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Thursday, July 24, 2008
Local agency tackles national employment issue
For immediate release
October 20, 2004, Hamilton, Ontario – Settlement and Integration Services Organization (SISO), announced today it will celebrate local businesses that are making strides in positioning themselves strategically for shortages in the labour market. On October 27, 2004, SISO will host the Employer Recognition Luncheon to recognize champions of hiring internationally-trained professionals and tradespeople and promoting diversity.
“This is an extremely important event for SISO and for the employment community in the Hamilton area,” says Morteza Jafarpour, Executive Director of SISO. “It is an opportunity for us to recognize those businesses in the area that are bridging the gap between new Canadians and the business community. We will also have the opportunity to launch our new on-line recruitment tool, www.skillsadvantage.com, a new web site to assist employers with the recruitment and hiring of internationally-trained professionals and tradespeople.”
SISO says there are all kinds of reasons for small and medium sized businesses, as well as large corporations, to hire internationally-trained professionals and trades people. The benefits of hiring newcomers and employing workplace diversity as a competitive advantage will be of increasing importance for the well-being of businesses and communities in the future.
An expert on Canadian labour market issues says: “For the last five or six years, the labour supply in Ontario has started to shrink in terms of its growth rate. If you’re an employer, finding workers is going to be much more difficult…Ontario has one big strength and that is that we garner so much of the national immigration flow…If you want to survive five years from you, you need to start now. ”
A recent study indicates that as the Canadian workforce continues to age, Canadian companies will increasingly need to access alternate or non-traditional sources of talent in order to replace retiring workers. It states that by 2011 when almost one-fifth or the baby boom generation will be at least 61 years of age, there will be a potential for shortages in certain occupations. Additionally, a national report states that in 2001 recent immigrants to Canada represented almost 70% of the labour force growth and, if current trends continue, could account for all future labour growth by 2011.
Settlement and Integration Services Organization is a community-based organization which exists to serve immigrant and refugee communities in Hamilton and supports the right of all people to fully participate in the social, economic and cultural life of society. SISO's mandate is to provide culturally sensitive, language appropriate, anti-racist programs and services to culturally and racially diverse immigrants and refugees communities; to remain responsive to the needs of communities; to advocate for equity and change; and to facilitate empowerment through improving access to knowledge and information.
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For more information, please contact Aurelia Tokaci at 905-667-7478 or atokaci@siso-ham.org.
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