do job postings actually require Canadian experience, or is that shorthand for risk avoidance? Are credential verification processes clear and accessible? Are hiring teams trained to recognize unconscious bias?
For community members, this means understanding that supporting immigrant integration is the economically rational choice. Every engineer driving for Uber represents lost productivity, lost tax revenue, and a missed opportunity for innovation.
For policymakers, this means investing in credential recognition processes, expanding successful organizations like WILL, and creating incentives for employers who demonstrate inclusive hiring practices.
The gap between the education immigrants bring and the jobs they can access isn't inevitable. Our research shows clearly what we're leaving on the table. The question is whether we'll pick it up.
The full Matter of Facts report, including detailed charts on education levels and fields of study by immigration status, is available here. Organizations interested in learning more about welcoming workplace practices can connect with LMLIP at info@lmlip.ca.