20 Journeys exhibit celebrates immigrant success stories

Exhibit on display at Mississauga Civic Centre until February 23

Asian Connections
February 20, 2009

Vikram Ahluwalia came to Canada from India with high hopes and stellar qualifications.

He had completed his MBA, worked in middle management at a multinational consumer goods company, and had travelled to 35 countries in Europe, Asia and Australia.

Despite his impressive professional background, Ahluwalia struggled to find employment in his field when he arrived in Toronto.

“People advised me to go back to school to get Canadian experience. But why should I spend $80,000 to go to school when I already have an MBA and seven years of international work experience?” Ahluwalia figured the way to get Canadian work experience was to work. But he certainly faced many challenges throughout the job search process.

“Interviewers were always asking me about my religion. I now know such questions are illegal, but I didn’t know then. After much consideration I decided to shave off my beard and remove my turban.” Ahluwalia got two job offers in two weeks.

Fortunately, he also heard about Career Bridge, a paid internship program for skilled immigrants. Ahluwalia completed a six-month placement at Procter & Gamble before the company hired him full-time.

Today Ahluwalia is a senior brand manager in a leading consumer packaged goods company in Toronto. He is also visiting faculty at two Ontario universities.

Along with other successful professionals, Ahluwalia is featured in 20 Journeys: A Visual Essay of the Immigrant Experience, presented by the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC). 20 Journeys is a traveling photo exhibit that will be on display from February 17-23, 2009 at the Mississauga Civic Centre. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Through powerful photography and short narratives, 20 Journeys tells the stories of skilled immigrants who have successfully entered the local workforce. 20 Journeys also highlights the employers, programs, and innovative strategies that helped newcomers enter the labour market. The exhibit is funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and features immigrants from India, China, the Philippines, Ghana, Nigeria, Lebanon, Israel, Singapore, Mexico, Argentina, Dominica, Ukraine, and the UK.

Other 20 Journeys Success Stories

Indian-born Renu Mehta held various media positions before ending up as editor of the Indian Express and Divya Bhaskar, two weekly South Asian newspapers. She’s volunteered at Rogers Cable, interned at CHUM, OMNI and even did Live Traffic for CP24.

Kamal Joshi joined an Ontario human resources group long before he arrived here from India. During his Career Bridge internship he saw a posting for a large firm that snapped him up. He’s now a compensation consultant at Rogers Communications.

Jyoti Shukla has helped more than 900 immigrants become more employable since arriving here from India. A TRIEC mentoring program led to her volunteering at Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Centre, where she is currently an employment counsellor.

Reference: Asian Connections