Service provider helps connect Afghan newcomers to meaningful employment

✔ Fact Checked by TDPel News Desk

By Samantha Allen

Published: March 27, 2022 | 7:03 PM

The Government of Canada is working hard to resettle at least 40,000 Afghan nationals as quickly and safely as possible. Canada has now welcomed 9,560 Afghan refugees, with more arriving every week.

For many newcomers, getting a job and entering the labour market is a crucial first step to their new life in Canada. It contributes to their successful integration and provides them with self-confidence and a sense of belonging.

ACCES Employment, a service provider organization in the Greater Toronto Area, is a leader in connecting job seekers from diverse backgrounds with employers, such as Maple Leaf Foods, CGI, and Rogers, who have all stepped up to support Afghan refugees.

ACCES offers:

mentoring support
translation and language support
job search workshops, including resume writing and interview preparation
work placements
onboarding and post-hire support

To date, ACCES has held 7 virtual job fairs, working with Afghan refugees to explore their work interests and where they want to settle. Through one-on-one virtual conversations with prospective employers, many Afghan newcomers have been given follow-up interviews and have received job offers.

Expanding their reach beyond the Greater Toronto Area, ACCES is beginning to work with TalentPool in Calgary to deliver larger-scale job fairs across Canada. They’ve also teamed up with IKEA Canada to launch a national Customer Experience Training Program. This program is designed for refugees interested in customer experience strategies, as well as work placements and mentorship opportunities with IKEA.

Photos of previous arrivals of Afghan refugees are available in Dropbox for use by media. You can also monitor Canada’s progress on welcoming Afghan refugees to Canada.

Quotes

“Service provider organizations are essential to help newcomers integrate into their new home country, and I am pleased that businesses have stepped up to hire Afghan refugees. All newcomers deserve to feel valued by contributing to our society, which is critical to our post-pandemic recovery. We continue to lean heavily on our trusted partners to support our commitments to resettle some of the world’s most vulnerable.”

– The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

“ACCES has always been committed to removing barriers for newcomers and people with lived-refugee experience. A key strength of our service delivery is how we marshal resources, as well as our connections to other community agencies and corporate partners, to positively influence the lives of people who need it the most. We’ve been working to support Afghan newcomers and look forward to helping even more Afghan refugees in the coming year.”
– Allison Pond, President and Chief Executive Officer, ACCES Employment

Quick facts

Through the Settlement Program, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) funds over 500 settlement service provider organizations to provide support services and programming to newcomers.
The Settlement Program assists newcomers, including refugees, in overcoming barriers so they and their families can contribute to the civic, social, political and economic aspects of life in Canada.
Afghan refugees have resettled in more than 90 communities across Canada, which range from major urban centres to small towns and rural communities.
ACCES Employment serves more than 40,000 job seekers annually and works with a network of 2,500 employers in various sectors. It is a not-for-profit organization that receives funding from all levels of government, including IRCC.

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About Samantha Allen

Samantha Allen is a seasoned journalist and senior correspondent at TDPel Media, specializing in the intersection of maternal health, clinical wellness, and public policy. With a background in investigative reporting and a passion for data-driven storytelling, Samantha has become a trusted voice for expectant mothers and healthcare advocates worldwide. Her work focuses on translating complex medical research into actionable insights, covering everything from prenatal fitness and neonatal care to the socioeconomic impacts of healthcare legislation. At TDPel Media, Samantha leads the agency's health analytics desk, ensuring that every report is grounded in accuracy, empathy, and scientific integrity. When she isn't in the newsroom, she is an advocate for community-led wellness initiatives and an avid explorer of California’s coastal trails.