Algonquin College program helping newcomer women get their foot in the door
Forty-two graduates of a new program at Algonquin College walked across the stage on Friday, the first cohort of a course that helps newcomer women find jobs in Canada.
Andrea McDonald, coordinator of the Skills for Success program, says many of the women had proper credentials in their home country but struggled once they arrived.
The free, 11-week program offers skills training for entry-level office administration roles.
They're all amazing women, and anybody would be lucky to have them in their employ. - Andrea McDonald, Skills for Success
"We wanted to help our newcomers, specifically women, who have had difficulties coming over, and maybe they've lost their careers," she said.
McDonald said the program works to help build the students' communication, math and digital skills. They're also given access to a recruiter to help them find jobs directly after the program, and several have already secured positions.
"They're all amazing women, and anybody would be lucky to have them in their employ," McDonald said.
The program was funded by the provincial government. There's been overwhelming interest, with more than 900 applications for the fall and winter sessions.
Building a community together
Promise Chimezie arrived from Nigeria seven months ago. With her background as a human resources professional, she was surprised when she struggled to land interviews.
"That really shocked me. This is something I do," Chimezie said at the graduation. "This is something that I can train people to do, and here I am in this new country — and no interview."
Promise Chimezie says she feels confident after having successfully completed the program. (Francis Ferland/Radio-Canada)
Chimezie said she met amazing people while finishing the program, and now feels like she has a community behind her and confidence for the journey ahead.
She's also been able to shore up her computer and math skills, as well as learn more about what employers want.
"I had the skills before. I used them for my job," she said. "Of course, there's always room for improvement."
Chimezie said she even improved her communication skills, though she's spoken English almost her entire life.
Ziniratahsin Fariha, another graduate, said she's already been able to secure a job.
Ziniratahsin Fariha is hopeful the skills she's learned will set her on the right course toward practising medicine again. (Francis Ferland/Radio-Canada)
She arrived in July from Bangladesh, where she was a doctor. Now she's working as a patient observer at The Ottawa Hospital.
Her goal is to become certified to practise medicine once again.
"It's not impossible," she said. "It's possible, it happened once in my lifetime. It's not beyond my capability. I will achieve [it] someday."
