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 November 30, 2007 · Volume 8 Issue 11 Circulation 7,111 Subscribers |
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Celebrating our past, shaping our
future.
The 2006-2007 Annual Report / 2008 Calendar is here! |
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by
Arlene Willis
Skills for Change has done something different this year – a combination 2006-2007 annual report and 2008 multicultural calendar, showcasing our efforts over the past fiscal year and the multicultural environment in which we operate.  The
annual report/calendar was launched at
the Annual General Meeting on November
7, which was a great opportunity for the
many supporters and staff of Skills for
Change to come together and celebrate a
year in review.Many people contributed to make this publication a success: the planning team that included Rosaline Graham, Shabnum Budhwani, and Nafeesa Afridi; our project manager Bill Waicus, our graphic designer C&D Graphics and especially our photographer Berge Arabian for the incredible images he took that truly capture the ethnic diversity of the GTA. A special thanks goes to Xerox Canada who sponsored the production of several thousand copies of the report which will be available for clients and program contacts. To start off right in the year 2008 make sure that you get your copy of the annual report/calendar from Skills for Change as our gift of thanks to you. |
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SfC Happy 25th Anniversary
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by
Rashid Osman
At the 25th Anniversary and Annual General Meeting, Dr. Alex Jadad, our Master of Ceremonies, wondered if it was a coincidence that in 1982 the seven planets aligned, and on earth, that same year, Skills for Change was founded. On November 7, Skills for Change celebrated two important occasions: our 25th Anniversary and our Annual General Meeting. It would take days to narrate the whole occasion or provide a clear picture of this unique event. But, I will try to highlight the important and striking points.  Skills for Change staff and
volunteers are committed to helping new
immigrants. We feel
their pain, we share their emotions, we
listen to their unique stories, we value
their cultural diversity, and we give
them hope and inspiration as they become
part of the Skills for Change family.
You can see a true example of this at the 25th anniversary. Four of the key players at that event were “graduates” of Skills for Change in one way or another: Dr. Alex Jadad, our Master of Ceremonies, was the recipient of the New Pioneers Award for Science & Technology in 2002. Sudhakar Pulagam, spoke of his success as a former graduate of the Skills for Change mentoring program. Hari Krishnan, New Pioneers Award recipient in the Arts in 2007 provided two dance performers, Hiroshi Miyamoto and Nalin Bisnath, from his company, inDANCE who performed a moving piece entitled “Blossoming”. Last but not least, Olga Grupp-Boland, a former client and our beloved receptionist at Skills for Change spoke. For those like me who have gone through the same immigration experience, we could relate to her touching and priceless speech word after word – with many in the audience nodding their heads while wiping away their tears.  As we celebrated 25 years of service to
the community, we spent time reflecting
on our history. The three founders of
Skills for Change were recognized for
their insight and creativity in
initiating
a training program for Vietnamese women
25 years ago that established the foundation
for Skills for Change. The founders are
Libby Ackermann, Janis Galway and Andrew
Whittington. Thank you! The history of
the agency was captured in a video
presentation,
Stranger in a Strange
Land. The event was special in different ways. Picture 25 tables with 25 bouquets of flowers representing the 25 years of providing excellent services to immigrants and refugees - 100,000 clients served over the last 25 years (probably 250,000 if we were to count their families) - something to be very proud of indeed! You could clearly see “Diversity at Work” in the Happy Birthday Skills for Change video; I especially recall the three re-takes of Sabra Ali. Thanks to Bill for summarizing 25 years of history in less than ten minutes. This article will be nothing without remembering the contribution of the SfC choir - the "three tenors" (Dave, Rosaline and Patricia). You did great and will probably be hearing from the producers of Canadian Idol in the next few weeks. The event was successful because of the hard work and dedication of the AGM planning committee, the stellar leadership of the SfC management team and the Board of Directors, all of whom work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of the Strangers in a Strange Land. |
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We need your support to continue to help
newcomers!
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In
November, you may have received a special mailing from us
asking for your financial support so we can meet the needs
of a growing number of immigrants and refugees who come to
live in the GTA.
 Your
generous gift will help us to improve our equipment and core
facilities, so that we can continue to develop and deliver
employment readiness training programs that help bring
newcomers and employers together. If you have already submitted your donation, please accept our sincere thanks. If you haven’t and would like to, this is your opportunity to contribute to Skills for Change and demonstrate your belief that newcomers deserve the chance to receive employment preparation and job opportunities. Please take the time to give generously so that we can continue helping make Diversity at Work … work! |
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New Initiative: Language Upgrading Training and Mentoring
for Professional Engineer Licensure Program |
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by Jalileh
Helalat
In partnership with the Chinese Professionals Association of Canada (CPAC) Skills for Change launched the first training session of Language Upgrading for Internationally Trained Engineers on November 19 in Scarborough at the CPAC location. The language training sessions are 18 hours in length. Workshops are delivered on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. for 3 weeks. The project is funded by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (MCI) for three years. Ten training sessions (18 hours each) will be offered through this project. The objective of the training is to prepare Internationally Educated Engineers to pass the licensing exams with the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO). Fourteen participants have been accepted for the first session of this project. |
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United Way Campaign reflects Skills for
Change diversity
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by
Kanchan Lakhotia
Each year, the period between September to November reminds everyone about the spirit of community giving. United Way is in the air all around the city. Specifically if you are an employee or volunteer in the private and non-profit sector, you participate directly or indirectly for this noble cause. Staff, volunteers and students of Skills for Change actively participate in this ritual on a yearly basis to raise funds for United Way. This year the campaign started in September and concluded at the end of November.  The fundraising
committee members were juggling between
various fundraising activities and day
to day work. Despite all these
factors, there was a high level of
energy and enthusiasm among the SfC crew,
whether it was the CN Tower climb, Flea
Market or Bake Sales. SfC Bake Sales represent our motto “Diversity at Work” in a true sense. These are not traditional bake sales. Actually, it is now time to give a new name to “Bake Sales” with the growing diversity at workplaces. On a weekly basis, one can taste authentic, aromatic, mouth-watering food from around the globe during these three months. Staff, volunteers and students not only enjoy cooking and tasting, but recipes are also shared. A long queue at 11:30 sharp proved how eager everyone was. The Flea Market and on-going Movie Rentals generated a great deal of interest, fun and revenue. Actually, the Flea Market should be called “Staff Collection Exchange Day”. Many popular Hollywood, Bollywood and British movies were continually in circulation. Staff learned how to find time for their entertainment out of a hectic schedule both at home and at work. Close to $10,000 was raised for the United Way, which proves the dedication, commitment and community giving-spirit of staff members. As we have done in the past, it was 100% staff and Board participation once again. Our new immigrant students also observed the Canadian ways of fund-raising and understood the nature of the non-profit sector. |
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Upcoming Event - “Working Together”
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by
Corina Carvallo
 Skills
for Change believes that our success
comes from the successes of our
clients. Whether it’s finding employment or upgrading skills it’s about meeting our client needs. On December 3rd Skills for Change, and various Assessment Centres and ERC’s from across the GTA, will come together to share information about client referrals, best practices and how we can work together to best meet the needs of the clients. The event is by invitation only. Contact Corina Carvallo at 416-658-3101 ext. 303, or by email, if you are interested in participating in our next information session. |
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Canada Post Shares Tips for Interview
Success at ‘SfC Days of Caring’
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by Sonal Singh and Norma Bernal
 The
United Way campaign season at Skills for
Change (SfC) is winding down on a high
note this month. Some of the culminating
activities include ‘Days of Caring’, an
event where organizations supporting
United Way come together to help
non-profit organizations by volunteering
their time to assist clients in
productive activities. Canada Post is one of the participating organizations; nine of their representatives spent their time on November 15 at SfC interviewing 28 clients from three programs (CES, NPW and JSW) who are looking for work in various fields. The day started with SfC Executive Director Jane Cullingworth welcoming Canada Post and giving them an overview of the work we do. After a site tour, the participants had their interviews, with the interviewers giving feedback towards the end. Armed with valuable advice and useful tips from the Canada Post representatives, the clients who participated were very pleased and, all the more, motivated to continue their job search. The representatives were impressed with the clients’ skills and qualifications as well as their openness and receptivity to suggestions. In fact, one interviewer was so impressed that he offered two of the interviewees his business card and would be forwarding their resumes to appropriate people who might be able to utilize their skills. The Canada Post representatives complimented SfC for the wonderful work we do with immigrants and were pleased to be part of an experience they consider rewarding. Many of them were excited in volunteering their time, and hope to do a repeat performance next year. The event was planned, organized and implemented as a joint endeavour among CES, NPW and JSW. The successful day proved that “teamwork does pay” and that “caring enough to volunteer is indeed a fruitful experience.” Thank you Canada Post and SfC staff and volunteers who participated: Corina Carvallo, Cristina Codreanu, Dave Foster, Eric Ding, Sherry Xu, Rosaline Graham, Srna Stambuk and Bessie Yan. |
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Rogers Yahoo! Web Savvy Training Program
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SfC Does Lateral and Vertical Networking
at Community Event
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by
Norma Bernal
Lateral networking with community
agencies is as important as vertical
networking with clients in promoting
Skills for Change (SfC) programs and
services. We had the chance to do both
when the Clerical Employment Services
(CES) Program and the Intake, Assessment
and Training (IAT) Unit participated in
the Community Networking Event hosted by
Humber College’s St. Clair West
Employment Resource Centre (ERC) on
November 22, 2007. |
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Skills for Change Is Hiring
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About Skills for Change
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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
SfCeNews
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About our Programs and Services
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Our Programs and Services
calendar can be downloaded
here in
pdf format. To view a complete list of our programs and
services, click
here.
Alternatively, go directly to the program/service home page of your choice: Career Transitions (CT) Clerical Employment Services (CES) Employment Preparation for Retail Services (EPRS) Employment Resource Centre (ERC) ESL Courses Engineering Your Future (EYF) Human Resource Services Job Search Workshop (JSW) Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) Mentoring for Employment New Pioneers Awards (NPA) Newcomer Professionals at Work (NPW) Sector-specific Information Sessions Settlement Services for Newcomers Teach In Ontario TechSkills |
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