The City of Toronto's motto is "Diversity our Strength," but when it comes to integrating skilled immigrants into the workforce, it's not always put into practice. The
Toronto Immigrant Employment Data Initiative has found that education achieved abroad is discounted in the Canadian labour market by a factor of 30 per cent and work experience by factor of 70 per cent.
In an effort to spread awareness of the benefits of hiring skilled immigrants, the
Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) has been holding its annual Immigrant Success (IS) for the past seven years. The awards, offered in partnership with RBC and a handful of media sponsors, are presented annually to organizations in the Greater Toronto Region that have shown leadership in integrating skilled immigrants into their workforces.
This year's award ceremony was held at a gala event last Wednesday night. At the award ceremony, TRIEC not only honoured each recipient but also screened short films showcasing each winners' work.
"We really try to make the IS awards more than just your average award ceremony," says Jessica Hume, communication manager with TRIEC. "We also use it as a way to tell people's stories and really celebrate the work they do."
This years winners are:
André Goh, manager of the Diversity Management Unit with the Toronto Police Services. Goh was presented with the Canadian HR Reporter Individual Achievement Award for his activist work with Toronto's LGBTQ community as well as his more recent work promoting and implementing diversity within the Toronto Police force.
Trinity Tech Inc. was awarded the RBC Immigrant Advantage Award for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Trintiy Tech Inc. is a Toronto engineering firm headed by Dunstan Peter, who came to Canada from India in 1993 when he was 17-years-old. Of Trinity Tech's approximate 120 Canadian employees, 60 per cent are newcomers.
The SMTC Corporation, a Markham-based electronics manufactures won the CBC Toronto Immigrant Advantage Award for its diverse workforce and for a senior management team that is one-third skilled immigrants.
The Regional Municipality of York won the Toronto Star Award for Excellence in Workplace Integration the launch of its 2101 Foreign Credential Evaluation Process Guide, a guide which helps newcomers navigate the complex process of getting foreign credentials recognized in Canada.
Check out videos of all the award winners
here.
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Jessica Hume, Acting Communication Manager, TRIEC