Immigrants today contribute significantly to Canada’s growing economy and workforce. But Canadian employers still continue to experience labour and skills shortages, and too many newcomers are unable to find employment that matches their education, skills, and professional experience.

Luckily, mentoring is a proven intervention to help skilled newcomers reconnect with their careers in Canada so that they can contribute to their fullest potential.

So was born the National Mentoring Partnership.

With RBC as the lead-sponsor, the 3-year pilot program is a partnership between national employer partners and regional organizations (i.e. immigrant employment councils) who provide their own mentoring programs to newcomers. The National Mentoring Partnership is a collaboration between these agencies, that aims to increase access to mentoring for immigrant professionals.

The Partnership matches recent immigrants with a mentor who shares their professional background. It’s goal is to grow to include 6 regional organizations and 6 employer partners across Canada working together to match 840 immigrant professionals with mentors in their occupations.

Occupation-specific, professional to professional mentoring partnership helps newcomers to gain insights into the Canadian labour market and build their professional networks. At the same time, the mentor gains leadership and coaching experience with a cultural diversity lens. Mentors enhance their social and inter-personal relationship skills, while growing their own professional connections.

In the video above, Amit Sandhu, VP Personal Lending and Newcomer Segment at RBC, explains the need to support professionals freshly arrived in cities across the country: “From my own experience 10 years ago as a newcomer to Canada, I can attest to the fact how life can be difficult adjusting to an unfamiliar country.” Luckily, he says “mentoring is a proven intervention that help newcomers reconnect with their careers and contribute to the betterment of the country to their upmost potential.”

During TRIEC’s second annual Immigrant Inclusion Summit, RBC was awarded the ‘Growth Partner of the Year’ award for their generosity in sponsoring the National Mentoring Partnership.

For more information on becoming a national employer partner, reach out to the program lead: Karen Jones at kjones@triec.ca