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Channelling Canada’s construction talent A Toronto careers service has helped new arrivals in Canada develop construction careers and achieve professional qualifications, including CIOB membership. Rod Sweet explains
IOB representatives in the greater Toronto area have joined a Canadian government scheme called ACCES (Accessible Community Counselling and Employment Service) to help newcomers to the country gain accreditation as construction professionals and match them with skills-hungry employers. Candidates in their hundreds as well as the province’s top employers have expressed interest in the initiative, which helps establish people in their careers, ease Ontario’s skills shortage and grow CIOB membership all at the same time.
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The organiser, Hamza Momade MCIOB, told CM more about the details.
Newcomers to Toronto are matched with employers Hamza Momade
CM: What is the ACCES Engineering is the organiser of CIOB’s involvement Connections programme? with ACCES HM: It’s sponsored by the Canadian government to help new arrivals gain accreditation in a variety of professions so they can start working in their field as quickly as possible. Participants attend academic sessions for six weeks. In the construction stream, that includes workshops on local engineering codes, health, safety and project management principles. It meets the criteria for 35 hours of project management
Employers get to meet skilled candidates who are ready to work – a plus for them because Canada is experiencing a major skills shortage in construction
Hamza Momade MCIOB
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