YMCA Newcomer Connections is hosting an exclusive employer engagement breakfast and forum Tuesday morning at the Delta Brunswick in Saint John.
“We’re looking to get some ideas or input into how we can structure some of our newcomer program around some of the needs in the community,” said Kathryn Melvin, general manager of Newcomer Connections. “We run different programs for employment for newcomers and so we really want to get advice and information from what the employers are needing and so we can tailor some of our programs towards some of the gaps that might exist.”
The goal of the event is to increase multi-cultural awareness among employers in the region and help shape the employment training programs and their language they offer to newcomers.
Seventy representatives from local businesses and community organizations are scheduled to attend the event.
The most common challenges faced by employers are language and cultural competency — when employers have not worked with people from different cultural backgrounds before.
Melvin explains one of the largest barriers for newcomers is the potential lack of “Canadian experience,” which is often a requirement for hiring, although they may have plenty of work experience in their country of origin.
“That’s often a barrier there, as well as the Foreign Credential Recognition for newcomers in regulated professions, so pharmacists, doctors, teachers, professions like that might not have the credentials recognized here in Canada,” said Melvin.
An example of how barriers can be overcome, Melvin offered the success story of Shaki Rahman, a newcomer who attended the Skills Launch Youth Employability program and has found successful employment as a child care educator at the YMCA.
“There’s many stories like that, that I’m sure employers can speak to,” she said.
