News & Events

Toronto Star | Nicholas Keung, Immigration Reporter

Are you an employer? An employment sector professional? Join the Surrey Local Immigration Partnership (LIP) for a dynamic dialogue on immigration trends and efficient strategies to recruit and integrate newcomer talent at its upcoming  event: “Employment Summit – Unlocking Opportunities through Newcomer Talent.” The summit will discuss labour demands and explore the power of a diverse workforce for employers and the local economy in Surrey, BC.

This event, sponsored by the Surrey Board of Trade, and in collaboration with various local community organizations, will take place at the Civic Hotel on June 12, 2024, 12–4 pm.  

In addition to an inspiring keynote speech by Ruth Mojeed Ramirez of the Inclusion Project and a data-focused presentation by Statistics Canada’s Francisco Luna,  the summit will feature a panel discussion moderated by Patrick Mackenzie, CEO, IEC of BC, featuring:

• Ui Heang Hur of Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique (SDECB)
• Tom Conway, CEO, Small Business BC
• Nerissa Allen, President, Black Business Association of BC
• Nick Noorani, Founder, Immigrant Networks

“We extend a warm invitation to the business community to actively engage in learning, collaboration and the implementation of impactful measures to develop inclusive strategies,” says Lenya Wilks, Director, Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement, Surrey LIP. “Let us collectively influence policies and cultural shifts towards an economic landscape here in Surrey that is both inclusive and prosperous.” 

Surrey, soon to be the largest city in the province, welcomes an average of 27 newcomers daily. To support the integration and wellbeing of these newcomers, as well as the local economy, this summit aims to foster discussions on how the business sector can efficiently recruit and retain immigrant talent to address their labour needs in Surrey, BC.  

To get tickets, please register via Eventbrite here.

Are you a newcomer or first-language future journalist?

OMNI Television has launched its OMNI Scholarship program for 2024.  These scholarships are open to all eligible students pursuing post-secondary studies in a journalism-related field and who are interested in ethnic and third-language journalism.  OMNI will award 10 scholarships of $2,000 each this fall.

Deadline to submit is 10 am PST / 1 pm EST, Wednesday, May 15, 2024.  For more information and to submit an online application, visit https://portal.scholarshippartners.ca/welcome/omnitv_EN/

OMNI is home to daily national newscasts, a variety of locally produced current affairs programs, broadcast in 6 languages, and airs popular entertainment shows from around the globe. OMNI supports journalism students interested in providing news and information to Canadians in the languages they understand.

To learn more about OMNI scholarships, visit www.omnitv.ca/scholarships or www.omnitv.ca/bourses

CBC News

The British Columbia government tabled legislation Thursday that’s designed to hold public bodies accountable for addressing systemic racism in policy and programs, the province’s attorney general said.

Niki Sharma said the proposed law would cover provincial ministries, agencies, health care and social service providers, and require the development of a public action plan using data the government has collected on systemic racism.

She said it would give her ministry the power to issue compliance orders if it finds a lack of response to the action items in the plan.

Before tabling the bill, Sharma said she sometimes thinks of the politicians who have come before her in the legislature, who passed laws designed to hurt people based on the colour of their skin.

“The power that was wielded in that place, that was directed toward racialized people in this province, you just can’t even imagine the generations of pain and trauma and impact that that’s had,” she said.

“The government can change that.”

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Great Place to Work | By Nancy Fonseca

Challenges and opportunities are all around us. From political unrest to the changes in social values to the rapid evolution of AI, there is an undeniable shift happening and business leaders are at the forefront of navigating this change. How they lead their people through the disruption will make all the difference. And in fact, a fresh management approach that assumes change as a constant will help leaders build trust and achieve organizational success.

What is the new management approach?

Leaders are being asked to pivot continuously and rise to unprecedented challenges. They are managing a workforce that has a multitude of different needs and priorities – some are working other gigs, others are working from home, many are stressed, and many more are disengaged. And leaders are the ones tasked with bringing these people together to pull in the same direction while also defining what that direction is.

A traditional management approach that presumes authority and hierarchy with leaders wielding control is not what great leadership will looks like in 2024 and beyond. The management approach that enables success going forward, is one that values people first with leaders who are collaborative, compassionate, and authentic.

This fresh approach is something we are seeing within high-trust teams that thrive. At workplaces that are recognized for their Most Trusted Executive Team, over 90% of their employees feel their manager is approachable and easy to talk to, feel they can be themselves with their team, and feel trusted to do a good job without being micromanaged.

This is the type of work environment where people thrive and a management approach that encourages this level of trust and personal engagement is what is needed for 2024 and the foreseeable future. Here are the six traits that underpin this approach:

1. Be Compassionate

   This starts with empathy, but it needs to go deeper. It’s more about focussing on emotional intelligence and really tapping into what people need in the moment to feel seen and heard. When you recognize what other people are going through you can help them perform at their best because you understand what ‘their best’ means. You don’t compromise standards or expectations, but rather you help people manage their competing priorities and deal with individual challenges in a way that is kind, considerate and mindful. Taking a compassionate approach helps find ways to motivate people, resolve conflict, and simply communicate better so everyone gets their needs met.

2. Be Humble

   As a leader you do not know it all. You may not know the best way forward. Recognizing and embracing the notion that you don’t, nor do you have to, have all the answers is powerful. It allows you to be more authentic and to be more human in your interactions with your team. Admit mistakes and encourage others to do the same. Be vulnerable. Share your values, beliefs and fears. This is how true connections with your people are made and from there you can problem solve and truly collaborate for the best results.

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CBC News | The Current | Mouhamad Rachini | Nov 10, 2023

Proposed B.C. legislation aims to remove employment barriers faced by foreign-trained migrants.

Rex Gonzales worked as an industrial engineer and project manager for 16 years in the Philippines. But he’s struggled to find work in his field since moving to Canada — despite applying for almost 100 jobs.

“Unfortunately, until now, after two or three months of applying for a job, I haven’t received any call for an interview,” he told The Current’s guest host Duncan McCue.

Gonzales moved to Vancouver in July 2022 with his wife and young daughter. Hoping to improve his chhttps://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrentances in the Canadian job market, he worked as a deli clerk while completing a master’s degree in business administration. He also got a certification in project management.

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CIC News | Asheesh Moosapeta | October 2, 2023

Canada’s workforce is one of the most skilled in the world—due not just to excellent educational institutions within the country, but also because of highly skilled newcomers who arrive to Canada annually and drive growth in the labour force.

However, how successful are newcomers at finding employment in Canada, in the short, medium, and long-term?

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Amy Judd | Global News

The B.C. government has announced it is improving credential recognition for internationally-trained professionals in order for them to work in the province.

Premier David Eby took part in a town hall Tuesday in order to address barriers for professionals who are trained in other countries. This means anyone who has education, skills and work experience from outside Canada that is recognized as comparable to Canadian standards.

According to the provincial government, over the next decade, 387,000 newcomers are expected to enter the workforce and fill 38 per cent of job openings.

Eby said in order to break down those barriers, the government will be introducing legislation this fall to help boards improve the credential recognition process and make it easier for people to use their skills to work in B.C., no matter where they receive their training.

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