MONCTON, New Brunswick, June 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On June 20, the City of Moncton will host the Greater Moncton Refugee Hiring Event. Held on World Refugee Day, the event will match refugees and other displaced people with job offers from leading Moncton employers, including Apex Industries Inc., Canadian Tire Corporation, Corey Craig Group, Greystone Energy Systems, and J.D. Irving Ltd.
Over the past few years, 5% of Moncton’s permanent residents came to the area as refugees and protected persons. Newly settled refugees contribute substantially to the number of people in the Moncton CMA labour market, which expanded by 10,200 between March 2017 and March 2022. In response, the City of Moncton has taken proactive steps to ensure that newcomers are able to find work and settle into the community.
“Newcomers are playing a critical role in meeting some of the demographic challenges we are facing, and they bring a new vibrancy to the community,” says Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold. “We are happy to host this unique event, which will help refugees and those who have been forcibly displaced forge connections and find employment in our region. We want to find ways to support newcomers as they settle in, and this hiring event, which builds on the success we have had with job fairs for newcomers and international students, is one key way to do that.”
The Greater Moncton Refugee Hiring Event was organized under the stewardship of the Refugee Jobs Agenda Roundtable, co-chaired by Senator Ratna Omidvar; Rashmi Vohra, TD Bank; and Jim Estill, Danby Appliances. The Greater Moncton Refugee Hiring Event is being held in partnership with Jumpstart Refugee Talent, WorkingNB, and World Education Services (WES).
Newcomers who attend the Moncton hiring event can, in some cases, expect to receive on-the-spot job offers. A similar event in Toronto in 2022 resulted in positive progress for most attendees. This included 19 on-the-spot job offers, and 85 invitations for applicants to move to the next stage of the hiring process. Attendees who were not selected still benefitted from the event, since interviewers circled back with them to offer useful feedback on how to improve their interviewing skills.
“This World Refugee Day, WES is honoured to partner with the City of Moncton, Jumpstart Refugee Talent, and WorkingNB to help individuals who have been forcibly displaced discover new pathways to success,” said Shamira Madhany, Managing Director, Canada, and Deputy Executive Director, WES. “After fleeing their homes because of conflict and persecution, refugees face a whole new set of challenges in Canada, including finding employment to support themselves and their families. At the same time, employers across the country continue to struggle with labour shortages in key industries. By connecting refugees and employers, we’re not only advancing global mobility – we’re also advancing our economy.”
“This action-oriented event is both an innovative modern dovetail with Canada’s history of welcoming and integrating refugee talent into its fabric of economic growth and a clarion call that other Canadian cities can mirror in their own backyards,” said Darrell Pinto, Director of Employment, Jumpstart Refugee Talent.
The Greater Moncton Refugee Hiring Event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 20, at the Hyatt Moncton Downtown Hotel. The day will start with opening remarks from the Honourable Arlene Dunn (recorded), Shamira Madhany, Managing Director, Canada, and Deputy Executive Director, WES, and Darrell Pinto, Director of Employment, Jumpstart Refugee Talent.
Members of the press are welcome to attend the Greater Moncton Refugee Hiring Event. WES’ Shamira Madhany, Jumpstart Refugee Talent’s Darrell Pinto, and representatives from partner organizations participating at the event will be available for media interviews from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
To learn more about the Refugee Jobs Agenda Roundtable, please visit welcomingeconomy.ca.
About Greater Moncton
Greater Moncton is a region in southeastern New Brunswick, Canada. The Greater Moncton Area is in its second edition of a regional immigration strategy after successfully implementing the first strategy 2014-2018. Based on the latest census data, there were 18,120 immigrant and non-permanent residents living in the Moncton CMA in 2021, making it a leading destination for newcomers to settle in.
About the Refugee Jobs Agenda Roundtable
The Refugee Jobs Agenda Roundtable offers a platform for over 150 employers, employment and immigrant serving agencies and government representatives to increase refugees’ access to meaningful employment opportunities that utilize the talent and skills they bring to Canada.
About World Education Services
World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise that supports the educational, economic, and social inclusion of immigrants, refugees, and international students. From evaluating academic credentials to shaping policy, designing programs, and providing philanthropic funding, we partner with a diverse set of organizations, leaders, and networks to uplift individuals and drive systems change.
For more information, contact Mehr Tiwana, Senior Manager of Social Impact Communications, World Education Services. T: +1.4169725056 E: mtiwana@wes.org.
