Internationally-trained residents working in their areas of expertise are a competitive business advantage. Hiring people with international education and experience provides your company with insight to grow your global markets. Their international perspective can infuse your team with fresh ideas and approaches to challenges. While growing numbers of Canadian businesses recognize the benefits of employing resident internationally-trained workers, many need help accessing the available global talent they need. Becoming a corporate partner can connect your company to a diverse hiring pool.
ERIEC is here to link new immigrants to local knowledge needed for a successful job search. We provide the bridge between employers’ labour needs and internationally-trained new residents so they can work to their full potential.
ERIEC helps by:
- Focusing on knowledge transfer, information coordination and dissemination, and workplace capacity building.
- Providing a useful forum for businesses, government, and stakeholders regarding employment issues relating to a multicultural workforce.
- Helping ensure workplaces are open to meaningful employment for our skilled global workforce.
ERIEC is the only organization in Edmonton to focus on the labour needs and workforce issues of the business community and how they can be resolved with internationally-trained new residents.
Resources
If you have any further questions, please contact the Mentorship Program Director.
Why should my company hire internationally-trained residents?
Often our newcomers and their spouses are highly educated, with post-secondary education such as university degrees, college diplomas, and trade certificates. Hiring them provides you with professional experience as managers, professionals, and skilled and technical workers with a global perspective. They are highly motivated, wanting to make use of their skills and expertise, and willing to learn and adapt to achieve career success in Canada. When they are part of our mentorship program, they are already part of our community, saving international recruitment and relocation costs.
How does ERIEC's mentorship program prepare immigrants for employment?
A newcomer to Canada who has completed our mentorship program will need less training when you hire them. The labour market ultimately benefits from mentoring in that our mentees more quickly adapt to Canadian workplace culture as they have learned soft skills and information necessary for them to succeed in the Canadian workforce. Mentorship partnerships are overall a cost-effective way for companies to outsource their professional development.
How does participating in ERIEC programing help my employees?
Mentors develop leadership and managerial skills, increase their productivity, and find renewed enthusiasm for their organizations and their work. Your employees will develop their communication and intercultural skills by becoming a mentor. Organizations that participate in mentoring programs have a competitive edge over their competitors in recruitment and retention practices. Mentoring has also proven to be an effective strategy for spotting talented newcomers. Supporting mentorship within your company culture can help with attracting and retaining quality employees.
Why should my company care about a diverse workforce?
Hiring diverse employees fosters diverse thinking. Creative thinking comes from our differences more than our commonalities, so building a team with broader experience and education will provide different solutions to the same challenges. A diverse workplace and promotion of mentorship can build a sense of belonging and is attractive to the top talent in a diverse marketplace.