Where to Get Job-Search Assistance if You Are New to Canada
By Sandra Lim
Once you've completed the immigration process and settled in Canada, where can you turn for help in preparing for employment and gaining Canadian experience?
Sixty percent of all new immigrants to Canada settle in Ontario. This article profiles a well-established Ontario-based program that provides job-search assistance for newcomers. Links to similar programs available in other parts of Canada are provided at the end of this article.
The New Canadian Program
According to a 2000 study by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities, only a quarter of immigrants to Canada find work in their fields. This is especially true for foreign-trained professionals and tradespeople who come to Canada with high hopes, only to find out too late that they are not allowed to practice their profession until they meet the requirements set by the regulatory body for their occupation, and that many employers do not recognize their foreign education, credentials, and work experience.
The New Canadian Program (NCP) based in Ontario's Kitchener-Waterloo area, is an employment preparation, job search, and career counseling program for new Canadians primarily in the areas of engineering, information technology, and the sciences. The program's stated mission is to support newcomers in their quest to connect with job opportunities, businesses, industries, and community organizations.
NCP, established in 1992 by the Waterloo Region District School Board and funded by Human Resources Development Canada, provides participants with in-class sessions about marketing their skills to employers, as well as information on the Canadian workplace. This is followed by a potential unpaid work placement with a local business, which allows the newcomer to both gain Canadian experience and demonstrate his or her skills and abilities to the employer. According to a March 2000 article in the Kitchener-Waterloo Record entitled “Everyone Should Get This
Experience,” “after the initial job placement, the average hiring rate is 74 percent.”
The March 2000 article also stated that “more than 300 new Canadians, all professionals, have gone through the program, while close to 700 local companies have provided the placements.” To be eligible for the New Canadian program, individuals must be landed immigrants, over the age of 25, and have been in Canada for fewer than five years. NCP participants include individuals from China, Romania, Iran, Hungary, Argentina, Yugoslavia, Iraq, India, Russia, and Japan.
Preparation for the Canadian work environment comes through many structured activities, including employer panels, mock interview sessions, seminars on workplace expectations, networking nights, and panels consisting of past NCP participants sharing their success stories. Career counselling was added to the list of NCP services in 2002. There are also regular social events.
The NCP website allows employers to search new Canadians' résumés to find an employee who has specific skills. It also lets program participants' search employers to find those that are looking for their particular skills.
Local businesses benefit from the NCP program though the opportunities to assess a prospective employee at no cost and to hire motivated workers with the skills they need. Furthermore, employers can obtain references for the program participants by contacting the NCP office.
Newcomers gain an understanding of the Canadian work culture, professional licensing requirements and credentials assessment, business/technical English, and networking, and a newfound sense of confidence. Those who secure a work placement overcome the Catch-22 of employers refusing to hire immigrants without Canadian experience and gain an edge in establishing themselves in a new country.
For more information about the New Canadian Program, visit www.newcanadians.org.
Links to Employment-Related Programs for Newcomers in Other Parts of Canada
Note that not all programs have a work-placement component.
Prince Edward Island
PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada
Employment Assistance Service
Manitoba
The International Centre of Winnipeg
Employment Services
Saskatchewan
Regina Open Door Society
Employment Services
Alberta
Assist Community Services Centre
Employment-Related Services
British Columbia
Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society of Prince George (IMSS)
Employment Assistance Program
Multilingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities
Employment Programs
The United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society
Employment Counselling and Training Program
Employment Exploration Series
Job Mentoring Program
Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society
Services for Job Seekers
Quebec
Jewish Vocational Services - Montreal
Employment for Immigrants
About Sandra Lim
Sandra Lim is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW), the first Canadian
to earn the Credentialed Career Master (CCM) designation, and a Certified
Electronic Career Coach (CECC). Through her company, A Better Impression,
she provides clients with résumé and career counseling services to help
them create a better impression.
For more information about the New Canadian Program, visit www.newcanadians.org.
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