A Range of Employment Resources

New immigrants to Canada can count on a number of programs to help them to find their first job here. “Immigrants alone do not have all the tools to market themselves. The requirements are different even according to the sector or the employer,” says Irene Sihvonen, director of Services of Acces Employment Services.

The first step for the newcomer is to look for the nearest employment resource centre. These agencies provide a shortcut to understand the local job market, to validate foreign credentials and experience, to learn how to show your skills properly and to find and connect successfully to employers. There you will find training programs, resources, information, contacts in the community and people who can help in your job search.

Job search workshops

Among the most popular programs offered, job search workshops teach effective job search practices and techniques to immigrants. Newcomers obtain orientation about the Canadian labour market. You can learn how to assess your own skills, how to write effective résumés and cover letters, how to fill out employment application forms, and how to network with employers. You will also learn successful interview techniques and workers’ rights and employment standards. After the workshop, participants can count on support, job leads, free access to computers, internet, printers, telephones, faxes, photocopiers, networking and childcare.

Programs are offered to landed immigrants, convention refugees and live-in caregivers with intermediate level of English. To find the nearest job search workshop, visit www.jswontario.org or call 1-800-813-2614.
Skills for Change is just one of the many agencies offering job search workshops. More information can be obtained by calling (416) 658-3101 ext. 234 or by e-mailing jsw@skillsforchange.org.
Windsor Employment Resource Centre offers assistance in Windsor. They can be reach at 400 City Hall Square East. Their phone number is (519) 253-4544 and their website www.citywindsor.ca/000581.asp
Job finding clubs

Read more at the source at http://www.cnmag.ca/a-range-of-employment-resources/

New federal immigration program to support middle class jobs in rural and northern communities

News release

January 24, 2019—Ottawa, ON— The Government of Canada is committed to supporting
 immigration strategies that will enable smaller communities to enhance their economic, social
 and demographic vitality.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Canada, announced the creation of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, a five-year federal
 immigration pilot involving communities and selected provincial and territorial governments that
 works to help participating communities gain access to a range of support to help newcomers
settle in as part of the local community.

This innovative economic immigration pilot is aimed at testing new, community-driven approaches
 to address the diverse labour market needs of smaller communities. This initiative builds on the
 success of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot that was launched in March 2017 to help drive
 economic growth in Atlantic Canada. As of today, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
 Canada (IRCC) is seeking applications from interested communities in Ontario, Western
Canada, and the territories in order to select communities to participate in the pilot. Interested
communities must work with a local economic development organization to submit an
application, demonstrating how they meet the eligibility criteria and how immigration will
promote economic development in their community.

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot will complement other economic immigration initiatives,
 including the Atlantic Immigration Pilot and the Provincial Nominee Program. It will also provide
 an opportunity for IRCC to support the Government of Canada’s commitment to support the
vitality of Francophone communities outside Quebec.

Help for internationally-trained IT professionals

When you planned on immigrating to Canada, you might not have considered the challenges of getting your Information Technology credentials recognized and finding a job in the field.

You may have arrived in Canada with several years of hands-on experience and internationally-recognized professional qualifications. But after your first job interview, you probably realize that Canadian experience and international credentials are the stumbling blocks you’d have to overcome to find employment in IT. After sending out dozens of résumés, browsing job websites over and over, and going to a series of interviews, you may find the world becoming pretty depressing.

But there is help. The following steps, gathered from experience, will help you to overcome the obstacles, and find the IT job you’re looking for in Canada.

Step 1:

It is very important to find your specific occupation or job title before initiating the job hunt. Some occupations have different names in Canada than they do in other countries. Visit the website of Human Resources and Skills Development to map your occupation against the National Occupational Classification.

Most IT professionals require the following qualifications to work in Canada:

• A Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related discipline, or a college program in computer science.
• Several years of experience in the IT industry.
• A Master’s degree or Doctorate with supervisory experience, if you’re applying for management and engineering positions.

Some IT professionals may require special certification provided by software vendors (Microsoft, Oracle, Etc.). Requirements vary, depending on employers. The following is a list of some occupations that may require special certification, education or licensing:

• Informatics/ IT/System consultant
• Computer Systems/Business/Security/MIS/QA Analyst
• Systems Auditor
• Database Administrator (DBA)
• Database Analyst/Architect
• Computer Engineers/Technicians (Hardware)

Read more at http://www.cnmag.ca/help-for-internationally-trained-it-professionals/

Job Search Strategies: Searching the Smarter Way

by Shabnum Budwhani

“I have sent over 200 resumes in a month and haven’t received a single call.”

As counselors we hear these and other such comments very frequently from our clients who are newcomers to Canada. What you need to understand is that Job Search is an art. You have to learn successful job search skills so that you can get the best results and be successful in the labour market. If you produce a single resume and send that same resume out to many different employers it will probably not help you to get a job. It will only increase your sense of failure. In order to gain best results job search must be part of a well-planned strategy. It must be targeted.

Remember in school we learned about Darwin ‘s law of “Survival of the fittest” – well, it is true even today. There is a lot of competition in the job market and you have to always try to put your best foot forward and to fight hard so that employers notice you. When people immigrate to a new country they expect things and life to be different from what they are used to in their home countries. The culture, food habits, social customs, the education system, the weather – everything is going to be very different from what you are used to and have grown up with. Well, the labour market is going to be different too.

Job search methods are different from country to country. The way you look for a job may be different from what you are used to in your country. For example, in some countries it may be very important for employers as to which University or College you graduated from but in some other places you may get more credit for your past experience and work history. In some other places it may be just a matter of knowing the right person and having the right contact. So when people immigrate to Canada they may not be aware of the importance of resumes and what role they can play in helping you to find a job. Volunteering is another thing that is very important in Canada, but in some countries the idea of volunteering to find a job may not be a very common method.

For more information visit: http://www.cnmag.ca/job-search-strategies-searching-the-smarter-way/

Mandy Kovacs
Source: https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/canada-will-need-216000-tech-positions-filled-in-these-5-key-sectors-by-2021/392413

As the Canadian business landscape rapidly digitizes, a shortage of skilled labourers is hindering its growth potential.

A new report published on Apr. 12 by the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) indicates that Canada will need to fill approximately 216,000 technology-related positions by 2021, up from 2015 predictions of 182,000 by 2019.

ICTC’s Labour Market Outlook 2017-2021 points out that this demand stems from a steadily growing Canadian digital economy, which experienced a 2.38 per cent growth between 2011 and 2016, compared to the 1.17 per cent growth for the rest of the economy.

“The overall digital labour force now amounts to around 1,389,000 professionals, and is reflective of the health of this economy and the expanding range of occupations in this space,” ICTC writes.

The report finds that 53 per cent of tech professionals in the digital economy work in non-tech industries, “which indicates an increased prevalence of technology across all sectors of the Canadian economy.” It predicts that by 2021, the proportion of tech workers in non-tech industries will rise to 84 per cent.

Where talent is needed

Much of the rising demand for tech professionals is attributed to transformative and rapid advancements of technology, the report adds, particularly in five emerging sectors: virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR), 3D printing, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and 5G mobile technology.

VR and AR, for example, are currently worth approximately $30 billion and $120 billion respectively and will need to fill positions such as computer and information systems managers, graphic designers, computer and software engineers, technical sales specialists and even industrial instrument technicians and mechanics.

3D printing has already proved to be disruptive within the manufacturing sector, and will need more technological talent to help realize its economic opportunities, including computer programmers, manufacturing managers, electrical and electronics engineers, graphic arts technicians, as well as interactive media developers.

Blockchain technologies will transform the financial services industry, ICTC says, and professionals with the skills to further the development of such infrastructure will be in high demand. Database analysts, data administrators, software engineers and designers, as well as user support technicians will be especially sought-after, and will also be needed for AI advancement as well.

The report forecasts that “besides the significant potential for retail, manufacturing and health sectors, AI will continue to create economic advancement in banking services, transportation and more.”

And the last key transformative technology, the global 5G value chain “will generate $3.5 trillion in output, outweighing the current value of today’s entire mobile value chain, and supporting 22 million jobs in 2035,” the report explains. Its wide range of applications could see it disrupt everything from the public administration industry and manufacturing, to financial services as well as the culture and recreation sectors.

Canada-wide problem

The need for tech professionals is a cross-Canada issue, with ICTC highlighting Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec as the three provinces with the most demand.

Ontario will continue to move from a manufacturing-focused province to one fueled by technologies like Ai, 5G mobile and 3D printing. ICTC predicts approximately 88,000 tech jobs will be created by 2021 and total employment in the tech sector will reach about 669,500.

British Columbia will experience “a significant increase” in tech employment by 2021, with total employment expecting to be over 161,000.

Quebec notes aerospace and gaming as its two largest industries that hire tech talent, which stand to benefit from the emergence of the five key emerging technologies. The report indicates that 44,400 tech workers will be in demand, bringing total employment up to more than 336,000.

Solving the skills gap issue

To bridge the gap, the country needs to better train workers and place a special focus on preparing youth with the right skills to enter the tech industry, ICTC stresses.

“The hallmark of success in this environment is equipping Canadians with the relevant technology skills to innovate, adopt technologies, and produce higher-value goods and services,” the report says. “This will empower a more dynamic economy based on our ability as a nation to intensify investments in infrastructure and [research and development], diversify our industries, and expand trade.”

Competition – mainly from Canada’s southern neighbour, the US, and other industries looking to digitally transform – and lead-time to staff critical positions also remain a challenge for many businesses.

The Information Technology Sector in Canada

The demand for talent in the IT sector in Canada has seen incredible growth over the past 15 years. The current unemployment rate for professionals in this field is the lowest in history at 1.9% (by contrast, the overall unemployment rate in Canada is over 6.5%). Some trends in the workforce include a relatively aging workforce, 11% is over the age of 55 compared with 4% in 2001. The workforce is highly educated with the majority of the workforce having at least a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Finally, the workforce is also increasingly multi-cultural with 37% born outside of Canada.

About IT Connections

Information Technology (IT) Connections helps internationally-trained IT professionals pursue their careers in Canada. Participants learn Canadian IT-sector standards, terminology, and tips on how to enhance their job search. IT Connections was designed in close collaboration with key stakeholders – employers, professional associations and an academic institution.

Program Components:

• Effective job search strategies: market research techniques; resume development; interview skills; and, targeting your job search to companies that require your specific skills and experience
• Orientation to Canadian Workplace Culture and the expectations of employers in the sector
• Project Management for IT Professionals (PMP exam preparation)
• Agile Introduction and Methodology
• Guest speaking panels including volunteers from Accenture (program sponsor)
• Connections with IT employers
• Referrals to Speed Mentoring® and The Mentoring Partnership™
• Post-employment communication coaching, language coaching and document editing

For more information, visit http://www.accesemployment.ca/index.php/information-technology-connections

Source: ACCES Employment