BMO Announces Sponsorship of ACCES Employment's Speed Mentoring(R) Initiative

Image via Wikipedia BMO Financial Group and ACCES Employment have announced that BMO has become sponsor of the Speed Mentoring(R) program, a program designed to assist immigrants to Canada in entering the workforce in their areas of expertise.
Speed Mentoring(R) involves a group of employees - mentors - from a leading company meeting with new Canadian job seekers. Such meetings offer immigrants an opportunity for getting inspired, making connections, being coached and motivated. An innovative solution to the barrier that newcomers experience given their lack of a professional network, Speed Mentoring(R) has provided over 1600 newcomers in Toronto with the opportunity to meet and connect to professionals in their fields since 2006. With the help of this sponsorship, the program will be able expand to cities nationwide, including Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax.
"BMO's support of ACCES Employment's Speed Mentoring(R) initiatives is helping talented new Canadians make professional connections and find employment in their field of expertise," said Allison Pond, Executive Director, ACCES Employment.
"As Canada's first bank, BMO has a long and proud history serving the financial needs of new Canadians," said Frank Techar, President and Chief Executive Officer, Personal and Commercial Banking Canada. "We first came to know ACCES through the United Way Toronto's Days of Caring. Our team volunteered with in the Speed Mentoring program. Each of us met one-on-one for ten minutes with each jobseeker. The Speed Mentoring program is a win-win, providing each job seeker with great networking and employers with a rich source of incredibly talented people."
About BMO Financial Group
Established in 1817, BMO Financial Group is highly diversified. BMO works with millions of personal, commercial, corporate and institutional customers through its operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking Canada, Personal and Commercial Banking U.S., Private Client Group and BMO Capital Markets. BMO employees are dedicated to making BMO the bank that defines great customer experience.
About ACCES Employment
ACCES Employment is a leader in connecting employers with qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds. More than 15,000 job seekers are served annually at five locations across the Greater Toronto Area. As a not-for-profit charitable corporation, ACCES receives funding from all levels of government, corporate sponsors, various supporters and the United Way Toronto.

ACCES Employment:
Shawn Mintz
(416) 921-1800 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (416) 921-1800      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
smintz@accesemployment.ca
www.accestrain.com

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Canada to Hire 8,000 Filipinos

Image by trontnort via Flickr

By SAMUEL MEDENILLA

September 22, 2010, 11:26am

MANILA, Philippines — The Canadian province of Manitoba will be hiring about 8,000 Filipino workers annually starting this year until 2016, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said on Tuesday, during a signing of a renewed agreement with Canadian dignitaries at Makati City.
The overseas Filipino workers (OFW) will compose about 40 percent of the 20,000 job requirements, which the local government of Manitoba plans to fill by 2016 due to its expanding markets. The remaining 60 percent of the job orders will be sourced out to other countries like Germany, India, China, Korea, Israel, and Ukraine.
Among the jobs which are in demand in Manitoba are in the field of finance, construction, manufacturing, mining, health, agriculture, and hotel and restaurant.
“We hope that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) will increase the protection of Filipino workers being deployed to Manitoba, and facilitate their recruitment and hiring process, which in turn would enable the Philippines to get a bigger share of the projected demand of Manitoba,” Labor and Employment Rosalinda Baldoz said in a statement.
Aside from the job order, the MoU, which was first signed in 2008, will also focus on the skills assessment of OFWs which will be deployed in Canada, promote their welfare, and speed up the processing of their visas.
“Our governments have worked together over the past two and a half years to make it easier and safer for skilled Filipinos workers to find jobs and settle in Manitoba and we look forward to continuing this important partnership, Province of Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said in a statement.
Assistant Deputy Minister of Manitoba Labor Immigration Ben Rempel said that the Canadian government gave particular preference to Filipino immigrants since they already have the necessary skill requirements. Another factor was the existence of a  large Filipino community in Manitoba, which will be able to assist new Filipino immigrants during their period of adjustment in Canada.
“You have workers who speak English and are adaptable to working in the international environment. So I think the Filipinos will remain very well positioned to take advantage of the economic opportunities that are starting to rebound in our jurisdictions like in Manitoba,” Rempel said.
Rempel said that aside from having the lowest unemployment rate and highest employment of immigrants, Manitoba also has the most advanced legislation protecting the rights of its laborers, which will be attractive for OFWs.
“Workers from the Philippines will know when they are offered a contract by Manitoba employer that contract will be honored,” Rempel said.

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