Preparing Ahead of Time with TRIEC and CanPrep

CanPrep is a pan-Canadian pre-arrival program for immigrant professionals offered by JVS Toronto, in partnership with TRIEC. The program includes a series of e-learning modules, designed to familiarize newcomers with the job search process and workplace cultures in Canada. Jihyun Jeong, E-Learning Consultant, TRIEC, talks about how the modules were developed.

To deliver the CanPrep program to participants, TRIEC and JVS Toronto developed 19 interactive e-learning modules. These modules are designed to help immigrant professionals who are abroad prepare to come to Canada. They give users a high-level overview of the job search process in Canada to help them successfully integrate into the labour market.

The e-learning series has two parts:

• Getting Hired in Canada – focuses on the job search process.
• Achieving Success – covers the first 90 days – also known as probationary period – of starting a new job.

The modules build upon one another and each takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.

Looking for a job involves many steps, and immigrant professionals who are not familiar with the Canadian hiring process may feel frustrated and lost. When developing content for the modules, we wanted to address the following key information gaps:

• How and where to look for jobs and what to expect during the hiring process in the Canadian job market
• Writing resumes and cover letters in a format that is effective in Canada
• How to interact with others in the workplace while being aware of cultural differences (for example, conflict resolution)

The Canadian workplace might be different from what newcomers are accustomed to, e.g. the relationship with the manager, team dynamic, and the importance of communicating their progress and achievements. The scenario-based content offers a realistic experience of what workplace interactions would look like.

We began developing the e-learning modules by leveraging the rich content libraries built over the years by TRIEC and JVS. JVS’s experience of working with immigrant professionals as well as understanding their needs enriched the . Their clients also played an important role by participating in end-user testing and providing immigrant professionals’ points of view that helped make the modules more relevant for the audience.

Feeling prepared upon arrival in Canada is a huge advantage for immigrant professionals. The modules will provide them with the high level context they need, to understand Canadian workplace cultures. Moving to another country is a big change in itself, but the CanPrep program can help you in your job search journey.

Click here to learn more about CanPrep program