S.J. Employer Engagement Event Facilitates Discussions About Newcomer Employment
The annual Employer Engagement Breakfast (EEB), hosted by the YMCA of Greater Saint John’s Newcomer Connections and the Saint John Newcomers Centre, was very instructive to area business leaders and organizations.
“I learned a lot about barriers faced by newcomers,” said Tyler Isnor from OSCO Construction Group. “The engagement session taught me a lot about this, and it is more than people realize.”
The EEB that took place on March 31 constituted detailed panel presentations and roundtable discussions starting with a newcomer journey narrated by Noha Rabie to reflect the barriers to employment newcomers face in the province. Representatives from YMCA Newcomer Connections and the Saint John Newcomers Centre presented the employer support programs they provide to organizations.
Over 70 community stakeholders from 37 local organizations, including Wayne Long, MP of Saint John-Rothesay; Arlene Dunn, MLA from Saint John Harbour; and Donna Reardon, Mayor of Saint John, attended the event to spark a meaningful conversation about leveraging newcomer talent to meet the staffing needs in the ever-evolving local labour market.
“Immigration will only work for all if greater commitment is shown to eliminating all forms of exploitation and discrimination that newcomers often experience and to ensuring that their fundamental human rights are upheld,” said Arlene Dunn, Minister Responsible for Immigration.
Krista Anderson from Opportunities New Brunswick also presented the federal and provincial immigration pathways available to employers to hire newcomers for the long term.
At the event, the Newcomer Employment Champions (NEC) was officially launched and the program coordinator, Racheal Adeyemo, explained how NEC goes beyond the Intercultural Competency Training (ICT) by providing employers with ongoing support and making them an employer of choice for newcomers.
NEC is a program funded by Working NB and organized by YMCA Newcomer Connections. NEC is set up to assist employers in Greater Saint John in addressing challenges around the hiring, onboarding, and retention of newcomer employees by providing tools and resources in best practices and training that they are able to implement within their organizations.
“We are very excited to see the future and growth of our community as diversity champions,” noted Corinne Kincade, Academic Programming & Student Development Specialist at UNB Saint John.
This story is sponsored by YMCA Newcomer Connections.