Skills For Change Success Stories

Jean and Maple Leaf College

Jean joined the Clerical Employment Services (CES) Program in April 2003. She had worked in the administrative field in her home country and was very eager to participate in the program in order to learn job search strategies and familiarize herself with the local job market.

Jean believed that she would benefit from a Work Experience Placement (WEP) as she wanted to gain local work experience. In May, she participated in an eight week placement at State Farm Insurance as a Records Clerk in the Human Resources Department.

Through her WEP, not only was Jean able to contribute her excellent computer skills and attention to detail, but the experience provided Jean with an opportunity to familiarize herself with the Canadian work culture.

She learned about office procedures, file systems and the importance of working in a positive work environment. She greatly benefitted from co-workers that took the time to be her coach and mentor. For Jean, the experience was priceless.

Jean’s success continued as she secured a permanent, full-time position as an Office Administrator at Maple Leaf College. She is now responsible for overseeing all student inquires, admissions, and course enrollment duties. She is thriving in her new position and enjoys the challenges it brings.

Yvonne and the Bank of Montreal

Yvonne joined the Work Experience Placement (WEP) program with a tremendous array of skills. She held a MBA in Business Analysis and Strategy from Norway and a B.A in English. Yvonne provided extensive administrative, marketing and financial support throughout her seven years’ of executive level work experience.

After reviewing newspapers and the internet for job leads, Yvonne was quickly discouraged by the high level of competition for employment in her field. She was confident in being able to positively contribute her expertise and skills. However, she lacked Canadian work experience and felt this was limiting her competitive advantage.

Her counselor immediately identified Yvonne’s strengths and encouraged her to apply to Career Bridge which is designed to assist international professionals overcome such employment barriers.

Yvonne was accepted into the program and, in December 2003, she joined the Bank of Montreal for a three month internship in the area of Finance. Upon the completion of the internship, Yvonne was offered a permanent position at the bank as a Financial Analyst.

Kumar and Gamma Foundries

Prior to immigrating to Canada, Kumar was managing a large electronic retail store in his native India. One of his major responsibilities was to supervise a team of accountants. Although he did perform accounting procedures himself, he developed a strong interest in the field.

Upon his arrival in Toronto, Kumar decided to pursue a position in accounting. He enrolled in an ACCPAC International, Inc. course through TechSkills at Skills for Change. Once he completed the course, Kumar was referred to the Clerical Employment Services Program at Skills for Change. His previous work history, combined with his advanced level computer skills in both MS Word and MS Excel, made Kumar an excellent candidate for this program.

During the two week workshop, Kumar acquired new skills on résumé writing and practised his interview techniques. Kumar’s résumé was forwarded to an employment agency, and he was offered a contract position as an Accounting Clerk at Gamma Foundries. Eight months into the contract, he was directly hired by Gamma Foundries on a permanent basis.

Sector-specific Training, Information and Counselling (STIC) Program success stories

Ricardo – Currently an Accounting Manager with Ernst & Young

Ricardo absolutely shone during the time he was with the STIC program. Having worked for Ernst & Young in Argentina, Ricardo was targeting one of North America’s largest financial companies here in Toronto and was hopeful for a chance at an interview. However, he felt that he needed to learn about the North American interview and résumé style before making his first move.

Ricardo graduated from the STIC Program in October, 2003 and he landed a job with Ernst & Young in November, 2003 as a Senior Accountant. By July, 2004 Ricardo had already been promoted twice to become an Accounting Manager.

Alex – Currently a Senior Specialist with Accenture Inc.

Alex had only been in Canada for one month when he joined the STIC Program. He had a clear idea of what he eventually wanted for his future in Canada but was willing to begin at an entry-level position.

Within a couple of weeks of graduating Alex was hired as a Senior Specialist for a global consulting company. Alex felt that without the excellent information presented in the STIC workshops he might have had to wait a lot longer for what he calls his “dream job.”

Ana – Currently a Project Manager with AJB Software Design Inc.

Even though Ana had been a Project Manager in her home country of Ecuador she was beginning to lose hope of ever getting back to the same position after her arrival to Canada.

On a suggestion from a friend, Ana started the STIC Program in January, 2004 to learn more about networking and how to adapt her skills to fit with the Canadian labour market.

On completion of the program, Ana applied for a Junior Programmer position at AJB Software Design Inc. The interviewer was so impressed with her credentials he offered her a position as Project Manager!

Eric– Currently a Senior Information Analyst with EDS Canada

Since landing in Canada, Eric had experienced the downturn prevalent in the Information Technology field.

Eric took this opportunity to begin to adapt his skills to the Canadian labour market and market his uniqueness to potential employers. Within a year of graduation he was working as a Senior Information Analyst with one of the largest global data management companies in Canada.

Susan – Currently a Chemical Technician at a large telecommunications equipment manufacturing company

Susan had heard about STIC through her career counselor at a Toronto employment agency. The program helped Susan to build her confidence. Right after graduation Susan began to cold call at home which landed her her first job. Then she sent out a résumé for a posting that suited her skills and she was invited to interview for the position that Friday. On the following Tuesday Susan accepted the company's offer!

This page has been developed with the help of Skills For Change, www.skillsforchange.org. Visit their new job matching/listing site www.skillsforhire.org.