A new program is making it easier for women, particularly Canadian newcomers and racial minorities, to connect with employers and find work in Ontario.
Achēv, a local non-profit that helps Ontario residents find employment and build a long-term career, is now offering a free program called Paving the Way for Immigrant and Racialized Women.
The project works with employer organizations over 1-2 months to implement Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) practices, with the goal of reducing barriers to entry for immigrant and racialized women.
If you’re an employer, the project works to strengthen your organization’s DEIA efforts through fully funded training and support, at no cost to you.
In addition to reducing barriers for immigrant and racialized women, employers strongly benefit by gaining access to a larger pool of talented and skilled individuals who are able to do valuable work and contribute to the company’s overall success.
The project is only working with Ontario employers until March 31, 2026, so interested employers are urged to contact Achēv and get started.
Here’s what employers can expect from the project:
- Tailored DEIA workshops for all genders to enhance workplace inclusivity
- Assessment frameworks that address any inequities that might exist in the workplace and determine how to solve them
- DEIA strategies and research-based resources to strengthen your workforce
- Proven strategies to increase diversity in the workplace, foster innovation and engagement, and ensure equal opportunities for all people
Paving the Way for Immigrant and Racialized Women has been a developing project at Achēv for several years. It began in 2020 with 16 focus group discussions, involving over 100 immigrant and racialized women from various employment agencies and organizations, governments, professional associations, and licensing bodies.
The project was started because, according to Statistics Canada, finding an adequate job is the biggest challenge new immigrants face after arriving in Canada.
The responses from the women in the focus groups revealed that they had experienced employment barriers to varying degrees, often in connection to their intersectional identities of gender, racialization, immigrant status, and language, according to Achēv’s “Advancing Equity for Women and Girls” report.
“Despite these challenges, many immigrants demonstrate resilience and perseverance in pursuit of meaningful employment, and thus contributing to their economic security and the development of the Canadian economy,” the report adds.
Today, the project continues to consult with immigrant and racialized women to get their input, and provides customized information sessions and briefings to Ontario employers.
Achēv says the project, once complete, will result in a final best practices manual and an advanced DEIA toolkit.
Ontario employers who want to learn more about the project, or are ready to start improving their DEIA efforts, can reach out to the program team at [email protected].
The project is just one of many services offered by Achēv, known for providing free and personalized job search assistance and career counselling to over 25,000 people in and around the GTA every year.
Their services include employment preparation workshops, career coaching, placement services and more, all customized to your unique situation. Services are available either virtually or in-person at their six employment centres in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton and North York.
They also offer a ton of helpful resources including company profiles, job postings, and tips on how to write the perfect resume and cover letter.
The full list of services, resources and workshops is available at achev.ca.
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