Dr. Marshia Akbar serves as the Research Lead on Labour Migration within the CERC Migration and Integration program at Toronto Metropolitan University. She also holds the position of Director at the CERC-BMO Newcomer Workforce Integration Lab. Her research primarily revolves around the labour market integration of migrants in Canada. Employing intersectionality and multi-sectoral collaborative approaches, she aims to bridge the gap between the lived experiences of migrants and existing policies and practices.
Marshia will be presenting insights from her research on international students, generously supported by the SSHRC Insight Development Grant and ICE Grant. This study delves into the needs and challenges encountered by international students as they navigate the transition from academia to the workforce and from temporary to permanent residency. Furthermore, it assesses the efficacy of current support policies and programs in addressing these issues.