Empowering Highly Skilled African Immigrants: Key Protective Factors for Success in Quebec’s Labour Market

This paper delves into the experiences and protective factors contributing to integration of highly skilled African immigrants (HSAIs) into the Quebec labour market. Despite the Canadian government’s considerable efforts to attract and retain skilled immigrants to promote its economic prosperity, challenges persist for these individuals as they navigate the complexities of the Canadian labour market. While most of the existing studies have focused on these challenges, this paper centers on the key protective factors for the success of HSAIs in Quebec. Drawing on in-depth semi-structured interviews (n = 16) with HSALs, this paper uncovers the multifaceted landscape of labour market integration for HSAIs. The findings reveal that, although a majority of participants encounter barriers preventing them from fully utilizing their skills, education, and experience, they often overcome these barriers by leveraging protective factors such as being in high-demand job sectors, receiving familial support, benefiting from social networks, possessing bilingual proficiency, and engaging in mentorship programmes. This paper highlights the urgent need for evidence-based policies to ensure employment opportunities commensurate with the academic qualifications and professional skills for highly skilled immigrants in Canada, particularly HSAIs. These policies should not only recognize protective factors but also prioritize building resilience and addressing systemic labour market barriers.