June 27, 2008 · Volume 9 Issue 06
Circulation 7,102 Subscribers
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New Pioneers Awards team wins
prestigious
Newcomer Champion Award!
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We are proud to announce that the New Pioneers Awards team has been recognized by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration for our leadership and commitment to promoting cultural diversity and harmony. The Newcomer Champion Award recognizes outstanding individuals and groups who contribute to the understanding and sharing of Ontario’s cultural diversity and provide welcoming communities for the benefit of newcomers. The official ceremony was held June 27.
Since 1993, the New Pioneers Awards
(NPA) has celebrated diversity by
showcasing the achievements of
immigrants and refugees. The NPA is a
community driven effort in which members
of the community nominate worthy
candidates and community volunteers
select the NPA recipients in the
following six categories: Arts,
Community Service, Entrepreneurship,
Science & Technology, Skills for Change
Graduate, and Youth. |
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Are YOU the next 2009 New Pioneers
Awards Recipient?
or, do you know someone who could be? |
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We are now accepting nominations from the community for newcomers who have made a significant contribution to the Canadian community in which they live, work, go to school or volunteer.  Over the past 16 years, the
New Pioneers
Awards (NPA) has become the GTA’s
landmark cultural celebration. Often
referred to as the “Oscars of
Diversity,” the NPA is a unique event
that positively and publicly
acknowledges newcomers and their
achievements across the following six
award categories: Arts, Community
Service, Entrepreneurship, Science &
Technology, Youth, and Skills for Change
Graduate.We invite you to nominate a newcomer who has made a positive difference to our GTA community in one of the above six area of categories. The nomination deadline is September 19. Information on how to nominate by mail, fax or on-line can be found here. For further information call (416-658-3101 ext. 223) or email Arlene Willis. |
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Client Survey Shows "Thumbs Up' to CES
Program
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by
Norma Bernal, CES Facilitator/Counsellor
A recent survey conducted by the Clerical Employment Services (CES) program shows overwhelming support and approval by its clients. Almost 98% of client survey respondents said they will recommend SfC programs and services to others. This general sentiment flows from the overall satisfaction about the CES program and the services it extends to its participants. When asked to indicate what parts of the program they found most beneficial - • almost 22% of responses not responders indicated ‘resume writing’ was the most helpful while • around 20% each noted ‘the whole program’ and ‘interview preparation’ as the most valuable • 12% recorded that ‘Canadian labour market information (both advertised and hidden)’ is the most useful while • approximately 6% and 4% said the same for ‘job postings/leads’ and ‘cover letter preparation’, respectively. The remaining proportion was equally dispersed to other aspects of the program (ERC visit, skills assessment, barriers to employment, networking, one-on-one counseling, job development and cold calling). When asked which parts of the program they found least beneficial, more that two-thirds of the respondents either did not find anything that was ‘least beneficial’ or found the whole program useful. Findings on other questions include: • tools found to be beneficial for job search (networking- 77%, information session with employers- 71%, guest speakers- 46%, job discussion clubs- 43%, focus group discussions- 40%, others- 17%) and • perceived barriers to job search (Canadian experience- 71%, language- 49%, finance- 26%, job skills- 23%, confidence- 20%, child care- 17%, others- 11%). Using a customized online Survey Monkey, the CES survey, conducted on the last week of May this year, enlisted the participation of unemployed graduates of the program for the years 2007 and 2008. |
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Coming Programs
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Employment Preparation for
Internationally
Trained Accountants and Bookkeepers (ITAB) Program This program is designed to assist Internationally Trained Accountants and Bookkeepers who have work experience in accounting from their home countries and want to pursue the same career in their field in Canada. ITAB will prepare the participants to improve their communication and technical skills, make them familiar with Canadian work culture and help them to obtain a job in their fields. Applicants must be on Social Assistance and eligible to work in Canada. ITAB starts July 21. Maintenance Electro Mechanic Program (MEMP) MEMP will enable construction and maintenance electricians, industrial electricians, industrial mechanics and millwrights to hasten their entry as journey persons in their fields by leveraging their experience and education. This program will also provide hands-on training and exam and employment preparation that will lead to a Certification of Qualification (CQ) and full time employment in their fields. The length of this program is 18 weeks including 6 weeks of work placement. Applicants must be on Social Assistance and eligible to work in Canada. MEMP starts July 14. |
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Never Give Up
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by
Dhondup
 Before coming to Canada, I
was a civil servant with the Tibetan
Government in Exile in India. So, I
approached professionals to help build
my resume and seek help in preparing for
interviews. I also volunteered in different places like food banks and community centers to gain Canadian experience as well as to gather references but job opportunities never came. Finally I decided to go back to school and upgrade my computer and customer service skills. I then volunteered with the Resource and Development Unit of Skills for Change where I was first introduced to the Canadian work environment. It was here in Skills for Change that I got my first real job in Canada. I started Volunteering for the Skills for Change “New Pioneers Award”. SfC staff helped me develop my resume and actually it was here in SfC that I had my first recorded video interview which eventually contributed alot to my confidence level at interviews. The staff at SfC are overwhelming in their support to volunteers and new comers. Last week I started working as Program Assistant for the Trades Win Program at SfC. To all new immigrants looking for their first job I would say -set your own goal and then never give up, I know at times the job searching can get frustrating but remember you will find light at the end of the tunnel. |
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Staff Retreat
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On May 30, SfC held a staff retreat at the Blackcreek Pioneer Village. This was a great opportunity for all SfC staff to get together and dream about the future through a common vision for the agency. The discussion was facilitated by the agency’s Board of Directors.
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Coming Events
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Employment Resource Centre The ERC is featuring two guest speakers July 17 and 31, offering life changing opportunities for eligible SfC clients. • The first is the Transitions to Employment program which reveals all the resources available through Service Canada and Employment Ontario to help people change careers, obtain appropriate training and conduct a focused job search. • The second is an Information Session for the Ontario Self Employment Benefits (OSEB) program which subsidizes eligible clients for a year to start their own business. This session follows the ERC’s regular monthly workshop series “Start Your Own Business” which allows clients to explore the basics of working for themselves. Details on these and all the ERC’s workshops are posted on: www.erc.skillsforchange.org.
To our Current and Former Clients: |
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Mentor and Employer Networking Event
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by Rich Osman
 On June 19, the
Engineering Your Future Program (EYF) and
Newcomer Professionals @Work (NPW) organized a
Mentor and Employer networking event --
Partnering for Newcomers Achievement.
Guest speaker, Emmanuel Lopez, a motivational specialist, emphasized the importance and value of the SfC programs and services. |
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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 TechSkills |
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The
Job Search Workshop (JSW) team at Skills
for Change would like to invite you to
the JSW Program’s 10th Anniversary
celebration! 