SfCeNews Vol 06 No. 5 (May 2005)

May 31, 2005 Volume 6 Issue 5 Circulation 6,713 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. Download our Programs and Services Calendar

In this edition...

Message from the Chair
SfC is Hiring
SfC Participates in United Way Launch for SAS Canada
Let OPTIONS Show You The Way
Online Portfolio Development Course Starts June 10
SfC Hosts Visit from German Delegation
Free Information Sessions
Language Upgrading Courses
one2one COACHING
"Doing the job I really want"
Occupational Terminology for the Foreign-trained
Overview and Orientation for the Foreign-trained
Guest Speakers for June
Programs and Services Directory

Message from the Chair

Gerald A. Fitzgerald I am writing to you on behalf of the Board of Directors of Skills for Change.

Like many other agencies in the newcomer services sector, Skills for Change has experienced the loss of a number of government-funded programs over the past 18 months.

While there have been many changes in funding during the 23 years that SfC has been in operation, perhaps the most significant change has been the recent move from 100% government-funded programs to a diverse funding base that is more reliant than ever on partnerships and alliances.

The Board supports the valuable work of the agency and is committed to its continued success. As a friend of Skills for Change, you can be assured that we will continue, as we always have, to develop and offer innovative programs and services. In keeping with the spirit of our new funding realities, we will broaden our outreach and actively seek like-minded partners for program expansion across the GTA.

We remain committed to our clients and mission – to provide learning and training opportunities for immigrants and refugees so that they can participate in the workplace and wider community.

I would also like to take this chance to remind you that the next SfC Annual General Meeting will be held in early November and the New Pioneers Awards will be staged on March 30, 2006.

Sincerely,

Gerald A. Fitzgerald
Chair
SfC Board of Directors

SfC is Hiring

Manager, Accounting and Financial Reporting

SfC Participates in United Way Launch for SAS Canada

Skills for Change participated in SAS Canada’s United Way Awareness Day at the SAS offices at BCE Place on May 25.

In attendance was David Hughes, SfC Manager – Business Development and Administration, and Titi Oridota, SfC graduate (STIC Accounting, 2003).

SAS is the world’s largest privately held software company with nearly 10,000 employees in over 100 offices worldwide.

Skills for Change was one of three United Way agencies invited to provide information about programs and success stories. The purpose of the Awareness Day was to increase SAS staff knowledge of United Way sponsored agencies and the work that they do in the community.

Titi described to the group how Skills for Change assisted her in her search for meaningful employment, which led to her current position as a Senior Auditor at the University of Toronto.

Let OPTIONS Show You The Way NEW!

Online Portfolio Development Course Starts June 10

The Portfolio Development for Career & Employment Professionals Distance Learning course, is presented by ONIP.online and Carole Cotton, and starts June 10.
Here's a unique opportunity for career management practitioners to learn about the role of professional portfolios in career development and job search.
Course overview
Professional portfolios are becoming more and more popular as a successful job search tool for people from all professional backgrounds and walks of life. This course is for career management practitioners who want to learn the theory fundamentals of portfolio development, while experiencing the process of building a portfolio. During the course participants will be coached to create a portfolio for themselves and/or guide a client(s) through the process. Participants are encouraged to invite a client to attend the course with them, free of charge.
Mode of Delivery
This is an online course. It extends over four weeks. Participants are expected to login into the course daily, complete individual and group assignments and engage in group discussions and chats. During the conference, the participants will share their research into the chat topic, and bring forward questions about the current week’s focus.
Who should attend?
Career management practitioners, employment support practitioners, college/university career counselors, resume writers, interview coaches, career counseling students.
Prerequisite requirements

Note: if you have never used these tools, let us know and we will provide you with additional support
Dates, Duration and Time Investment
The course runs for one month, starting on June 10, and ending on July 10. Self-study, learning assignments and communication with colleagues and the course instructor will take six to ten hours a week of each participant’s own time and schedule.
Fees and Method of Payment
$148.00 CAD. To sign up for the course, send an e-mail to coordinator@onip.ca and will be provided with payment information.

SfC Hosts Visit from German Delegation

On May 18, Skills for Change played host to Dr. Klaus Rupprecht, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany for Toronto, and a delegation of six members of German Federal Parliament.

The parliamentary delegation were guests of the City of Toronto. The purpose of their visit was to learn more about programs and initiatives that assist immigrants and refugees with integration into society.

Skills for Change managers Roland Rhooms, (Programs and Services_ and David Hughes, (Business Development and Administration), made a presentation on employment challenges facing newcomers and the interventions SfC provides for gaining meaningful employment.

The German delegation offered interesting insights into employment in Germany. They suggested one initiative – social contracts with employers – that has been successful with assisting youth in finding employment. Social contracts that join skilled newcomers with Canadian employers could be a solution to the labour market integration.

Free Information Sessions

Sector Specific Information Sessions are held monthly for foreign-trained engineers, engineering technicians, technologists, accountants, and teachers trained outside Canada.

Participants receive information about their sector - an overview of their profession, the licensing required, where to get language and upgrading programs, how to research and apply for jobs, and get labour market information.

Presentations on the licensing requirements are done by the licensing bodies such as the Professional Engineers of Ontario, Ontario Association of Engineering Technicians and Technologists, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, and the Ontario College of Teachers.

Seats are limited. Register early.

Click here to register for upcoming information sessions:

Language Upgrading Courses

Are you an Internationally Trained Teacher (ITT) who wants to improve your level of English in order to teach in the Ontario Public School System?

Skills for Change through the Teach in Ontario Project is offering Language Upgrading Courses that are specifically designed for the ITT whose goal is to become a teacher in Ontario.

These courses are based on the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) levels 7 to 10 with a focus on the Ontario Schools Curriculum. Each course targets primarily those language skills needed to function confidently and proficiently as a Canadian teacher.

Daytime Sessions (M-F, 9a - 4p)
· June 6 - July 30

Additional details here.

one2one COACHING NEW!
What you need, when you need it.

one2one COACHING is for the internationally-trained -- especially those in the fields of accounting, engineering, health care and IT –- and for others interested in fast-tracking their job search.

You may need help with your work search documents, preparing for an interview or conducting an effective job search. Our coaching team can help you with resume critiques, mock interviews, career counseling, and much more.

Gearing Yourself Up for an Interview ($50 · 2 hrs) REGISTER
You’ll go the whole nine yards in your job interview with just this 2-hour individualized coaching session. The first part will cover all the basic things you ever wanted to know about interviews, e.g., what type of questions to expect, guidelines on how to respond, ‘what to say/what not to say,’ how to present yourself using positive body language. The second part will be rehearsing for the actual interview itself under the guidance of a professional. We will videotape your practice session and give you feedback as we review your interview.

My Resume is Not Working! ($38 · 1½ hrs) REGISTER
The objective of this 1½-hour session is to help you fashion an attractive and effective resume, one that accurately reflects your specific job objective.

This includes: focusing your resume to the job you are applying for; formatting it appropriately considering your situation; making sure that correct terminology is used, and that buzz words and key phrases are included; and editing and proofreading it for grammar and spelling.

Fashion Models Need a Portfolio;
and so do Professionals Like You! ($50 · 2 hrs) REGISTER
You will have your own usable professional portfolio by the end of this 2-hour private coaching session. The session will cover the ‘what,’ ‘why,’ ‘when,’ ‘where,’ and ‘how’ of portfolio building: What to include in your portfolio? Why the need for a portfolio? When and where do you use your portfolio? How to actually organize your portfolio and use it strategically for self- marketing and job search purposes?

Cover Letter First Aid ($38 · 1½ hrs) REGISTER
You’ve written a cover letter but no one is reading it. This 1½-hour ‘fix- it’ session will help you personalize your cover letter, focus it on the job you want, match your qualifications with employment requirements, and make a good first impression that will motivate an employer to invite you in for an interview. Part of the package will be formatting, editing, proofreading and the like.

Cover Letter from Scratch ($38 · 1½ hrs) REGISTER
You’re applying for a position and need a great cover letter.

Knowing the job you want, and given the information you have about the company you are applying to, this 1½-hour one-to-one session will help you compose an impressive cover letter that can accompany your resume.

It will be a one page (correctly formatted, edited and proofread) document that is tailored to the requirements of the specific position and company you are interested in.

Microsoft Office ($25 · 1 hr) REGISTER
Have an interview tomorrow and need a quick review? Don't quite understand how to do a Word mail merge? Need to be able to use Excel Pivot Tables to manage a database? Have to create a company newsletter next week using Publisher, but don't know how? one2one COACHING for Microsoft Office applications is for you.

Use your hour to be personally instructed in, or review, any combination of Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook and Publisher. After the initial hour, extra coaching time is available at $40 an hour.

"Doing the job I really want"

Marily Molina, a Facilitator/Counselor in the Clerical Employment Services (CES) program, received this email from a former client. With the client's permission, we'd like to share it with you. "I'm sending this e-mail to thank Skills for Change's Clerical Employment Services Program. CES helped me a lot to be able to enjoy the success I am enjoying at present working as an Office Clerk in one of the government offices here in Toronto. My special thanks and gratitude goes to you, Marily. You were very helpful to me since I joined the two-week employment workshop program sometime in 2004. You're an excellent and hardworking Facilitator/Counselor. You always find time to help anyone who comes to you for help and advice. In spite of your hectic schedule, you always have that sweet smile to all. Some of the aspects of the program that I found most useful in my job search were: · How to write an effective resume and cover letter. Your expert assistance in my resume and cover letter played an important role how to sell myself to prospective employers. · Cold-Calling. Your encouragement and support trying cold-calling, although nerve-breaking, helped me to overcome the fear of talking to employers asking directly for any job leads or job information. It was a good practice and I found it not as hard as I thought. · Intensive actual training in conducting successful interviews. Before attending the CES Program, I went for two to three job interviews but never got the job. When I attended the program, I realized where I went wrong. My answers to the questions in my previous job interviews did not actually match the requirements of the job. Your feedback, as well as Maria Garofalo's, during the practice job interview at the end of the program, were very helpful and effective. It worked very well to me. Right after completing the two-week program, I went for a job interview in an employment agency and applied what I learned in the program. I got an assignment right away. I worked as an Administrative Assistant in one of the Ministry's Office in Toronto, full-time. This assignment that was originally for only one week had been extended several times and lasted for 7 months. Before that job ended, I got another job offer from another Ministry's office and this time, I got a direct contract and where I am now working full-time and receiving an excellent pay and doing the job I really want. Again, thank you very much to the CES Program and the excellent assistance of Marily Molina and Maria Garofalo. I consider them part of my success at present. Take care ladies and I wish you both all the best. Keep up the good work! Sincerely, Zenaida San Antonio CES Student/Client - 2004"

Occupational Terminology for the Foreign-trained NEW!

Are you an Internationally-trained Engineer, Health Care Professional or Accountant looking for employment in your field?

Our Occupational Terminology course provides you with the terminology used in your occupation as it is used at work, in job advertisements, and in testing and licensure. Courses are available for Engineers, Health Care Professionals and Accountants.

More information here.

Overview and Orientation for the Foreign-trained NEW!

Enroll in our Sector Terminology, Information and Counselling (STIC) program and learn about the labour market for your profession; requirements for members of your occupation; legislation related to your profession in Ontario; professional registration and how to qualify for a license; alternative opportunities for people in your field; and the impact of technology on your profession.

More information here.

TechSkills

TechSkills specializes in hands-on, instructor-led training in the latest software applications. We offer instructors with years of real-world expertise in a fun informal setting, teaching everything from basic web site development to more advanced accounting and database design.

Our courses are structured to encourage beginners and professionals to start at the level that matches their skills and to lead them progressively to more advanced topics. Because our classes are limited in size, students have more hands-on interaction with the instructor.

TechSkills, a service of Skills for Change · Experienced professional instructors
· Small class sizes
· Quality training materials
· Competitive pricing

Registration
By phone - 416 658-3101 ext. 700
On-line - www.skillsforchange.org/register
Complete course listing - www.skillsforchange.org/techskills

Tuition tax credit forms will be issued. Some classes are held at another location. Additional materials or textbook fees may be charged for some courses. EI recipients welcomed.

Guest Speakers for June

JOB SEARCH TIPS for Internationally Trained Engineers (Mechanical/ Electronic/ Industrial), Architects, IT Professionals (Technicians & Technologists)
Internationally Trained Professionals face many obstacles in finding employment in Canada. Joan Kent will discuss how to overcome these obstacles, how to write an effective resume and what employers and employment agencies are looking for. Find out how the programs offered at Culture Link can help you find work.
Joan Kent, Culture Link, Tuesday, June 7, 2005 at 1 pm

Labour Market Trends: What’s happening in the field of technology?
Serguei Roudenko, GM - Canadian Technology College, Tuesday, June 14, 2005 at 1:00 p.m.

A Career with City of Toronto Fire Services
Jacqueline Taylor, Wednesday, June 22, 2005 at 1:00 p.m.

Interested in Starting Your Own Business & Receiving a Subsidy?
Learn how the YMCA can help you.
Thursday, June 23, 2005 at 1 p.m.

All workshops will take place at:

DUFFERIN MALL EMPLOYMENT RESOURCE CENTRE
900 Dufferin Street, Suite 101 Toronto

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

Programs and Services Directory

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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

Email sfc@skillsforchange.org · Web www.skillsforchange.org

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