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September 28, 2007 · Volume 8  Issue 09
 Circulation 7,099 Subscribers
 
Skills for Change Open House – October 2nd - This Tuesday!
 The 25th Anniversary of “Employing Diversity at Work”
On October 2nd, Skills for Change (SfC) cordially invites you to the SfC Open House, welcoming new and existing programs and services, our employers and community partners, the New Pioneers Award sponsors, government representatives and the community at large.

This year’s theme “Employing Diversity at Work,” will showcase Skills for Change’s leadership in making diversity work for internationally trained professionals and Canadian employers.

The SfC Open House will include:

· Market Place: Profiling New and Existing Programs and Services
· Tours of our newly renovated building
· Networking and Refreshments
· 25th Anniversary Celebration

Date: Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007
Time: 10.00 am to 3:30 pm – Market Place, Tours, Networking
Place: Skills for Change
Address: 791 St. Clair Avenue W., Toronto, ON M6C 1B7
(Southside of St. Clair, 3 blocks west of Christie; 3 blocks east of Oakwood)
Parking: Municipal Parking lot located on the east side of the building

RSVP: Janka Farkasova at 416.658.3101 ext 237 or farkasova@skillsforchange.org
 
 
 
Annual General Meeting - Mark the Date!
by Janka Farkasova, Executive Assistant

Skills for Change will be holding its 25th Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, November 7th, at Sala Caboto, 40 Playfair Avenue (Dufferin and Lawrence).

In keeping with our 25th Anniversary festivities, our theme this year is - CELEBRATING OUR PAST, SHAPING OUR FUTURE.

We hope you will join us as we proudly celebrate 25 years of helping immigrants and refugees integrate into Canadian society.

Please RSVP to Janka Farkasova at farkasova@skillsforchange.org by October 24, 2007.
 
 
 
Become a Member of Skills for Change
We invite you to become a member of Skills for Change.

As a member you play an important role in supporting our mission of providing learning and training opportunities for immigrants and refugees so that they can participate in the workplace and wider community.

For 25 years Skills for Change has provided an invaluable bridge, linking thousands of newcomers to Canada with employers across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.

Your benefits as a member of Skills for Change include: Networking events, Seminars and workshops, 10% discount on a TechSkills course, Discount on New Pioneers Awards (NPA) tickets, Entered into yearly NPA raffle and invitation to Annual General Meeting and SfC events.

Membership fees start at just $2.

Download our Membership Application Form here.
 
 
 
Deloitte "Makes an Impact" at Skills for Change
by Corina Carvallo, CES Program 

On September 7, Deloitte staff participated in ‘Impact Day’ at Skills for Change. 

‘Impact Day’ is a firm-wide day of volunteer service among the people of Deloitte who then dedicate their time to proactively work on community projects and support development efforts in their areas and neighborhoods.

It is just one of the many ways by which they demonstrate their care and concern for the communities in which they live and work.  Helping others and making an impact are important to Deloitte as these give them the opportunity to work with people in a unique way while having fun in the process.

The Deloitte staff conducted a total of 28 mock interviews with SfC clients and thereafter shared very important and useful information in a panel discussion.  The mock interviews provided useful feedback to interview participants while the panel discussion gave SfC clients, who are mostly newcomers to the country, valuable insights into the Canadian workplace and recruitment expectations of organizations in general.

The clients who participated in the ‘Impact Day” were from the Clerical Employment Services (CES), Job Search Workshop (JSW) and Newcomer Professionals at Work (NPW) Programs. The staff from Deloitte was impressed with our clients’ skills and qualifications. They thoroughly enjoyed volunteering at SfC that all of them already expressed their interest in doing so again next year. Some have even signed up for mentoring while others are interested in looking at other ways to volunteer at SfC.

It is because of the help of organizations such as Deloitte, who believe in diversity at work, that our clients are able to succeed in securing employment in their professions, enabling them to participate more productively in the Canadian workforce.

Everyone played an important role in the success of this event.  THANK YOU!
 
 
 
Internationally-trained Agriculturalists go to Farm Show
On September 13, participants from our Enhanced Language Training for Agriculture Specialists (ELT) program went to the Canada Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock, Ontario.

It was an opportunity to meet Canadian agriculturalists and to see advancements in ideas, machinery, animal breeding, soil and plant diagnostics and hybrid seed.

They also saw live animals and watched a cattle auction. An important objective was to network with people in agri-business. The participants visited many exhibits of chemical and machinery companies as well as conservation authorities and the government. Everybody came away with business cards and info sheets to follow up on.

The technology that was presented was very advanced and the machines were impressive. The farmer today works in the fields with really modern machinery and they don’t need a lot of time to finish their job.

Some of the pavilions had exhibitions of seed material, especially genetically modified seed, which improves every day. There was a booth where participants could see material about DNA multi-scan technique for diagnostic purposes, a technique in which Canada leads the world.

Water conservation and contamination issues are becoming very important in everyday life in Ontario. The government has allocated some funds and grants in this area, which represents an important step forward toward improving farmers’ knowledge of water quality.
 
 
 
Delegation from Denmark
by Jemima Sabapathy, JSW Program Coordinator

On September 19, Skills for Change was pleased to host a delegation from Denmark. The delegates were on an International study tour visiting Toronto and New York. They were interested in learning about Skills for Change’s role in assisting the labour market integration of skilled immigrants.

The exciting day began with an overview of Immigrant Challenges and solutions in accessing the Labour Market by the Executive Director, Jane Cullingworth.

It was followed by presentations from SfC staff highlighting the programs and services delivered to help the successful integration of skilled immigrants into the Canadian workforce.

Next, there was an interactive discussion where best practices were shared. The afternoon was spent seeing ‘programs in action’. 

The delegation was impressed by the friendliness, commitment and dedication of our staff and the high quality of services we deliver. It was a great opportunity to share ideas and best practices, as well as to learn new ideas and approaches.
 
 
 
Need to "Bounce Back" into the Job Market?
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Skills For Change, invite you to come join us for a FREE evening of light refreshment and information on how you can bounce back into the job market. 

Guests presentations by The Toronto Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, an award winning Latino engineer and mentor who made it in Canada and Skills for Change will be featured.

Presentations will be held at Skills for Change (791 St. Clair Avenue) on Thursday, October 11, from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm.

For registration information, click here.
 
 
 
Network to Success! The first Career Transitions Networking event
by Nasra Abdi, Career Transitions Coordinator

 With 15 clients and 3 employers, the recipe for success was evident at the first Career Transitions for International Medical Doctors (CT) Networking Event on September 17.

The evening started with career presentations by three companies: Sunlife Financial, Westway Medical Clinic and Top Notch Employment.

Clients heard first hand from employers who spoke about the importance of researching the labour market, booming industries, developing their networking muscles and improving their job search skills. The graduates as well were able to network with other doctors and exchange ideas and information!

Our next networking session is scheduled for the first week of December, which includes a mentoring component.

If you are an employer and interested in meeting international medical doctors, please contact Eva Sokol, Employer Outreach Specialist at 416.658.3101, ext 273.
 
 
 
About Skills for Change
Established in 1982, Skills for Change (SfC) is a registered, non-profit agency providing "learning and training opportunities for immigrants and refugees so that they can participate in the workplace and wider community."

It is located at 791 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario M6C 1B7.

We can be reached by phone (416.658.3101), fax (416.658.6292) or email.
 
 
 
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About our Programs and Services
 

Skills for Change
is a United Way Member Agency

Registered Charitable Organization #121471858 RR0001