Newcomer support is all around you
Looking for resources on career success in Canada? Here are seven places to turn to for help on your journey.
A newcomer’s journey in Canada starts with many questions about finding a job. Fortunately, there is an abundance of free programs and services geared toward helping people find employment. Here are some places to turn for help.
Your first stop: a local settlement agency
The first place you can turn to is an agency offering settlement services. These are typically non-profit organizations funded by federal and provincial governments to help immigrants and refugees successfully settle into Canada, adapt to their new home, and continue their careers in Canada.
What makes these services so helpful is “their staff often have strong knowledge of the emerging career areas and in-demand jobs within the communities they serve,” according to Windmill Microlending’s Trending Jobs Report. The report highlights in-demand jobs in every province and territory along with local settlement agencies that offer support in finding those jobs. For example, ACCES Employment in Ontario is an organization that guides newcomers through the Canadian job market to help them achieve career success.
Robert Tortian, director of bridging services at ACCES, says they offer a variety of employment readiness supports, including cover letter and resumé development, interview skills, mentoring, language supports, technical training and other resources to get clients ready to succeed in the job market.
Immigrant outcomes at agencies like ACCES are often quite impressive. “Our services are designed to respond to the needs of highly experienced and well-educated professionals. Through facilitated discussions and experiential learning, we enable participants to share experiences and subsequently understand and gain insight into the Canadian workplace,” says Tortian, pointing to ACCES’s average employment outcome rate of 85 per cent in its sector programming.
Looking for settlement and support organizations where you live? Check out Windmill Microlending’s Trending Jobs Report, which contains localized job market and settlement services information for every province and territory in Canada.
More helpful stops for newcomers in your community
While settlement service agencies are an important first stop for newcomers, they are just one of many resources you can turn to for help in your community. Here are six more stops to help you on your journey to career success in Canada.
Visit your local library.
Not only are public libraries a great source of information, they also often offer their own free programs for newcomers. For example, Vancouver Public Library’s Skilled Immigrant InfoCentre is an online and in-person resource that helps newcomers to Canada find the information they need to get a job, explore careers or start a business.
Join a professional association in your sector or line of work.
You can access professional development workshops, training and certifications, and networking opportunities that can lead to potential job connections.
Similarly, you can research local post-secondary institutions and continuing education programs that offer additional training in your field. Many offer virtual information sessions you can attend to ask questions about the programs and their employment outcomes. Some even have existing partnerships with employers that could be your foot in the door to those organizations.
Research career resources online.
There is a lot of information available on the internet aimed at helping Canadian immigrants.
Connect with like-minded folks through community, cultural and faith-based groups.
Getting support from neighbours and people who understand where you come from can be beneficial for your professional success and mental wellness.
Finally, don’t forget to seek out individual support, advice and mentorship from friends, peers and even role models. Ask someone you know and admire for advice or even to mentor you. They may even be willing to share their professional connections with you. This kind of one-to-one relationship can be a huge help as you launch your career and life in Canada.
If you’re a skilled immigrant looking for information to help you build your career in Canada, always remember you are not alone. There are many resources out there and many of them are free. Do your research and find people, programs and organizations that will help you on your path to career success in your new country. The help you need is all around you; you just need to know where to look for it.
Whether you’re just starting your career, looking to move up, or retrain for a new field, growing opportunities await you. Now is the time to accelerate your career in Canada. Windmill’s Career Success and Planning Centre offers tools, tips and online digital resources to help skilled immigrants and refugees reach their professional goals, sooner. Visit windmillmicrolending.org to take the next step in your career, today.
– CanadianImmigrant
