Mentoring provides a warm welcome for newcomers to Toronto

The Mentoring Partnership’s 2013 Recognition Reception celebrates the City of Toronto for mentoring over 1000 skilled immigrants

TORONTO, November 25th, 2013 – Today, the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) is recognizing outstanding corporate leaders and individual volunteers at The Mentoring Partnership annual recognition reception hosted at CIBC. TRIEC is celebrating the City of Toronto, a founding employer partner of The Mentoring Partnership, and its employees for mentoring 1,000 skilled immigrants.

“The Mentoring Partnership has made over 8,700 mentoring matches and has proven to be a successful strategy to help skilled immigrants find meaningful employment,” says Margaret Eaton, Executive Director of TRIEC. “By mentoring new skilled immigrants, City employees are leading the way in welcoming new immigrants to the region and helping them to establish themselves professionally.”

The Mentoring Partnership brings together recent skilled immigrants and established professionals in occupation-specific mentoring relationships. Mentors share job search tips, industry insights and professional contacts, helping skilled immigrant mentees establish a professional network in Canada. The program is funded by the Governments of Canada and Ontario, Manulife Financial and ALLIES, a project funded by Maytree and the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation.

The City of Toronto is one of the leading contributors of mentors to The Mentoring Partnership and the first public sector partner to reach the 1,000 mentoring matches milestone since the program began in 2004.

“It is an honour and a pleasure to receive this prestigious award on behalf of the City of Toronto,” said City Manager Joseph P. Pennachetti.”The Mentoring Partnership supports Toronto’s economic and social development success. It also supports two of our strategic actions – enhancing the City’s capacity to service Toronto’s diverse communities and supporting the development and implementation of our workforce plan.”

Other achievements recognized at The Mentoring Partnership’s 2013 Recognition Reception

Leadership in mentor recruitment

In addition to recognizing the City of Toronto, TRIEC recognized Scotiabank for reaching the 500 mentoring matches milestone and Ontario Power Generation, RBC and Manulife Financial for reaching the 100 mentoring matches milestone this year. All four organizations have been dedicated employer partners and see significant benefits from their involvement in the program.

Mentors who have mentored ten or more skilled immigrants

Mentors say they gain as much as they give by mentoring skilled immigrants. This year, The Mentoring Partnership recognized eight mentors who see so much value in the program that they have mentored more than ten times.

Mentees who have become mentors

A strong testament to the success of The Mentoring Partnership are the former mentees who go on to find professional success and become mentors for a new immigrant themselves. This year, The Mentoring Partnership recognized sixteen former mentees who are now mentors.

About The Mentoring Partnership Program:

The Mentoring Partnership is a collaboration of corporate and community partners, and operates as a program of TRIEC. TRIEC creates and champions solutions to better integrate skilled immigrants in the Greater Toronto Region labour market. Learn more at www.thementoringpartnership.com

 

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For further information, please contact:

Jessica Hume, Communications Manager, (416) 944-1946 ext. 271, jhume@triec.ca

Natalia Dobrynina, Communications Specialist, (416) 944-1946 ext. 260, ndobrynina@triec.ca