8-minute read

CODE Newsletter | Issue #6
These CODE newsletters are meant to inspire you to reflect on your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, find valuable resources to further action and develop skills needed to facilitate bold change. 

Written by Mahrukh Ali Aziz, DEI Coordinator 

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Let’s take a trip down memory lane.

Two years back (and possibly a number of COVID-19 waves ago), we were optimistically hoping the pandemic would be over, and perhaps we’re slowly getting to that point – fingers crossed! 

But in the midst of it all, these past few years have brought about their own set of challenges and opportunities for the local business community and newcomers moving to Canada. 

 

“Manitoba is attracting an increasing number of skilled workers and their families” said Linda Bulka, Program Manager, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries , “Newcomers have worked in international contexts and bring cultural, linguistic and market knowledge to many positions”.

 

So, why is there a struggle of recruitment and retention in our business community? And, why do newcomers face the challenge of finding long-term employment which best fits their skillset? 

And to answer all these questions (and many more!), alongside our partners we conducted a feasibility study to understand how we could bridge this gap. 

The answer?

The Newcomer Employment Hub

The Primary Goal:

“To create stronger connections between newcomer employment agencies and businesses in Winnipeg to enable newcomers to secure decent jobs faster.”

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What is The Newcomer Employment Hub?

The Newcomer Employment Hub (the Hub) is an innovative online job tool that creates quality job matches between newcomer job seekers and Manitoba employers.

Initiated by The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and Immigration Partnership Winnipeg (IPW) The Hub brings together the business community and newcomer service agencies to address one of the top challenges facing businesses today- talent recruitment and retention, ensuring economic prosperity for both newcomers and businesses. The Hub’s smart AI technology provides organizations with top newcomer candidates which best fit the job description and organization’s needs.

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Reasons why you should join The Newcomer Employment Hub as an Employer

1. AI Technology matches you with your top candidates

The Hub is built with intelligent technology to allow employers to target and reach qualified candidates, saving you the extra time and resources during recruitment. 

In other words, instead of reading through  100 resumes, the AI program does that work for you.

Another added benefit – the AI technology is built to ensure the skilled candidates being reached are those who meet the mandatory requirements, and that allows your organization to identify, recruit and retain diverse talent more efficiently.

2. Extra support before & after the hiring process

We have currently on-boarded local newcomer serving agencies, who  have proudly highlighted the immense work and effort they put into designing programs and workshops to ease newcomers’ integration into the local business community and society.

Examples of Support:

• Pre-job training i.e., language skills, resume & cover letter writing workshops 
• Connect newcomers directly to job posting which best meet their skillset 
• Once you have successfully hired your top talent candidate, the new recruit is dependent upon you to be welcomed in a healthy and inclusive workplace. 

How can we support your organization? 

• Provide you support in creating welcoming and inclusive workplaces to ensure newcomer talent is retained
• Connect with newcomer agencies to provide on the job support i.e., courses for professional development and assist with retaining employment by aiding in overcoming any barriers
• Register & attend CODE programs & events monthly for access to inclusive workplace training, educational workshops and much more!

3. Diversify your organization’s talent pool & be part of a community

The Hub is your virtual tool to connect directly with a new and diverse pool of candidates, and eventually gives you access to build stronger connections with multiple communities. 

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Take a look below what Jessica Praznik, Project Manager at Immigration Partnership Winnipeg shared when we asked her about the benefits of recruiting newcomers:

“Newcomers bring with them extensive skills, knowledge, training and workplace experiences, however they can commonly face barriers to entering the workforce such as connecting to employers and job opportunities. 

We are thrilled to have partnered with The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce to launch the Newcomer Employment Hub. Not only has it begun to provide newcomer job seekers with more options for finding employment, it has also brought together employers and newcomer serving agencies and built up the capacity of the community! 

We are excited for the potential of the Hub in reducing barriers to employment for newcomers.”

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Access the Newcomer Hub & Create your Profile:

AS AN EMPLOYER

AS A JOBSEEKER

 

 

QUESTIONS: If you are an employer, jobseeker or newcomer service agency and wish to learn more about the Hub and how to get involved, contact Sanjana Vijayann, Manager of Diversity and Inclusion at [email protected].

More Resources

1. Newcomer Hub FAQ
2. Register for Newcomer Employment Hub 101
3. Read our Feasibility Study
4. Magnet Knowledge Hub

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What I’m Reading: Go Back To Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations On How To Become American | Wajahat Ali

Upcoming CODE Events:

 May Dates of Importance:

1. National AccessAbility Week | May 1, 2022
2. Eid-ul-Fitr | May 2, 2022
3. Mother’s Day | May 8th, 2022
4. International Day for Cultural Diversity | May 21, 2022
5. Victoria Day | May 23, 2022