Supporting Canada's Newcomers

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Supporting Canada’s Newcomers

Q&A with EgyptianCanadian actor Mena Massoud

Learn How to Succeed in A Whole New World with Mena Massoud Mediaplanet sat down with Disney’s Aladdin star, Mena Massoud to share his newcomer journey in Canada as an Egyptian immigrant. As an actor, Mena opens up about his career path into acting, discusses the importance of representation in the entertainment industry, and shares his inspiration behind the Ethnically Diverse Artists Foundation.

What was your experience as a newcomer and growing up in Canada as an immigrant?

Overall, Canada, and more specifically Toronto, was an incredible place to grow up. The best. But like any immigrant experience, there are major adjustments and challenges you face.

Especially after 9/11. As an Egyptian, the narrative around my culture, home life, and traditions completely changed.

My community started looking at me differently. And that was tough. But like I said, Canada being such an eclectic place that celebrates so many cultures made overcoming those challenging experiences easier.

What’s the importance of representation in the entertainment industry?

The importance of representation isn’t up for debate — it’s paramount.

But I think that over the next decade, demand will decide how quickly that representation becomes a reality. The international markets are growing rapidly. They want to see themselves expressed in film and television, so regardless of whether Hollywood champions artists of colour or not, we will see change. Like any industry, demand drives change, and we’re beginning to see international markets soar. Projects like Money Heist, Tehran, Parasite, the list goes on and

on. These projects are paving the way for real change.

What's your message to newcomers in Canada?

Canada is a place where anything is possible. Truly. So, decide as quickly as possible what it is you want to pursue and commit. Once you do that, you'll be able to achieve whatever it is you put your mind to. There will be barriers.

There will be struggles. There will be challenges. But you can overcome all of them — not all at once and not tomorrow, but if you put your head down, focus, and give it your all, anything is possible in a country as great as Canada.

Newcomer Services Ease The Settlement Process

M

oving to a new country can be difficult at the best of times. It's even more difficult in the midst of a pandemic.

Throughout the current COVID-19 pandemic, people from around the world continued to arrive in Ontario with hopes and dreams of building a new life here.

Immigrant-and refugee-serving agencies across Ontario stayed open to help new arrivals settle in a new community and adjust to a new life in Canada — yes, even in the middle of a pandemic.

Settlement services are available to all new arrivals in English and French.

They're free and always confidential.

Services can include help to fill out application forms, interpretation, translation of documents, help to find a job, training, schools, housing, health care, classes to learn English or French, information about other community services, and opportunities to connect with other new arrivals and people in the local community. In the midst of the pandemic, many of these services were provided virtually, or sometimes face-to-face by appointment. Almost all services are funded by different orders of government. Some services have eligibility rules required by the government funder, and therefore may not be available to everyone.

When it is safe for everyone for services to fully re-open, you can expect to see settlement staff in places such as schools, libraries, and community centres. They will be there to answer questions and connect people to services provided in other locations. When services re-open fully, you can also expect to participate in community events organized by immigrant-and refugee-serving agencies to help new arrivals get to know the Indigenous nations and traditional territory in which they're building a new life and the local community and people who will become their new neighbours and help them feel at home.

For more information, visit settlement.org or etablissement.org..

This article was supported by the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants.

Publisher: Rayan Hassan Business Development Manager: Melanie Kosev Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Content and Production Manager: Raymond Fan Designer: Lauren Livingston Web Editor: Karthik Talwar All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve Toronto Star or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.

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Looking for work?

We can help!

ACCES assists jobseekers from diverse backgrounds facing barriers to employment, to integrate into the Canadian job market. We provide customized employment services that meet your unique needs and we help you to build connections with employers who are hiring.

Contact us today at 416.921.1800 to get started. accesemployment.ca

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Windmill Microlending Empowers New Canadians to Succeed in the Workplace Highly-skilled immigrants often struggle to get their credentials recognized in Canada.

Windmill helps ease this transition by offering affordable loans.

I Paula Calderon National Director, Client Success, Windmill Microlending

mmigrants and refugees to Canada face numerous challenges to settlement and integration — housing, childcare, and finding employment.

While many of these individuals are highly skilled, educated and experienced professionals, they may lack recognition of their credentials in Canada, presenting a barrier to establishing their careers. The process to get certified, licensed, or retrained can be long and costly, and without credit history or collateral, it’s difficult for them to access the funds to pay for their education. As a result, many end up taking on low-paying “survival” jobs, well below their skill level.

Microloans to finance education, upskilling and retraining Funded by the public and private sectors, Windmill is a national charity that offers microloans of up to $15,000, to help skilled immigrants and refugees finance their education, upskilling and retraining in Canada.

“We understand the situation they’re in, so by offering loans at lower interest rates without them having to provide a credit history, collateral, or co-signers, we’re making it affordable and accessible,” says Paula Calderon, Windmill’s National Director, Client Success.

Loans are for programs of up to

Anne Papmehl

two years in duration and candidates are eligible to apply for more funding once they’ve repaid the loan in full.

Along with educational funding, the loans can be used for licensing exam fees, assessments, books and materials, living allowance, or even childcare costs as they pursue their education.

As well, Windmill helps newcomers develop an understanding of the Canadian financial system and build independence. “Our goal is to see them succeed and contribute to the Canadian economy. We educate people on the intersection between career planning and financial planning to help them understand how financial products can enable, rather than be a burden when well-managed,” says Calderon.

Each loan is flexible and geared to the individual’s plan and needs. All participants work with a dedicated client success coach, who supports them for the entire journey — from intake to loan repayment. Windmill also offers mentoring and other career planning and online digital resources. The 98 percent loan repayment rate shows that clients are achieving career success, financial stability, and contributing to the Canadian economy much faster than they would without such support. On average clients more than triple their income after working with Windmill and return to their chosen careers. “We see this as

a direct return on investment to donors, funders and the country overall,” says Calderon.

Committed to client success Victor Vazquez immigrated to Canada from Mexico five years ago and worked in the public diplomacy department of a foreign consulate until early 2020, when he lost his job during the COVID19 pandemic. This sudden disruption prompted him to re-evaluate his life and career goals and consider a career in cybersecurity — something that had always interested him.

As he started researching opportunities, Ramos discovered the Windmill website by serendipity. “At first, I thought it sounded too good to be true, but then, I realized it was a not-forprofit run by people who simply wanted to give immigrants like me a chance to be competitive in this market,” he says.

Through Windmill, Vazquez acquired a loan to take an intensive, three-month online Bootcamp program to become a certified information systems security professional.

He is now a newly hired application specialist for a software company. “I would not have been able to succeed without Windmill,” The communication was terrific all the way through, and my client success coach made everything easy for me,” he says.

To learn more about Windmill microloans and the supports, coaching, and resources it offers, or to find out if you're eligible for a Windmill microloan, visit windmillmicrolending.org.

This article was sponsored

by Windmill Microlending.

Trusted Newcomer Services Help Immigrants and Refugees Achieve Their Full Potential With a bright future ahead, newcomers to Canada can smoothly transition to their new lives with help from Achēv, a leading provider of employment, newcomer, language, and youth services.

Katherine Cappellacci

N Moya MacKinnon Vice President of Employment and Newcomer Services, Achēv

ew im m ig ra nt s a nd refugees face numerous hurdles when acclimatizing to their new homes and finding employment. Accessing the right supports is key to their success. Trusted organizations like Achēv are crucial in helping newcomers achieve their settlement and employment goals.

Start off on the right foot As the first stop for newcomers, Achēv connects new immigrants and refugees seamlessly with employment, newcomer, language, and youth services.

“At Achēv, our professional program staff provides free guidance and assistance for newcomers to navigate the settlement and employment system,” says Achēv’s Vice President of Employment and Newcomer Services Moya MacKinnon. “Many newcomers need assistance with evaluating their international credentials, learning English or French, and establishing personal and professional networks to create meaningful relationships for employment in their field.”

Achēv’s employment services assist job seekers in securing employment by providing access to job opportunities, current labour market information and trends, hiring events, information sessions, workshops, and professional one-on-one career support.

“Having the right tools including a customizable resume, well-developed

self-marketing, and interview skills will increase employment opportunities,” says MacKinnon.

“We help newcomer s explore career goals, identify training needs, and acquire job search and retention skills. As a result of their participation in our services, 82 percent of our newcomer clients found employment this past year.”

Achēv’s language services provide assessments, training, and referrals to English or French language classes.

Additionally, Achēv’s five Newcomer Information Centres provide settlement and employment information and referral services to newcomers virtually and in person.

Struggles turned into success Achēv’s clients have seen incredible success. Over the past year, Achēv has assisted over 12,000 newcomers, one of whom is Kunle Ogundijo, who immigrated to Canada in 2019. Despite his enthusiasm, he struggled to find a job.

“The early positive feelings soon gave way to some level of disappointment and self-doubt,” says Ogundijo.

When turning to Achēv for guidance, he was assigned a seasoned Career Specialist and Job Developer.

“They helped me expand my professional network by connecting me with mentors and employers. I had various career development sessions with

them, including mock interviews where areas of improvement were highlighted, further increasing my confidence,” says Ogundijo.

When the next job opportunity arose, Ogundijo gave a confident interview and got hired in his chosen field as a financial analyst at GE. “The staff at Achēv encouraged me to keep focused and never give up. Together, we outlined objectives and set out action plans to achieve success," he says.

Ask for help when you need it Make the smooth transition to life in Canada by being prepared in every way possible. “Having the right settlement and employment support in place will ensure that newcomers’ social and economic needs are met,” says MacKinnon. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

To learn more about Achēv’s services and programs, visit achev.ca.

This article was sponsored

by Achēv.

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IMAGE COURTESY OF TEDC.

George Pirie Mayor, City of Timmins

To learn more about living in Timmins, visit timminsedc.com.

This article was sponsored by the Timmins Economic Development Corporation.

Skilled Refugees: Discovering Untapped Talent Talent Beyond Boundaries envisions a world where forcibly-displaced people can use their skills and talents to move to secure their futures.

Head North: Cities Like Timmins welcome Newcomers to Canada Smaller cities like Timmins offer excellent quality of life and many opportunities for newcomers to Canada.

I

t's getting harder to hire locally for skilled roles.

You hear it in the news, over coffee, and in boardrooms. "I still can't find a family doctor!" "We've had this software developer position open for eight months and still no qualified applicants." Talent acquisition teams are stretched to their limits and their hiring quotas keep growing. Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB) has a solution.

TBB is a global non-profit helping employers solve their labour shortages by recruiting from a pool of displaced talent. Its Talent Catalog augments organizations' recruitment efforts and gives them access to a pool of previously untapped talent.

Janice Tober

I

n 2017, the Canadian government launched a multi-year immigration plan to foster economic growth in the face of slowing labour force growth and an aging population.

Living in one of Canada’s major cities, however, often comes with prohibitive costs, congested neighbourhoods, and high competition for jobs. Life in a smaller Canadian city can be the answer to a better quality of life for newcomers.

Timmins welcomes new arrivals by offering support services for immigrants, such as assistance with finding housing or getting a health card. The city also has a variety of job opportunities and is affordable, with plenty of amenities.

In Timmins, the outdoors is right at a person’s doorstep with many nature trails, golf courses, and fishing nearby. And while the city is close to the wilderness, there's everything from shops and restaurants to farmers' markets, libraries, and cultural pursuits are also within easy reach.

Timmins mayor George Pirie says, “Living in Timmins is a personal choice for me. I’ve had the privilege of working in other parts of the world and I decided to come home. The quality of life here is special. You can taste the air — it is so sweet and fresh. And you have room. I live by a lake — there are thousands here — and it takes me five minutes to get to work.”

TBB is building a world where skilled refugees can move internationally for work while helping employers gain access to fresh talent.

Breaking down barriers Skilled immigration pathways weren't designed with refugees in mind. Many displaced people find it challenging to meet the requirements, such as having a passport or having access to thousands of dollars in settlement funds. Displaced people are often not permitted to work where they live, making these administrative barriers nearly impossible to overcome.

The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) seeks to overcome these barriers, allowing skilled refugees to travel without a passport and enter Canada as permanent residents. Recent changes to the Pilot as it enters Phase II have reduced some of the administrative hurdles in getting individuals to safety and giving employers a gateway to qualified talent, but there's still a long way to go. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

TBB is building a world where skilled refugees can move internationally for work while helping employers gain access to fresh talent. If you’re a business with hiring needs, TBB can connect you with its outstanding candidates.

Contact us today to find your next team member: talentbeyondboundaries. org/eoi.

This article was supported

by Talent Beyond Boundaries.

Thunder Bay, Where Possibilities Are Unexpectedly Endless As the hub of northwestern Ontario, this friendly and down-to-earth community is an ideal place to live, work, and do business.

Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission

T

hunder Bay is home to a multicultural community of professional, skilled, and creative people. Here you’ll find a mix of modern city living and the best of nature — all on your doorstep.

Newcomers come to Thunder Bay for small city affordability, big city opportunities, and the bonus of a superior lifestyle.

Thunder Bay is one of 11 northern cities across Canada to be selected for the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP). The RNIP has seen great success in Thunder Bay and now, in the second year of the three-year pilot, 138 foreign skilled workers have been recommended for permanent residency.

There's an overwhelming amount of interest in Thunder Bay, and the program couldn't have come at a better time. The community faces stagnant population growth and an aging workforce. With the help of Thunder Bay's

Community Economic Development Commission, local employers can now access a broader labour pool and source the right people to offset predicted labour shortages in the future. There’s a world of employment possibilities to discover outside of the big city — in Thunder Bay there are many in-demand occupations in skilled trades, business, and service industries.

Health care workers are also in high demand with personal support workers (PSWs) being the highest on the list.

There's a great need for PSWs in Thunder Bay and with the RNIP program, many of these essential workers have a pathway to permanent residency. The RNIP is now helping certified skilled health care workers stay in Canada and work here locally.

If you’re looking to live in one of the most exciting cities in Canada, it's hard to look beyond Thunder Bay.

To learn more about life in Thunder Bay, visit gotothunderbay.ca/bigpossibilities.

This article was sponsored by the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission.

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A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET SOMALI REFUGEE IQRA ALI GAAL ATTENDS ESL CLASSES AS PART OF THE LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION FOR NEWCOMERS TO CANADA PROGRAM (LINC) AT COLLEGE BOREAL IN HAMILTON, ONTARIO. © UNHCR/CHRIS YOUNG

Refugees Are Good For Canada Research proves that while refugees benefit from the safe, new life that Canada provides, they’re also a major asset to the country.

Katherine Cappellacci

W

hether recognized as refugees in Canada or resettled from overseas, Canada has opened its doors, offering protection and the chance to build a new life to 1,088,015 refugees since 1980. Refugees have a low unemployment rate of nine percent, which is close to the Canadian unemployment rate — sitting at six percent (between the ages of 25 and 54).

The 2016 census data showed that newcomers, followed by refugees, are most likely to resettle in smaller, more rural areas. The refugees who arrived from 2011 to 2016 proved that a slightly higher 48 percent lived in smaller towns and cities when compared to 44 percent of all other immigrants.

These smaller communities benefit from refugee resettlement because they fill work gaps. Canada’s population is drastically aging — and we need more young people to boost our economy. Most refugees come to Canada early in their lives, with the average age being 28.9 years old in 2016. Compared to Canada’s average age, which went from 37.7 in 2001 to 41.0 in 2016, refugees are approximately 11.1 years younger. The refugee population aged 25 to 54 in 2016 was 57 percent, while Canada-born citizens in that age demographic was 38 percent.

Home ownership and education As they acclimatize to their new home, refugees tend to join the national middle-class around five years after their arrival. Despite facing lower-than-average income when they first get to Canada, they rapidly advance. Data from the 2014 tax year shows that one in four refugees annually earned between $40,000 and $79,999. This compares the percentage of Canadians (27%) and total immigrants (24%) earning a middle-class income. Plus, it’s proven that refugees contribute more income tax than they utilize in public services and benefits.

Owning a home is a sign of a stable, healthy financial situation, and indicates a sense of permanence in a community.

Despite economic, social, and cultural struggles they may have faced in their first years of resettlement, two out of three refugees become homeowners after 10 years in Canada — that’s 65 percent of families — in comparison to 79 percent of Canadian-born citizens. In fact, one third of refugee families buy their own home within the first five years of moving to Canada.

In schools, refugee children are as proficient and hard-working as Canadian-born children. Actually, they surpass their Canadian-born counterparts in completion rates of high school, university, college, and graduate programs. Based on the 2016 census data, the completion rate of a bachelor’s degree or schooling above a bachelor's level for refugees is 25.5 percent, compared to Canadian-born students, sitting at 18.5 percent. Becoming highly-skilled workers and entering various industries, these young people are extremely valuable members of society.

Citizenship and belonging Substantial economic contributions The economic achievements of refugees are significant considering most arrive with little to no financial resources. Refugees fill jobs in a variety of industries — often in places where the Canadian economy needs it most. Of all employed refugees, 51 percent work in high-skilled jobs — including dentists, architects, doctors, software engineers, and service managers. According to 2016 data, 33 percent of refugees between the ages of 25 and 54 were employed in jobs that required a high school education or specific training, while one fifth were working in jobs that required a university degree or higher.

Additionally, refugees are building businesses and job opportunities. In fact, the rate of entrepreneurship among refugees is higher than Canadians, with the former at 14 percent, and the latter at 12 percent. This includes those who are self-employed and own their own companies, between the ages of 10 and 30. Embracing the opportunities that living in Canada offers, these refugees use their individual skillsets to build businesses that improve our economy’s health and diversity.

Settlement locations and filling gaps Many refugees choose to settle in smaller Canadian towns and cities. From the north of Nunavut, NWT to western Prince Rupert, BC, or eastern Fredericton, NB – they’ve resettled throughout the country.

Many people migrate with the hopes of establishing a permanent new home, particularly those who come to Canada. Of all immigration categories, refugees have the highest citizenship rates. In order to become a Canadian citizen, they must pass a test, pay a fee, and live in Canada for at least three years. The test includes Canadian history, geography, economy, laws, symbols, and levels of government. Of all refugees, 89 percent eventually become Canadian citizens, while 84 percent of Economic Class immigrants and 80 percent of Family Class immigrants also gain citizenship.

Although they may at times face cultural differences, racial discrimination, or xenophobia, refugees express a strong sense of belonging in Canada. They actually feel more included than people born in Canada. About 95 percent of refugees feel a strong sense of belonging, compared to 91 percent of Canadian-born citizens. Dedicated to building good lives for themselves in their new home, refugees are committed to integrating into society.

Building a brighter future

To learn more, visit unhcr.ca.

Often fleeing war and persecution, refugees enter Canada with the hopes of creating a new, prosperous life for themselves and their families. As the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) attests, these new community members have a positive impact on the country. Bringing ambition and skill, they are a great addition to Canada, enriching the country economically, culturally, and socially.

This article was sponsored

by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.