Bridging Gaps: How TRIEC’s Talent Connect is Transforming Workforce Inclusion for Immigrant Talent

On September 26, 2024, TRIEC’s Professional Immigrant Networks (PINs) program hosted its Talent Connect Networking Event at Toronto’s YMCA. The evening brought together employers, leaders of professional immigrant associations, immigrant professionals, and community partners for powerful discussions and networking, all with a shared goal: advancing the inclusion of immigrant professionals in Canada’s workforce.

A Night of Purposeful Conversations

The event opened with inspiring remarks from TRIEC’s CEO, Gillian Mason, followed by a presentation from Sathya Gnaniah, Manager of the PINs Initiative. Sathya outlined how TRIEC collaborates with employers across the GTA to drive the success of immigrant professionals and presented the full suite of TRIEC’s initiatives and programs. These offerings are strategically designed to help employers address specific needs, remove hiring barriers, and access the immigrant talent that’s right in front of them. A key highlight of the evening was the sector-specific roundtable discussions, where attendees engaged in a meaningful dialogue sharing industry-specific insights on labour market trends, employment challenges, and actionable strategies for promoting genuine inclusivity in the workplace.

Breaking Barriers Across Sectors

These roundtable revealed several common recurring challenges by immigrant professionals across industries, such as the lack of Canadian work experience, language barriers, and the need for sector-specific certifications. For example, sectors like Accounting and Finance, Information Technology, and Engineering face challenges in recruiting qualified immigrant talent due to these persistent barriers.

But the conversations also identified concrete strategies to overcome these challenges:

• Networking and Mentorship: Participants across all sectors, agreed that building strong professional networks and finding mentors is critical for immigrant professionals to navigate the Canadian job market. Talent Connect serves as a powerful platform to help forge these vital connections.
• Volunteering: Employers emphasized the importance of volunteering as a way for immigrants to gain local experience and showcase their skills. Volunteering helps bridge the gap between international and Canadian work experience.
• Soft Skills Training: In addition to technical expertise, employers emphasized the importance of soft skills, such as communication and teamwork, which are essential for thriving in the Canadian workplace​.

Sector-Specific Insights

The roundtable discussions offered resulted in targeted insights based on the unique demands of each industry.

• Accounting and Finance: There’s a rising demand for professionals in cybersecurity, IT UX research, and project management. Networking and volunteering were highlighted as critical pathways for immigrants to enter the sector.
• Information Technology: Language barriers and lack of Canadian experience continue to be obstacles. Employers encouraged immigrant professionals to focus on building portfolios that showcase their technical skills and to actively seek mentorship.
• Engineering: The lack of recognition for international credentials remains a major issue. Although progress has been made with the removal of the 12-month Canadian experience requirement for engineers, more work is needed to fully address the barriers.
• Marketing and Communications: Immigrant professionals often face challenges when transitioning between industries. Mentorship, job shadowing, and volunteering were flagged as essential strategies for gaining relevant experience.
• Multi-sector: Discussions emphasized soft skills development and optimizing job applications for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to enhance interview chances.

Driving Workplace Inclusion  

Beyond overcoming barriers to employment, the event stressed the importance of creating inclusive work environments where immigrant professionals can thrive. Employers were encouraged to provide ongoing mentorship, constructive feedback, and a welcoming atmosphere to ensure immigrant employees feel supported as they integrate into the Canadian workforce. The importance of embedding inclusion into an organization’s core values, rather than treating it as a one-off initiative, took center stage during the event.

Resonating Impact and Takeaways

The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with many noting the value of structured discussions, facilitated by notetakers, which led to deep insights and actionable strategies. “The structured discussion format with notetakers and facilitators was incredibly valuable”, one participant noted, underscoring the shift toward inclusive hiring practices. Networking and collaboration were hailed as key takeaways. Participants were enthusiastic about collaborating with TRIEC to transform the workforce landscape. This sentiment resonated in the feedback we received: “There is a shared interest and energy in partnering with TRIEC to shift employer perceptions about immigrants.” This powerful statement highlights a growing awareness among employers of the critical need for inclusive hiring practices that harness that harness the vast talent immigrant professionals bring to the table.

Looking Ahead: Building on the Momentum

As the event concluded, there was a strong sense of optimism and commitment to ongoing progress. The meaningful conversations and connections forged at Talent Connect have laid the groundwork for further collaboration in creating truly inclusive workplaces. At TRIEC, through initiatives like the PINs program, we remain committed in our mission of bridging the gap between employers and immigrant professionals, while supporting the development of immigrant careers in Canada.

A special thank you to TRIEC board member, Michael Huynh, our exceptional MC Jaime Gonzalez, President of the Latin Project Management Network (LPMN), all the dedicated TRIEC staff and participants who contributed to making this event a success. Let’s continue working together to build truly inclusive workplaces where everyone thrives!