Toronto Star Special Section: New Workers, New Skills

Toronto Star Special Section: New Workers, New Skills

January 15, 2009

emills@triec.ca.

Print Edition Content

With skills and luck, he caught on
Kevin Chen found his computer skills in high demand and got a job quickly – now he’s settling in and works at Deloitte.

Immigration policy: Are programs delivering?
Read about various projects from the Canadian Immigration Integration to the upcoming IEP conference, and perspectives from Jean Augustine, Ontario’s Fairness Commissioner.

Immigrant Success Awards Winners
Patricia O’Connor has dedicated most of her 30-year career in social work to helping the vulnerable and disadvantaged. Now she assists foreign-trained social workers who face barriers finding that first job in Canada. Read stories about the TRIEC’s 2008 IS Awards winners: Nytric Limited, CH2M HILL Canada Limited, Patricia O’Connor, Jane Lewis and Fiona Macfarlane.

Engineer who struggled now mentors others
Mansoor Ali, 47, wants to make it clear he’s not above any job. But when the civil engineer was folding shirts and pants at a local laundry just a few years ago, he couldn’t help but feel he was being underused.

Bridging program delivers for experienced midwives
Mojgan Nadafi arrived in Canada from Iran two years ago, armed with a raft of impressive qualifications as a midwife and a deep desire to resume her career.

Foreign-trained lawyers hold their breath for help
The legal profession in Ontario is perhaps the last place you would expect initiatives to create a level playing field for newcomers, especially from other countries.

Profiles of newcomers
When Marcelo Sagel first answers his cellphone for our interview, it’s not a good time to talk – he’s in the cockpit of a Porter Airlines Bombardier Q400 turboprop at Toronto City Centre Airport, about to fly to metro New York.

Exclusive Online Content

Photo Gallery: TRIEC’s 20 Journeys photo exhibit
View photos and read brief stories from TRIEC’s photo exhibit 20 Journeys: A Visual Essay of the Immigrant Experience. The exhibit tells the stories of immigrants finding jobs. 20 Journeys is a TRIEC program, funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Employers short-sighted in degrees
What is a degree from the Indian Institute of Technology worth in Canada? Is it on par with a similar sheepskin from the University of Waterloo or Queen’s? Or would a fairer comparison be with a two-year community college course

TRIEC makes inroads into York Region
More than two dozen senior managers at American Express Canada in Markham have taken new Canadians under their wing to help them establish satisfying careers in their new homeland.

Diversity gives LEA Group a business advantage
Every year on Christmas Eve, the 100 staff members at LEA Holdings Group’s head office in Markham have a potluck lunch. For many Toronto employers, that might mean a spread of tuna casseroles, pasta salads and fried chicken.

Resources for skilled immigrants and employers
Links to online resources for skilled immigrants and employers.

Immigration quick facts
Interesting tidbits in immigration history.

Reference: Toronto Star