News

I came to Canada 10 years ago as an immigrant from Pakistan. I know first-hand the kind of struggles and challenges newcomers face such as learning the local language, and how to adapt to all the little things that are so different in Canada, such as writing a Canadian styled resume! If you are a newcomer looking for some tips, I will give you some from my personal experience.

Imagine you’ve researched and practiced all week for an interview for a job in your field and you felt your interview went very well! However, you discover that the other candidate got the job. Why? Because your educational credentials had not been assessed. The employer thereby, did not know if your educational background matched the requirements of the company. I’ve heard of this happening over the years from so many newcomers and it’s very unfortunate. My goal is to see all clients succeed and not miss out on any opportunities, so get your credentials assessed!

For newcomers to Canada the first few days often go by with a flurry of emotions; confusion, excitement, fear, relief, worry, happiness, sadness. Jet lag wears off in a day or so, and before you know it you might be ready to start exploring your options, learning about your new environment and figuring out what are the next steps you should be taking to start building your new life in Canada. Settling in and beginning a new life in a new country is never an easy task, but having a plan or a to do list is always helpful to achieving your goals and this is no different.

Newcomers arrive in Canada every day. Canada aims to welcome 421,000 new permanent residents in 2023. Some are fleeing for their lives, some are re-uniting with their families, some come temporarily to work and some immigrate for business. No matter where they are from or how and why they came to Canada, newcomers all share a somewhat universal immigrant experience.  

Here’s a story about Katarzyna and her family's journey to calling Canada home. 

Our Workplace English classes are now in two locations! Click here to find out more. 

The Art Workshop for Newcomers on Friday at our Burlington site was a huge success! In partnership with Art Gallery of Burlington, this free workshop taught basic techniques for painting in watercolour. Clients were encouraged to share their settlement story through art form and connect with others in their new community.

Share your settlement story through art on November 29! Register today by emailing alice.maroti@centreforskills.ca 

Join us in celebrating and welcoming newcomers to Halton Region!

Last night's Newcomer Recognition Awards proved to be a very exciting evening for The Centre, as three of our staff and one client were honoured by The Halton Newcomer Strategy.

On March 23, we celebrated the graduation ceremony for our first Home Renovation for Newcomers class.