About Us

Connecting Immigrants to Employment

World Skills has been a leader in enhancing newcomers’ economic integration into the Canadian economy for over 25 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 newcomers 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.

We are funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, the Government of Ontario and the United Way with additional support from partnerships the Community Foundation of Ottawa, TD Bank, and Accenture, as well as donations and fee-for-service.

Our Mission

To support the integration of newcomers into the Canadian labour market through:

Partnership
Pre-employment Supports
Employer Engagement
Entrepreneurship

Our Vision

An inclusive Canada that values the skills and talents of new Canadians.

Our Core Values

Partnership

Our history is based on partnership and continues to frame our work and identity.

Respect for diversity

We value the unique backgrounds, viewpoints, skills and talents of our clients, volunteers, staff and stakeholders.

Empowerment

We go beyond helping clients; we embrace capacity-building and continuous learning.

Service Excellence

We are committed to providing a high standard of service to our clients, employers, funders and community partners.

Accountability and Integrity

We believe everyone must take ownership of their actions and responsibilities.