How The Newcomer Employment Champions Started In Saint John
‘It is no secret that the single greatest challenge employers face in today’s labour market is finding talent,” says Mike Quinn, the Regional Director of the Southwest Region in WorkingNB.
“The good news is newcomers have the skills and ability to fill many of those gaps, and they are ready to start working now.”
Many newcomers seeking jobs in Saint John have a wealth of training and work experience. In addition, newcomers can bring new ideas and global connections to an organization. However, they face many barriers when trying to access employment. Due to these barriers, some employers may be hesitant to hire newcomers.
In 2019, the Employment and Training working group of the Saint John Local Immigration Partnership (SJLIP), after much deliberations with employers in Saint John, identified that the employers need support with challenges around hiring newcomers. Thus, the Newcomer Employment Champions [NEC] Pilot program was born. The SJLIP wanted to ensure this well-developed program had the opportunity to grow and thrive.
“When the program was looking for a place to be housed, WorkingNB, through the recommendation and support of the Saint John Local Immigration Partnership, was very pleased to partner with the YMCA,” said Quinn.
In 2021, the YMCA of Greater Saint John’s Newcomer Connections took responsibility for continuing the [NEC] program to continue their work in supporting immigrants from all walks of life.
“When the Saint John LIP endorsed us to carry on the work with the [NEC] program, we were excited to be able to continue and enhance this offering,” said Daniel Rito, former Newcomer Programming Manager in YMCA Newcomer Connections.
“Our vision was to respond to the needs of employers post COVID-19 and incorporate the learnings from the pilot to strengthen the program.”
The [NEC] supports employers with best practices, tools, and resources to increase their confidence in integrating newcomers into their organizations. An employer’s profile is raised on being recognized as welcoming and supportive to their employees through the [NEC]. This raised profile can help attract top talent, engage and retain existing talent, and lead as an example to other local companies.
“We were able to design a program that adapts to the needs of every participant; we didn’t want to offer a one-size-fits-all program,” says Rito. “We understand each sector is going through similar but also particular challenges when hiring, onboarding and retaining newcomers.”
The [NEC] is funded by WorkingNB and delivered by YMCA Newcomer Connections. To participate in the [NEC], employers should connect with the Program Coordinator, Racheal Adeyemo at [email protected].
This story is sponsored by YMCA Newcomer Connections.
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