WorkBC Centres Help Newcomers Build Careers
When immigrants and refugees arrive in B.C., they are often coping with stress, loss, and worry for their families and friends. On top of this, they have a lot of important things to take care of like finding housing, schools for their kids, and employment.
Many of them begin their employment journey through WorkBC Centres where they can access free services like skills training, work experience, English language courses, resume writing, and preparing for interviews and learning the ins and outs of working in B.C.
Since 2019, WorkBC Employment Services Centres have assisted about 32,000 immigrants and over 4,000 refugees to help them to find and keep jobs. Most of the immigrants and refugees are from the Middle East (34%, including Iran, Syria, and Iraq), Europe (23%) and Asia (20%). Almost 13,000 immigrants found sustainable employment in B.C. since April 2019, including nearly 1,700 refugees.
WorkBC Centres connect in more ways than one
Immigrants and refugees share their stories on how WorkBC Centres helped them find connections and employment
When Ukrainian nationals arrive at the Vancouver International Airport, they receive information in their own language about the free employment services offered by WorkBC Centres.
Eliza runs the WorkBC Centre in Richmond and says this early connection is valuable. Eliza’s team works closely with S.U.C.C.E.S.S. settlement services stationed at the hotel where many Ukrainians stay when they first arrive. “This way we can help right away. People are eager to find work,” Eliza says. “We provide client needs assessment, make arrangements for attending workshops, short-term training, financial supports for job start, and several of them now have good jobs.”
When Zhanna arrived in B.C., a single mom with three children, she had a lot on her plate settling her family into a new country. WorkBC Centre Richmond helped her find a job. Her youngest child was really struggling and Zhanna had to reduce her working hours to care for her family. WorkBC Centre Richmond quickly stepped in to connect the family with counselling services and other resources. Things are going better for the family and Zhanna is working more hours again.
WorkBC offers a personal approach to help people succeed in employment
Liliane arrived in Canada in late 2020. After struggling to find a job on her own, a friend recommended Liliane contact her local WorkBC Centre (Burnaby Edmonds). She has strong qualifications and training in her field but needed some extra help learning about approaching employers and doing interviews. With some one-to-one help from her employment counsellor, Liliane learned how to search for jobs, write her resume and prepare for interviews.
While Liliane searched for employment, her employment counsellor promoted Liliane to potential employers. “As a result of this teamwork, and after some interviews, I got a job offer in my work field and accepted it precisely one month after I signed in for WorkBC Employment Services,” Liliane says. Thanks to the WorkBC wage subsidy program and employment counsellor, Liliane is putting her skills and experience to work as a quality assurance analyst.
Give back, work tech
This program helps immigrants and refugees get tech jobs, while giving back to their communities at the same time
Tapping into the growing need for qualified job seekers to fill jobs in the tech sector, WorkBC funds a project that provides work experience and skills training for 22 immigrants preparing them for employment in the IT industry while giving back to their communities.
The YWCA TechLink program received $312,000 to deliver the program in partnership with local businesses in Vancouver.
The participants gain work experience and training in:
- IT helpdesk support
- Customer services
- Communication skills
- Creating and hosting online workshops
The goal is to set them up for success for long-term sustainable careers in the growing tech sector. In turn, they will help vulnerable members of the community:
- Access free technical support and webinars to increase digital literacy
- Reduce isolation and build community connections
- Connect to government services, healthcare providers, family, and other community support service
Training began in summer 2022 and ends in June 2023. This is the third YWCA TechLink funded through Community and Employer Partnerships Job Creation Partnership funding. TechLink is helping about 60 immigrants find their place in the tech sector.
Did you know? B.C.’s technology sector is a key growth sector offering 140,000 job openings between now and 2031. That represents about 14% of total job openings over the next 10 years.
If you want to gain skills and experience on projects like this, contact your nearby WorkBC Centre today. Let them know you want to participate in a Community and Employer Partnerships project.
How to access funding for projects like TechLink? The Community and Employer Partnerships program provides funds to increase employment opportunities for unemployed British Columbians and address local labour market issues. Funding is prioritized for projects that create work experience and training opportunities for occupations in demand.
Read success stories about newcomers to Canada.
Imam was open to big changes
Imam knew he needed resources and tools to help him find work in Canada
Imam Ates came to Canada with his wife, child, and mother-in-law, as part of the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel measures that provides support to Ukrainians and allows them to work, study, and stay in Canada until it is safe for them to return home.
When immigrants and refugees first arrive in B.C., they need to finding housing, schools for their kids, and employment. WorkBC Centres provide Employment Services for Displaced Ukrainian Nationals to help them find work to support their families.
WorkBC Centre Courtenay connected Imam to an Employment Counsellor who helped him navigate his search for work. His Employment Counsellor supported him as he considered job options, guided him through resume writing, and coached him through job interview questions and responses.
Imam was passionate about food and recalled his younger years as a cook specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine. He remembered those days with fondness and decided that he could have a rewarding career as a cook in Canada.
Imam’s Employment Coach reached out to a local restaurant to find out whether they had any job openings. The timing was perfect as the restaurant was short staffed and Imam was invited the very next day for a job interview. He was a good fit, and the restaurant immediately scheduled him to start the next week. Before he could begin working with food, he needed to complete a food safety course. WorkBC provided funding for the course and held the class on site for easy access.
Local bus transportation in the region can be challenging when one works shiftwork so after discussions with his Employment Coach, Imam quickly connected with local Ukrainian community sponsors and got himself a bicycle for his 10-minute commute to work.
In no time he gained new cuisine skills and learned all the aspects of running the business and the kitchen. He enjoys the camaraderie of the restaurant team and how the staff all work together to ensure the kitchen operations flow smoothly.
Despite all the challenges he faced since he fled Ukraine with his family, Imam maintained a positive ‘can do’ attitude and leapt over every hurdle. He continues to connect with WorkBC and is looking to acquire a laptop computer and a part-time job so he can provide his family with a car and a better place to live.
Imam is looking forward to many more years at his new job, gaining more experience, honing his abilities, and supporting his family. Imam remains positive and open minded about his future in Canada. When asked what his favorite new food is, the indisputable winner was maple syrup!
Jenny found meaningful work
Jenny struggled with her language skills and being unemployed, but she persevered
Jenny and her family fled from the war in Ukraine and moved to Revelstoke in April 2022. Jenny was the owner of a successful online shop in Ukraine. She sold nutritional supplements and cosmetics but when she came to Canada all that changed.
Everything was different and the culture shock and language barrier were significant. Jenny was less confident in her job search, not because of her lack of employment skills but because of her language skills. “It was shocking,” Jenny said, “I did not understand people. I thought maybe I had learned a different English in school than what people were speaking in Canada.”
Jenny began English classes at Okanagan College and one of her teachers told her about WorkBC services. WorkBC Centre Revelstoke provided Jenny with an Employment Consultant to help her find work. “My Employment Consultant helped me to create a resume that aligned with Canadian rules and expectations,” Jenny said, “Additionally, she helped me connect with the right employer to get the right job.”
WorkBC Centre Revelstoke set Jenny up with a wage subsidy which helped offset the cost of training while Jenny continued to improve her English language skills. The subsidy enabled a local jewellery store to hire Jenny full-time.
Jenny adds new online products, manages, markets, and organizes the store inventory. Her employer values her previous work experience and Jenny enjoys coming to work every day.
Jenny felt discouraged when she first arrived in Canada. She struggled with her language skills and being unemployed. “I had worked all my life. I felt I had lost all of my abilities when I arrived in Canada,” she said. WorkBC helped her find meaningful work that valued her skills and abilities. Being employed gives Jenny a sense of safety and peace of mind and allowed her to rebuild her life.
“All Ukrainians need to know you are not alone,” Jenny said. “Whenever someone asks how I found my job, I say I went to WorkBC. If you need help, people at WorkBC care about you.”