May 29 @ 9:30 am - June 2 @ 1:30 pm
Partnership, respect for diversity, empowerment, service excellence, accountability and integrity are World Skills’ core values that speak volumes about the work it does in the settlement and not-for-profit sectors.
Fueled by a passion to enhance newcomers’ economic integration into the Canadian labour market, over the last two decades, World Skills has continuously demonstrated its commitment to helping immigrants find their footing in the Canadian economy.
First established in 1997, (formerly known as LASI World Skills – Local Agencies Serving Immigrants), it was part of the provincial government’s initiative to improve immigrant uptake of settlement services in Ontario.
Its founding members and partners include: Catholic Centre for Immigrants (CCI), Immigrant Women Services Ottawa (IWSO), Jewish Family Services (JFS), Lebanese and Arab Social Services Agency (LASSA), Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre (OCCSC), Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO) and Somali Centre for Family Services (SCFS).
“When World Skills started on its mission to connect immigrants to employment, we did not know how far this remarkable journey would take us,” according to World Skills’ Executive Director, Mengis Tsegaye.
“We have connected with people filled with hope and aspirations; connected with employers across Ottawa and we have established meaningful partnerships that help us to provide employment support to over 3,000 newcomers’ annually,” he added.
Today World Skills engages over 500 employers across Ottawa annually, who participate in targeted recruitment events for newcomers, coaching and training, networking sessions, mentorship programs and information sessions about hiring opportunities at their organizations.
Over this 25-year journey, World Skills has connected thousands of newcomers to jobs and opportunities in their field of choice through tailored employment support that spans many areas. World Skills celebrates its milestone mark in the not-for-profit sector and thanks its partners and funders. World Skills is funded by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
On Thursday, May 25, 2023, World Skills will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a grand gala event at St Anthony’s Banquet Hall at 6pm. Tickets are now available for purchase here.
For more information please contact Jon MacDougall at jon@ottawa-worldskills.org, 819-744-7467
World Skills has been a leader in enhancing newcomers’ economic integration into the Canadian economy for over 20 years.
Founded by Local Agencies Serving Immigrants, a coalition of settlement agencies in Ottawa, World Skills is a non-profit employment centre dedicated exclusively to the employment needs of newcomers and to the needs of the local labour market. We help immigrants incorporate into the workforce through employment competency building, job search training and support, cultural competency building and language training.
We connect talented newcomers to employers in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. We partner with employers to help them meet their labour market needs by understanding their business requirements, finding and pre-screening internationally trained newcomers and offering cross-cultural training.