New Saint John Business Hires a Dozen Newcomers, Plans to Hire More
SAINT JOHN – A new Saint John business has hired over 12 newcomers to the city and plans on hiring more in the near future.
Cirrus Garment is a new sewing business run by Mike Albert, who also owns Albert’s Draperies, another business in Saint John that’s been operating for over 50 years (Albert has owned it for the past 15). Cirrus was started to produce ladies’ clothing for a high-end designer, whose name Albert says can’t publically be announced until the new year.
“We’re basically going to be a producer for one client,” Albert says. “It’s one major international designer that’s going to be sending us work.”
Located in a newly-converted factory space above Albert’s Draperies in uptown Saint John, Cirrus Garments currently has 31 employees, twelve of which are clients from the YMCA of Greater Saint John’s Newcomer Connections Centre.
For Albert, who has worked with Newcomer Connections clients before, reaching out to the YMCA for potential candidates for his new business was a no-brainer.
“We’ve hired every Canadian that came through the door, so we’ll hire anyone,” Albert says. “But we weren’t able to find enough and when newcomers started coming, it became a great source of talent for us, but we also felt like we were helping them out.”
The YMCA’s Newcomer Connections Centre offers programs to newcomers to help prepare them for the transition into the Canadian labour market. This includes help with everything from language classes and resume building, to learning about Canada’s workplace culture and practices. They also have sector-specific programs, sewing being one of them.
“We take people who have the skills and experience and help them bridge the gap to be marketable to access the labour market,” says Abby David, employment supervisor with Newcomer Connections.
David said sewing is a skill many newcomers have, so matching clients with Cirrus Garment was the perfect fit.
“We have people who come from different countries where you just grow up with this skill at home and you have the experience of working in the business,” David says. “People from China, Eastern Europe, all the countries in the area of Malaysia, Pakistan, India and eventually the Syrian community that came over last year, have the skills and the experience working in factories and sewing at home. So it was easy for us to find the right clients.”
David says the company is giving newcomers the opportunity to work together and overcome language and cultural differences, allowing them to become trainers and leaders by using their skills and assets.
“What’s really exciting is that the two hands-on trainers on-site are from the Syrian community and are so talented that Mike [Albert] immediately identified them as his leaders and team trainers,” David said. “Without language, they do it perfectly on-site.”
Newcomer Connections continues to offer evening English language courses for the new staff, with plans to host classes in the factory’s break area during lunch hour. With the YMCA offering such resources, David is encouraging more employers to consider hiring newcomers based solely on their skills.
“I encourage them to open the door and look at the skills first and not worry about the language because we will help to bridge this gap. Most of our clients are so keen to study. They know that language is the key for the for everything,” she says. “If only we open the door for them to the workplace, they will learn more. Just look at their talents, look at their skills they bring to the region and open a door for them. Give them an opportunity to start.”
Albert plans to keep his door open, with another group of newcomers expected to join his team in the coming weeks. He says he plans to hire another 29 people between now June.
“I don’t [distinguish] so much between newcomers and Canadians. We’re literally hiring everyone, but it feels nice to help someone who’s had such a hard time,” Albert says.
“We’re in Saint John to stay. It’s a long-term business. We’ve struck a very strong relationship with this designer and we expect very strong growth over the next three years.”