FROM DIVERSITY TO PROSPERITY

Employing Newcomers in the Capital Region

The Greater Victoria Local Immigration Partnership (GVLIP) hosted an Employment Summit on February 22, 2024, focusing on the benefits of hiring newcomers in the Capital Region. The event titled “From Diversity to Prosperity: Employing Newcomers in the Capital Region” was funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and provided attendees with information and tools to help them build a more equitable workplace.

The summit featured a panel representing the voices of newcomers, employers, and immigrant service providers. The plenary speakers were Amal Issa and Margo d’Archangelo from BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner, the event also included the participation of Mandeep Mucina as a facilitator and the panelists, Yassmina Essebre, Juan Cuesta, Kabir Hosein and Bruce Williams.

Participants had the opportunity to learn about the benefits and opportunities of hiring newcomers, obtained concrete and innovative information on how to make an action plan to build a more equitable workplace, and networked with other employers and newcomers around equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives in the Capital Region.

“Ask people how they are, have a cup of coffee with them. Learn about others and you realize that the more you learn, the more barriers are broken down. Culture is not just a textbook that you could read, it is found at the end of experiences that we collectively go through and on which we can build, hopefully, a better future for oneself and for everyone.”

[Previous event participant]