A program connecting employers with qualified refugees is taking root in Nova Scotia. It could address shortages in the local health care sector, and lead to similar efforts across Canada and in other countries.
By UNHCR Canada
Through the efforts of RefugePoint, an international non-profit that serves at-risk refugees, and the Pictou County Regional Enterprise Network, skilled refugees in Kenya were offered jobs as continuing care assistants at Glen Haven Manor, a long-term care facility in Pictou County, Nova Scotia.
“I know the future is bright, very bright for my family, for my children and for me too. Because I also want to develop career-wise.”
– Micheline Muhima
Glen Haven Manor CEO Lisa Smith said the pilot has helped the long-term care facility address recruitment needs and will benefit its residents.
“Glen Haven is proud to be part of this extraordinary global collaboration that has the capacity to positively change the lives of refugees and their families by offering a pathway to permanent residence in Canada,” Smith said.
The opportunity to connect qualified refugees to employers facing specific skilled labour gaps came to fruition through the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP), a pilot created by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Starting December 3, 2021, the EMPP phase 2 will help settle up to 500 skilled refugees, and their families, in Canada. As part of the pilot project, other skilled refugees had previously been recruited from Lebanon and matched with Canadian employers with the help of Talent Beyond Boundaries.