Month: February 2017

Six in ten Canadians approve of the way the government has been handling the resettlement of refugees, with B.C. and Atlantic Canada tied for being the most welcoming provinces to refugees — according to a new Angus Reid poll. And Canada continues to be looked upon as a beacon of hope and an example for the rest of the world in the face of mounting isolationism and short-termism.

Now is the time to address a major challenge —  the labour market integration of refugees. Now is the time to look at effective ways to make these new Canadians part of our diverse human capital to advance our economy and build our country. While the refugees need all the help they can get to integrate, they have a lot to give — resilience, intelligence, skills and unique perspectives. They are eager to contribute to the society that has offered them protection and has given them a new home.

There is an urgent need for innovative policies and concerted strategies, including early mapping of the refugees’ occupation profile and skills assessment; simplified qualification recognition; customized skills’ bridging programs; diversified employment pathways and assistance with on-the-job language training. There is an urgent need to engage employers at every stage of this continuum, supporting their efforts to onboard refugees with practical tools and resources and helping them scale up successful models.

The full version of this OpEd was published in The Vancouver Sun.

Before he became a refugee, Hemin was a successful journalist, Ahmed was a computer technician, Fadi worked as a barber, Abdulrahman and Mayada were school teachers, and Shahad was a student.

These New Canadians have big dreams of building a new life in BC, and they are eager to work and give back to the country that has offered them protection and a chance to build a new life.

Watch this video to hear their stories and learn from some innovative BC employers who realized early on that hiring talented refugees is a win, win.

Our recent event “Tapping into New Talent: Opportunities for BC Businesses” was a unique opportunity to bring together leading BC’s employers and the new Canadians who arrived here as refugees  for a multi-faceted discussion about ways to help employers tap into this talent pool at a time when our declining birth rate is affecting the labour force. It was also an opportunity to reflect on how we as Canadians, in the face of all that is happening globally, can stand up to protect our fundamental values of diversity and multiculturalism, and work together to strengthen our social fabric.

The event has generated interest from BC’s news organizations, and below is an overview of its media coverage.

CBC News: New website aims to connect refugees with employers

On The Coast with Stephen Quinn: Interview with Kelly Pollack

Vancouver Sun: Abbotsford’s Dynamic Windows and Doors hires Iraqi and Syrian refugees to make windows for U.S. market

The Province: Abbotsford’s Dynamic Windows and Doors hires Iraqi and Syrian refugees to make windows for U.S. market

Times Colonist: Abbotsford firm hires Iraqi, Syrian refugees to make windows for U.S.

Some 90 leading BC employers came together on February 10, 2017, to discuss how to leverage BC’s refugee talent to strengthen our social fabric and contribute to the success of our businesses and our province.

With Quebec City tragedy still fresh in everyone’s hearts and minds, participants looked for ways to respond to the unprecedented changes and challenges of our time.

From a panel discussion of employers who have realized early enough that the refugee talent pool is an asset to their businesses to inspiring stories of new Canadians who came here as refugees, the packed agenda of this 90-minute event was an opportunity for reflection and action.

“Today, for us, is an opportunity to reflect on how we as Canadians, in the face of all that is happening globally, can stand up to protect our fundamental values of diversity and multiculturalism, and work together to strengthen our social fabric. And to remember why, for so many reasons, immigration is good for us for us as a country,” said IEC-BC’s CEO Kelly Pollack at the event.

Current demographic shifts have significant implications for our economy and social fabric. According to the BC 2025 Labour Market Outlook, a whopping 69% of the 934,000 job openings in the next 10 years will be due to retirements, and almost a third of those will have to be filled through immigration.

Since 2015, some 5,000 new Canadians who arrived here as refugees have settled across BC. Before they were refugees, they were engineers, teachers, nurses and journalists. Canada and BC have given them a chance for a new life, and now they are eager to give back – their skills, resilience, and unique perspectives.

A major highlight of the event was the launch of BC Refugees JobConnect – a free online tool developed by IEC-BC to help employers meet their hiring needs while enabling refugees to showcase their skills and experience, and find meaningful employment.

Tapping Into New Talent: Opportunities for BC Businesses Event Take-aways

You can access the event media coverage here.