November 17, 2014 

 

Members of the Toronto Public Service were joined by representatives of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) this afternoon as they were recognized for their important work in the mentoring of professional immigrants in Toronto.

 

"The City is breaking down barriers that skilled immigrants face, helping to improve employment opportunities," said City Council representative Councillor Janet Davis (Ward 31 Beaches-East York). "This important work will support Toronto's economic and social development success, and will make a difference in the lives of many newcomers."

 

The Profession to Profession Mentoring Immigrants Program is a collaborative effort with the Mentoring Partnership, a TRIEC program. Fourteen community partners provide employment services and/or bridging programs to skilled immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area, and coach each mentee and mentor throughout their partnership. 

 

"The Toronto Public Service has participated in Profession to Profession from the start because it supports the City's capacity to serve Toronto's diverse communities," said Deputy City Manager John Livey. "We are committed to seeing this program grow as it enters its second decade."

 

Experienced members of the Toronto Public Service are matched with skilled immigrants from the same occupation for a four-month period. Mentors support their mentee in understanding the Canadian context of their profession and workplace culture, sharing information on their industry and occupation and developing their professional networks and job search strategies. 

 

"Right now it’s an exciting time for the Mentoring Partnership – we have recently passed 10,000 mentoring matches and the program will be celebrating its 10th anniversary on December 2," said Margaret Eaton, Executive Director of TRIEC. "We appreciate the City's significant participation, so we can support even more skilled immigrants together."

 

This is release is also available at http://bitly.com/1unbJHK.

 

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.

 

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Media contact: David Clark, Strategic Communications, 416-392-7542, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.