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Skills for Change
SfCeNews
June 30, 2004
Volume 5 Issue 06
Skills for Change (SfC) is a
non-profit agency based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Our
mandate is to provide learning and training opportunities for
immigrants and refugees so that they can participate in the
workplace and wider community.
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Community
Organizations tell Party Leaders:
Let Skilled Newcomers Work |
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Press Release
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NEWCOMER LABOUR
MARKET PARTNERSHIP |
For Immediate
Release
June 15, 2004 |
TORONTO - Canada loses over $4
billion dollars annually through the under/unemployment of skilled
workers immigrating to Canada, says a national coalition of community
organizations in an open letter to federal party leaders.
The letter calls on the three federal leaders to address Canada’s
failure to keep its promise to newcomers. It outlines a ten-point plan
to address what the group believes are the problems preventing too
many newcomers to Canada from being able to practise their profession
or find suitable employment in Canada.
The open letter was delivered to Liberal Paul Martin, Conservative
Steven Harper and NDP Jack Layton, and was authored by the
Newcomer Labour Market
Partnership, a coalition of 28 community organizations from across
Canada.
“Canada loses over $4 billion dollars annually through the
un/under-employment of internationally trained workers immigrating to
Canada.” said Peggy Edwards, Executive Director, Skills for Change,
one of the plan’s authors. “Canadian employers estimate that over
300,000 jobs go unfilled for lack of skilled workers. Yet there are
thousands of skilled newcomers who are struggling to get job
opportunities.”
Every year, almost 250,000 skilled immigrants make a decision to
emigrate to Canada. They do so because they believe they will have an
opportunity to establish a healthy economic and social life in Canada.
But despite their high qualifications many are unable to find suitable
employment.
The letter emphasizes the situation is critical, pointing out that
“Canada’s ability to compete effectively in the global marketplace is
eroding due to our failure to fully employ skilled immigrant workers
while our competitors do.”
Recent studies indicate that newcomers today have higher levels of
unemployment, higher levels of poverty and take longer to achieve the
economic status of their peers than newcomers did even 10 years ago.
Community organizations across Canada have worked with newcomers to
help prepare them for job searching and for employment in the Canadian
labour market. But more is needed.
Newcomer Labour Market
Partnership recommendations include integrating settlement,
language and employment preparation programs into a systemic response
to skills shortages, establishing programs that address Canadian
employers’ risk aversion for workers with little or no Canadian
experience, undertaking a pan-Canadian marketing strategy, and
investing and recognizing the expertise of organizations working with
Canada’s newest workers.
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SfC
features in Sun Life Financials 'The Spirit
of Citizenship' |
 Sun
Life Financial released their Public Accountability Statement 2003 on
the support they provide to charitable organizations that enrich
communities in Canada and internationally.
Sun Life Financial has supported Skills for Change through the
sponsorship of the New Pioneers Entrepreneurship Award (NPA).
Click here to view the
page or here to
view
entire report (page 18).
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Hollywood
Fairy Tale |
by Barbara Nero
 Yasue
Anai has been volunteering since February 2004 at the Dufferin Mall
ERC. She has been a great help and wonderful to work with.
Among her many tasks, she supported other clients in their job search,
helped at the reception desk and maintained our library system.
Just recently I found out about her second identity.
Yasue was privately
trained in classical piano beginning at the age of three.
While playing at a dinner show one night at a club just down the street from
the J-Wave Radio offices in Tokyo, Yasue was approached by a producer who
heard her music and instantly saw her potential.
Like a Hollywood fairy
tale, Yasue had been discovered.
In 1993, through J-Wave Music, she was introduced to ALPHA Records where she
recorded her debut CD of healing instrumental music, entitled "A Fine Day".
Soon after, "Cosmic Pandora" Yasue's second album, and her first with BMG
Classics, was born.
Please check out the website to get more information
about all of her work,
http://www.hyperdisc.com/global/c_yasue.html
It’s been a pleasure working with Yasue and it’s sad to see her go, but
we’ll keep in touch. Yasue will be going back to Japan at the end of June
2004. She is looking forward to starting a new life and career with an
international business where she can put her English skills to good use. We
wish her all the best!
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Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood
Centre went Bananas with Dr. Giggles |
 by
Libby Ackermann
On Friday 25th,
Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood
Centre laughed with the rhythm of Dr. Giggles (aka Nelson Briceno).
Nelson, an ERC Resource Officer, had fifty staff members screaming, laughing, building their internal smile and dancing
salsa in their professional development day.
Participants, who enjoyed the
time spent not thinking about work, commented:
“It’s been a long time since I have had a real laugh!” and “Many
organizations should have one day a month for this kind of workshop.”
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Information Session for Foreign-trained Teachers |
Are you a teacher trained outside
Canada? Find out how you can qualify to teach in Ontario.
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July
27, 2004
3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
791 St. Clair Ave. West, Toronto
(between Christie and Dufferin)
TOPICS
Qualifying Process
Managing your Job Search
Employment Strategies
Training Programs Available
Guest Presenters from Ontario College of Teachers:
Cathy Lofgreen and Kathy Ansett
To attend, please call (416) 658-3101 ext 0
or 218 to register
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Our Newest Canadian |
 by
Libby Ackermann
This
year, in readiness for July 1, the Employment Resource Centre (ERC) is proudly
displaying Canadian flags, maple leaf pennants and red and white streamers... and it’s all because Resource Officer, Nafeesa Afridi, suggested we
celebrate our country’s 137th birthday properly.
Nafeesa’s history with Skills for Change and the Dufferin Mall ERC is
multi-faceted.
Soon after her arrival in Toronto in 2000, Nafeesa attended the Clerical
Employment Services (CES) program
at SfC. Then, using her teaching skills and
experience, she became the first ERC volunteer to coach clients in the computer
clinic.
But her volunteering with SfC didn’t stop there. A founding member of the
SfC Alumni Committee, she was instrumental in organizing the first Volunteer
Recognition Evening held by the agency. And in 2002, Nafeesa was elected to the SfC
Board of Directors.
When she joined the ERC staff as a Resource Officer in March, 2004, however,
Nafeesa had to resign from the Board. The Board’s loss has been the ERC’s
gain. Bringing a fresh perspective to the way we “do business,” Nafeesa’s
strong team and communication skills have made her a collaborative partner
to both clients and co-workers.
As the ERC’s “newest Canadian” (having just taken her oath of citizenship on
June 2 of this year), Nafeesa has spearheaded the ERC’s Canada Day
activities, which will include quizzes, a scavenger hunt and videos – and
prizes. We look forward to honouring Canada with our clients, so many of
whom are themselves very new Canadians!
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Industrial Mechanics and
Millwrights Part of Phase III |
Phase III of the
Bridge to Success for Trades Program will start on August 23,
2004. The sector to be served will be Internationally-trained
Industrial Mechanics or Millwrights.
Orientation and assessment sessions for this class are scheduled
for July 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29 and August 3 and 5.
To qualify to this program, one has to be a landed immigrant,
convention refugee or a Canadian citizen and trained outside
Canada as a Millwright. S/he should have at least 5 years
experience in this trade.
To attend an Orientation Session, interested persons should call
our Information Line at 416-658-7090.
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2005 New
Pioneers Awards |
Now accepting
nominations for the
2005 New Pioneers Awards.
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Special Speakers Series |
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 Effective
Strategies for Finding Work in the Engineering Field
Joan Kent, CultureLink
Monday, July 5, 2004 @ 1 p.m.
Resume Writing and Job Search Tips for Finding Work in the IT Market
Tony Chandola, CertX Solutions
Tuesday, July 6, 2004 @ 1 p.m.
Landlord and Tenant Rights
West End Community Legal Services
Wednesday, July 7, 2004 @ 1 p.m.
Resume Writing and Job Search Tips for Personal Support Workers
Sherry and Sonia, Royal Institute of Science and Management
Thursday, July 8, 2004 @ 1 p.m.
Resume Writing and Job Search Tips for Accountants
Anton Karan, CGA - Ministry of Finance
Friday, July 9, 2004 @ 2 p.m.
Seats are limited. Please register in person or by phone 416-516-4689
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Programs
and Services Updates |
View our Programs and Services Calendar
on line
here
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Sector
Terminology Information & Counselling (STIC)
On June 22nd, Ramsay Kane (STIC Program Coordinator) and Dr.
Gurmeet Bambrah (CAPE Coordinator), presented a Community
Information Session for Foreign Trained Engineers at the South
Asian Family Support Services in Scarborough. The session was very
well received, and helped generate interest in our other SfC
programs such as Mentoring and Clerical
Employment Services (CES).
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Acronym Soup |
- Confused? Don't be. Here's a list of our agency acronyms, what
they mean and (where applicable) a link to the program web page.
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CES |
Clerical
Employment Services |
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CIS |
Cultural
Interpreting Service |
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EAS |
Employment
Assistance Services |
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EPRS |
Employment for Retail Services |
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ERC |
Employment
Resource Centre |
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FOAP |
Finance & Office
Assistant Program |
| IAT |
Intake,
Assessment and Training |
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ITAB |
Internationally
Trained Accountants and Bookkeepers |
| JSC |
Job Search
Centre |
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JSW |
Job Search
Workshop |
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LINC |
Language
Instruction for Newcomers to Canada |
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ONIP |
Ontario Network
for Internationally-training Professionals Online |
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NPA |
New Pioneers
Awards |
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STIC |
Sector
Terminology Information & Counselling |
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Skills for Change
791 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6C 1B8
A
United Way member agency
Skills for Change is a
registered non-profit organization
Charitable registration #121471858RR0001
Telephone 416 658-3101 · Fax 416 658-6292
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