 |
Your Business can Benefit from Workplace Diversity! |
FIND OUT WHY... |
The Benefits of Looking to New Canadians as Potential Employees! |
 |
New Canadians, Prepare for Success in Prince George! |
Thank you for visiting Welcome PG!
...and thank you for your interest in a more inclusive community!
Welcome PG is a strategic collaboration of community stakeholders, businesses, non-profit organizations and service providers based on a mutual passion and belief in removing barriers to social inclusion.
It was created to enhance Prince George's diversity and economic prosperity by strengthening its capacity to attract, recruit and retain internationally trained New Canadians who have chosen Canada as their home.
Welcome PG provides a forum where employers, service providers and other stakeholder groups engage and share innovative tools and resources to promote cultural competence and diversity in their workplaces and tap into New Canadians' talent.
It is our belief that an effective strategy to address the economic downturn and the projected skill shortages is to ease the integration of New Canadians into our community.
Welcome PG Artwork Selection!
Aiden Callison is the artist who's proposal was selected for Welcome PG, and his project under the theme “Celebrating Diversity” will
be installed inside the arrivals terminal at the airport in the
spring. This project was selected by Welcome PG’s partners, the Chamber
of Commerce and Initiatives Prince George, and the art advisory
committee.
Aiden Callison, originally from Smithers BC says, “I feel a strong connection to this project and the area as my Grandfather moved to Prince George in 1928 when he first immigrated to Canada.”
Callison describes his project as a portrait chandelier sculpture. The sculpture has a steel structure resembling the two rivers with suspended glass panels of photographic portraits of past and present Prince George residents. The overall concept of the sculpture is that people are constantly moving, somewhat like the rivers, and it is this movement that makes up the diverse fabric of this community and Canada as a whole.
IMSS has MOVED!
We are now located at 1270 2nd Ave - the big green building beside St Vincent de Paul's Soup Kitchen. Come say hello to us at our new location!
Did you know?
- That in 2011 9.7% of Prince George's population was made up of immigrants? That's 6,815 people!
- That 10% or over 7,000 people in Prince George speak a language other than English or French?
Prince George Upcoming Events
Women's Tea - Every Wednesday, 12:30-2:30pm
Come join in the weekly group for women! Women's Tea is a support group for women who are new to Prince George to have an opportunity to meet other women, share stories and participate in activities. Previous activities included story telling, yoga, and crafts! These events are free and open to the public. They are held at the Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society (IMSS) located at 1270 2nd Ave.
AiMHi Open House - Friday, February 24th, 2:00pm
AiMHi was the 2010 Welcoming and Inclusive Business Excellence Award
winner and will be hosting Welcome PG’s first open house on Feb. 24th at
2pm. The event celebrates AiMHi’s HR policies on diversity and practice
of employing new Canadian immigrants.
Speakers include Mayor Sheri Green, Baljit Sethi Executive Director of IMSS, Keith Dennison HR Manager of AiMHi and Cat Sivertsen Welcome PG Project Manager. The overriding topic is the importance of being open to hiring foreign skilled workers and how to successfully manage and retain a diverse workforce.
This event is open to the public and we encourage local businesses to attend to learn more about how one of their peers work successfully with new immigrants and how this practice adds to our sense of community.
The talks will be from 2:00pm - 3:00pm followed by a question and answer session, closing with refreshments and networking before the event evolves into AiMHi’s Job Fair from 3:00pm-5:00pm.
We encourage you to come out to hear about AiMHi's success story and to learn how it could work for you! Contact Kelley at kelley@imss.ca if you are interested or would like more information.
The Main Event - Saturday, February 25th, 2012
As part of Black History Month, guest speaker Wes Williams will be there who is referred to as the "Godfather of Canadian hip hop." His debut album remains the top selling Canadian hip hop album of all time. It starts at 6 pm in the CNC Atrium, dinner tickets are available @ CNC Bookstore and Books & Company: Adult $15; Children 6–12 $7.50; Children 5 and under – Free (Other evening events are free admission).
New Life Establishment Workshop - Housing - Monday, February 27th, 11:00am - 12:00pm
The Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society will be hosting their second FREE New Life Establish workshop for new immigrants and refugees. The topic will be on British Columbia's Housing Program and Tenants Rights and Responsibilities. So if you are new to Prince George or Canada and you'd like more information on what it means to be a tenant renting an apartment this workshop will help guide you through the rules - what you can and can't do as a renter, and what your landlord can and can't do to you.
You must register in advance with IMSS by contacting Ann or Maggie or 250-562-2900, ann@imss.ca, or marguerite@imss.ca. There is also FREE day care offered during the workshop, so register today!
Bullying Stops Here - Wednesday, February 29th, 4:00pm - 7:00pm
IMSS is hosting a FREE anti-bullying event with guest speakers and a powerful movie screening. The goal is to raise awareness on anti-bullying and embracing diversity through a series of activities, short films and presentations. There will be free snacks and a chance to win some prizes. The event is being held at the IMSS building at 1270 2nd Ave.
To register email maggies at marguerite@imss.ca.
We encourage you to explore our website! Please contact us if you have any questions about Welcome PG.
 |
If you are searching for a career, part-time job, or need skills training, the Government of Canada has resources that can help. There are a number of tools available to help you search job listings, create a résumé, choose a career, assess your skills or get job training. |
