V O L U M E 1 a n u a r y 2 0 1 3 WELCOME CENTRE NEWS WELCOME CENTRE FOR IMMIGRANTS (WCI) SETTLEMENT SERVICES Information/Orientation 31 Topics you must know for settlement A COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES, INDO-CANADIAN WOMEN S ASSOCIATION, EDMONTON MENNONITE CENTRE FOR NEWCOMERS Housing Support Immigration, sponsorship and citizenship rights and responsibilities Old age security/cpp applications Taxation & Benefits Interpretation PR Renewals Amendments EMPLOYMENT SERVICES Resume and cover letter writing ob search/information sessions Labour market information Interview preparation We are here to help! Welcome Center For Immigrants has been proudly serving newly arrived immigrants in South Edmonton since 1998. We support new comers and their families with Settlement as well as Employment Counselling and aim to provide one-on-one sessions to all our clients. When you come to visit, please bring your Immigration Documents (PR Card, Landing paper, or Canadian Citizenship). Happenings @ WCI Volunteering support Labour standards information rights, and responsibilities ob Development Employer Liaison OUTREACH & DEVELOPMENT Resource room Senior New Horizons Women s Resiliency Parent Education Immigrant Tools for School Community Liaison Airport information Booth Agency Liaison English Language Classes anuary 15th March 21st, 23 Tuesday s & Thursday s, 6:30 8:30 PM English Language Classes (For Seniors & Adults) Commencing February 23 Citizenship Classes Commencing February 23 Settlement Workshop Every Tuesday, 9:30 12:00 P.M Healthy Families Healthy Community Every Tuesday, 1:30 3:30 P.M Employment Workshop Every Wednesday, 9:30 4:00 PM Senior s Workshop anuary 23rd, 23 Community Pot Luck February 8th, 23
AREZOO SABOUR I S S U E V O L U M E 1 a n u a r y 2 0 1 3 New Staff @ Welcome Centre ELIE HARB ALEX O NEILL MAHA YASSINE DEANNA KEY Hello everyone, I am happy to be the new Resource Facilitator at the Welcome Centre for Immigrants. You can find me in the Resource/Computer Room for any inquiries and I ll be more than glad to assist you. Hello everyone! My name is Alex O Neill and I am a Child and Youth Settlement Counsellor. As someone who grew up in Mill Woods, I am thrilled to be a part of a team so committed to serving the diverse communities in South Edmonton. Hello everyone! I m Maha Yassine, and I m honoured to join the Welcome Centre for Immigrants as a Settlement Counsellor with Catholic Social Services. Let s work together on making Canada a more welcoming home! Hello everyone! My name is Deanna Key and I am the Team Leader for Catholic Social Services at the Welcome Centre for Immigrants. Having been born and raised in Edmonton I feel privileged to be part of a team of professionals committed to journeying alongside of immigrants and their families as they adjust to their new life in Canada. Hello Everyone! My name is Arezoo Sabour. I have been working for Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers for over two years. I have recently joined as an Employer Liaison/ob developer to connect with Edmonton employers and assist clients with job search. 02
Putting the pieces together to solve the Dingo puzzle Teamwork works best for the Marble Relay Race Young artists at work, painting their papier mache. Bowling at Bonnie Doon Bowling Lanes I S S U E V O L U M E 1 a n u a r y 2 0 1 3 Winter Program at WCI Courtesy: Alexandria O Neill - Child and Youth Settlement Counsellor D uring the winter break, WCI welcomed children between the ages of 10-13 to participate in a 3- day Winter Program. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of everyone involved, the Winter Program was a great success! The children enjoyed a variety of games, arts and crafts, as well as a fieldtrip to Bonnie Doon Bowling Lanes. Introduction to Child and Youth Settlement Counsellors Running the Winter Program were two new staff members, Muna Yusuf and Alex O Neill. Muna and Alex are Child and Youth Settlement Counsellors with Catholic Social Services and have been working at the Welcome Center for Immigrants since December. Their goal is to provide support to the children and youth in the Mill Woods area. Whether it is one-on-one counselling, academic support, or help accessing other community services, Alex and Muna are eager to be of service to the young immigrants in the community. Likewise, Muna and Alex look forward to establishing more programs that carry-on the WCI tradition of supporting the immigrant communities in south Edmonton. 03
I S S U E V O L U M E 1 a n u a r y 2 0 1 3 The Haves and Have Not s of Canada s Labor Market Courtesy: Arzoo Sabour - Employer Liaison A n analysis of Canada s job market shows there is a growing divide between have and have not occupations. On one hand, we are increasingly seeing jobs go unfilled for long stretches due to a lack of skilled applicants. In fact, the Prime Minister recently described skills shortages in the Canadian labor market as the biggest challenge our country faces. But, on the other end of the labor market spectrum, there is growing evidence that the size of the labor surplus pool is also on the rise. For a number of occupations, employment opportunities are increasingly disappearing. Traditional occupations like butchers, bakers, tailors, laborers in manufacturing, office managers and clerks are showing signs of labor surplus. As are secondary and elementary school teachers. The list of occupations with signs of skills shortages includes many positions in traditional health care roles, such as doctors, nurses and dentists. The health care list also includes optometrists, chiropractors, pharmacists, dietitians and nutritionists. Mining, engineering and science occupations are also facing skill shortages. Recent adjustments to the immigration system are clearly designed to ease the pain of skill shortages, but they are probably too small to deal with the current skill gap in the Canadian labor market. This labor market mismatch is big enough not only to reduce the effectiveness of monetary policy, but also to limit the growth potential of the labor market and the economy as a whole. Skilled Labor Mismatch: How Big is the Problem? No less than 30% of businesses indicate that they face a skilled labor shortage. This number is double the rate seen in early 20. And the recent acceleration in that ratio has coincided with a stagnating employment rate loosely illustrating the negative impact of skill shortages on employment growth. What s more, while you will not see it in the relatively stable trajectory of the unemployment rate, the number of job vacancies reported by firms has risen by close to 16% over the past year bringing the vacancy-to-unemployment ratio to its highest level since Statistics Canada started. 04
I S S U E V O L U M E 1 a n u a r y 2 0 1 3 Winter Festival in Edmonton Ice on Whyte (anuary 25 th - February 3 rd ) Courtesy: Hirah aved (Volunteer WCI) W e love it, we dislike it. It excites us, yet feels endless. The mid winter season is here. While many of us take pleasure in the first snow of the season, many regard it as a time to hibernate. With the Edmontonian winter, there are only two choices: either we welcome it with a big bear hug, or the alternative is stagnation. The Ice on Whyte festival is Edmonton s preeminent ice carving competition, starting anuary 25 th. Ten special teams from around the globe are invited to Edmonton to showcase their carving talents. The parks are filled with ice and snow exhibits, children s play areas, ice slides and more. The park is open for public viewing Monday to Friday, 2:00 PM 10:00 PM, and on weekends from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Admission is $5.00 for adults, $2.50 for children 2-12 years old and under 2 is free. Family skating is offered from 2 pm to 10 pm throughout the festival. So, Edmontonians, mark your calendars for anuary 25 to February 3, 23, and go and see the magic happen as blocks of ice are transformed into magnificent sculptures at the end of Steel Park, Gateway Blvd (103 Street) and Tommy Banks Way, Edmonton, Alberta. 05
I S S U E V O L U M E 1 a n u a r y 2 0 1 3 Do you have feedback? Are you a new Canadian resident? Would you like to tell your story? We welcome your ideas. Please write to us at: Welcome Centre For Immigrants #200, Tower II Millbourne Mall 3699 Millwoods Road NW Edmonton, AB. T6K 3L6 Phone: 780 462 6924 Fax# 780 466 6594 On the web http://ww.wciedmonton.ca E-mail: Info@mwci.ca Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ WelcomeCenterForImmigrantsEdmonton Newsletter team Karuna Bhavsar, Saima Tanwir, Zareen Mirza, Hirah aved (Volunteer WCI) 06