South Asian Focus
Wednesday December 24 2008

By SUNIL RAO

It’s certainly not easy out there, for someone to try and get a job here in the GTA, during these uncertain economic times. But infotech might still be holding the door slightly ajar for someone with the right credentials.

And, despite the general doom and gloom scenario, so might financial services- particularly if the job-seeker has the right customer servicing or administrative skills.

“Sure, the kind of jobs available today might be different-in IT, for instance, you’d need to have virtual team management skills for jobs that’ve been offshored, or as a consultant or analyst,” allowed Young Park, sector vice president at business process services firm CGI Consulting Services, during a campaign organized in Markham earlier this month by TRIEC (Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council).

Added Christina Kramer, executive vice-president and banking major CIBC Retail Markets, which recently partnered YMCA of Greater Toronto in providing 24 newcomers the skills to get a job in financial services: “We’ve announced CIBC’s opening or refurbishing some 70 branches across Canada, and have an ongoing $280 million five-year expansion- we’re currently in the third year- so there will obviously be need for employment.

“Of course, a job in financial services might really be in one of several areas: customer servicing, IT, finance, salesâ?¦ there are really several options,” Kramer pointed out.

That said, it can still be pretty challenging out there, particularly for newcomers who may be further hampered by that eternal chicken-and-egg conundrum: lack of Canadian experience.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada recently announced it had rejigged- yet again- its list of the professionals in demand, enumerating a compact 38 categories as those jobs in demand. Apart from IT and financial services, the groupings indicated Canada also needed professionals in the various healthcare, and the construction or skilled trades.

Park noted the IT industry in Canada is still growing, and that a healthy 19 per cent of those employed in the sector had been internationally educated- as estimated by the Conference Board of Canada- indicating the industry is receptive to hiring newcomers.

“Moreover, both the U.S. as well as Canada have a shortage of skilled IT professionals- even as companies in general are seeking to cut costs and improve efficiencies through IT, so the opportunity is certainly there,” she told delegates at the Triec meeting.

Citing his own experience Sridhar Lam, an architect trained in India, pointed out he’d got his break working for the Town of Markham.

“The mentorship program really helps, in multiple ways,” said Lam, who migrated to these shores two years ago.

He added while luck might have played a role in the success he’s enjoying today, he attributed it more to “opportunity-times-preparation”, indicating thereby one needs to prepare oneself first, and do all the hard work this entails, in order to be able to capitalize on any upcoming opportunity.

Elizabeth McIsaac, executive director, Triec, noted her organization continues to build newcomers’ capabilities through various programs involving mentoring, building career bridges and organizing workshops with academic institutions and corporations.

Fighting the crisis

While times may be hard, elements within the corporate sector are continuing to contribute their mite to fight the economic slowdown, as the CIBC-YMCA initiative demonstrates.

“For most newcomers to Canada, finding a job is one of their most important first steps,” said Kramer of CIBC. “We’re pleased the CIBC Connection to Employment program has been able to help give 24 newcomers the skills and information they need to get a job in financial services.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with the YMCA to expand the program, going forward,” Kramer added.

Scott Haldane, president and CEO, YMCA of Greater Toronto, said the YMCA branches in the region collectively process the needs of an astounding 70,000 newcomers annually, through its nine referral centres.

The YMCA also has an employment centre in Brampton.

Added Laura Palmer Korn, a senior vice president: “The YMCA is here to help people reach their fullest potential, and this program gives people the necessary knowledge to go out there and create opportunity for them to find a job.”

But all said and done, it can still be a challenge- and a pretty stiff one at that. Said Vinita Chitte, originally from Pune, and one of the successful 24 candidates: “The selection process was fairly rigorous: of some 700 applicants who had originally tried, only we 24 were ultimately selected.”

But when asked whether she was happy she’d landed the job, she stared blankly.

Then she smiled, and explained, “Oh no, we’ve been told there might be only 10 jobs available, and they (CIBC) will only make up their minds after putting us through our paces.”

So 700 got whittled down to 24, which got whittled down to 10, who might be offered a job at the bank.

What happens to the other 14? “Oh, these will have to look elsewhere,” she agreed, “if they don’t make the cut.”

Indeed, a sign of the times.

Reference: South Asian Focus