Skills for Change



SfCeNews
February 28, 2005
Volume 6  Issue 2
Circulation 6,688 Subscribers

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.

In this edition...

New Pioneers Awards March 9
Swedish Delegation Visits SfC
Spring Courses
Looking for Donations of Computer Hardware
Special Guests Series
TechSkills Course Calendar
Programs and Services Update

New Pioneers Awards March 9

Skills for Change

INVITES YOU TO THE

Wednesday, March 9, 2005

"Celebrating those who have gone first
and so prepared the way for others"

Westin Harbour Castle
1 Harbour Square, Toronto, Ontario

Reception: 6 p.m.
Dinner and Awards Ceremony: 7 p.m.
 

Recipients

Chan Hon Goh Principal Dancer, National Ballet of Canada Arts Award Dr. Dimitrios G. Oreopoulos Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network Science and Technology Award     Sabra Desai Faculty, Humber College Community Service Award Edona Caku Student, University of Toronto/ The Michener Institute Youth Award     David Tavares Tel-e Group Corporation Canada Entrepreneurship Award Eric Acuna Newark Paper Board Products Skills for Change Graduate Award

Ticket Sales

Individual tickets and corporate tables are now on sale. Click here to order through our secure on-line service, or here to download a ticket order form.

Silent Auction

Donations of goods and services are being sought for our Silent Auction held during the New Pioneers Awards Gala.  Click here to download a donation form.

Sponsors

Lead Sponsor CIBC     Award Sponsors Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP Certified General Accountants of Ontario Manulife Financial Sun Life Financial TD Bank Financial Group Xerox Canada Limited     Gold Sponsor Deloitte & Touche LLP Government of Ontario     Silver Sponsors Scotiabank Teranet Inc.     Corporate Donor Staples Business Depot     Media Sponsors Official Newspaper - Toronto Star Citytv 97.3fmEZRock Ming Pao Daily News

Read more about the New Pioneers Awards here.
 

Swedish Delegation Visits SfC

On February 9 Skills for Change hosted an afternoon visit by a 25-person delegation of elected municipal officials and senior managers from Sweden. The purpose of the visit was to allow delegates to learn more about SfC’s approach to labour market integration for newcomers.

Roland Rhooms (Manager - Programs and Services) and David Hughes (Manager - Business Development and Administration), provided an overview of the agency’s approach to service delivery and work with employers.

The Swedes join a list of other foreign delegations – Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Denmark – that have visited Skills for Change in the last two years.
 

Volunteering is a Win-Win Situation

by Anne Brunelle
(taken from ONIPonline, a project of Skills for Change)

If you are new to Canada, finding your first job will not be easy. Most employers want Canadian experience. How do you get Canadian experience if no one will hire you?

One way is to volunteer. Volunteering is a win-win situation: you give something, you get something.

There are two types of volunteering; one is altruistic, the other is working for free.

More...
 

Spring Courses

Start date April 2, Saturday classes:
· ESL/Intermediate Bookkeeping
· ESL/Introductory Bookkeeping
· ESL/Keyboarding, Word Processing
· ESL/Medical Terminology
· ESL/Microsoft Word and Excel 2000

Start date April 25:
· ESL/Advanced Communication in the Workplace for Working People (Evening)
· ESL/Clerical Accounting for Immigrant Women (Daytime) - April 18, 2005
· ESL/Communicating Clearly (Evening)
· ESL/Computerized Accounting (Daytime and Evening available)
· ESL/Intensive English (Daytime)
· ESL/Introductory Bookkeeping (Daytime)
· ESL/Keyboarding (Evening)
· ESL/Customer Service Program (April 2005)

Start Date May 9:
· ESL/Introductory Bookkeeping (Evening)
· ESL/Microsoft Office (Evening)
· TOEFL (Evening)

To apply call (416) 658-7090, Monday to Friday between 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m., or Monday to Thursday, between 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. or Saturday, 10:00 a.m. -12 noon.
 

Looking for Donations of  Computer Hardware

Special Guest Series

SERVICES OFFERED AT TCES
Tania Koraian,
Toronto Community Employment Services
Monday, March 7, 2005 at 1 pm

TCES serves immigrant and visible minority women in the GTA who are looking for work, seeking career advancement or interested in better managing their work environment. Tania will discuss: Individual Employment Assistance in determining employment barriers, Return to Work action plan development, Specialized WOW (Women at Work Program), which includes Job Search Workshop/Labor Market Information and one-on-one assistance in preparation for Employment, Assistance for target group clients such as: Unemployed women/newcomers, Foreign-Trained Professionals, Women receiving social assistance, Low Income Women and Refugee Women.

CONCRETE STEPS FOR JOB SEARCH - WHAT'S YOUR NEXT STEP?
Nick Trainos,
Director of York College of Industry and Technology & Director of the non-profit Toronto Training Board
Wednesday, March 9, 2005 at 1 pm

The originator of "Secrets for Success--What I Wish I Had Known Before Looking for Work," Nick Trainos provides insights into conducting a successful job search and will cover the following:

· How to get a job in less than thirty days
· Do Internet Job Search Sites work?
· Why you need a scannable resume
· How to make more money
· What Employers Really Want
· Overcoming obstacles
· How to achieve success and make them say "You're Hired!"

Everyone has a theory about how to find a job, Nick Trainos, gives you the facts. Nick draws on years of experience as an educator, hiring manager, new media guru, entrepreneur, public speaker and volunteer. If you are serious about getting a job and building a better career don't miss this seminar!


YOUR RIGHTS IN THE WORKPLACE
Carl Kaufman
Toronto Workers' Health & Safety Legal Clinic
Tuesday, March 15, 2005 at 1 pm

· Employment Standards
· Health & Safety in the Workplace


THE POWER OF NETWORKING
Grace Tallar
Monday, March 21, 2005 at 1 pm

International Senior Consultant, Dynamic Trainer and Motivational Speaker Grace Tallar will cover:

· New Employee Algorithm
· Designing your Professional Identity
· Emotional Intelligence in Networking
· Six Secrets of Powerful Networking
· Become an Expert
· Art of Follow up
· Maintaining Networking

Grace specializes in the areas of career counseling, Emotional Intelligence and cultural diversity in the workplace


THE POWER OF COLD CALLING EMPLOYERS
Trevor Snow, Snow Communications Inc.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005 at 1 pm

Over 80% of jobs are found in the hidden job market. Cold Calling taps into this market.
At this workshop you will learn:

· What is cold calling
· Where to get contact information
· What to say to the employer/contact person

Pre-registration is required, please call 416-516-4689 to reserve a seat

More Info? www.derc.ca 
Contact Us:
t: 416 516-4689
e: erc@skillsforchange.org
 

Who are the clients of the Dufferin Mall Employment Centre?

TechSkills Course Calendar

To register, call 416 658-3101 ext. 218, or,
register on-line with your Visa or MasterCard

Download application form in pdf format
 

Programs and Services Updates

View our Programs and Services Calendar on line here.

n Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada
On February 18, LINC students visited the Art Gallery of Ontario. They were given a presentation and tour of the numerous galleries. Students also enjoyed a retrospective of the Canadian art scene from the Group of Seven to contemporary representations.

On Valentine’s Day the LINC 4-5 and LINC 5 classes joined for a team-teaching day. An International Luncheon rounded out the day with students and LINC instructors supplying the various ethnic dishes.

LINC classes resumed Monday, February 28. Students are still being accepted in the following levels: LINC 3, LINC 4, LINC 4-5 (Pronunciation and Conversation), and LINC 5.  To register, please call 416 658-3101, ext. 0. Or, if you need a language assessment, please call YMCA at 416 925-5462 to make an appointment for assessment.
 

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.
 

CES	Clerical Employment Services
CIS	Cultural Interpreting Service
EAS	Employment Assistance Services
EPRS	Employment for Retail Services
ERC	Employment Resource Centre
FOAP	Finance & Office Assistant Program
IAT	Intake, Assessment and Training
ITAB	Internationally Trained Accountants and Bookkeepers
JSC	Job Search Centre
JSW	Job Search Workshop
LINC	Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada
ONIP	Ontario Network for Internationally-training Professionals Online
NPA	New Pioneers Awards
STIC	Sector Terminology Information & Counselling

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