A New Chapter for Immigrant Women

Ramatoulaye Koete is one of many women who attended a recent career fair organized by StratHR Solutions in Winnipeg. After a year of learning English, Koete expressed her excitement at connecting with potential employers. “It was a great opportunity for me to meet employers and introduce myself,” she said, underlining the event’s importance for her career advancement.

Fostering Connections

The career fair attracted around 400 participants, with many attendees being immigrants eager to enter the workforce. Zita Somakoko, president of StratHR Solutions, emphasized the importance of tapping into this underutilized talent pool, stating, “We wanted to challenge the workforce community to say, ‘You’ve got this pool of people that nobody’s tapping into.’”

Insights from the Event

During the event, several organizations provided various job opportunities. Koete, originally from Mali, underscored her search for a billing position that required bilingual skills. “I’m looking for French positions, but they need bilingual,” she noted, highlighting the linguistic hurdles many immigrants face in the job market.

Somakoko revealed that her company received $4.3 million in federal funding to run “Narrowing the Gender Gap,” a literacy program that has seen 1,500 applications within three days of its launch. By the end of the program in March 2024, 500 women were trained in essential soft skills.

Catalyzing the Job Search

Ashley Dunlop, representing Economic Development Winnipeg, shared insights into the online job portal that assists both employers and job seekers. “We find a lot of times with newcomers, they know what their job is back home…Sometimes they don’t know that in Canada, that can also be an accounting technician,” she explained.

The portal, which has engaged over 2,000 employers, serves as a bridge between newcomers and potential job opportunities, helping them showcase their skills effectively.

A Focus on Women

Recruitment efforts were specifically geared toward women, as seen with Jashan Sidhu, who was at the fair to recruit caregivers for St.Amant. “I think this is really good,” she remarked, highlighting the demand for female aides in client care.

The Role of Technology

Job seeker Angelle Holmes shared her experience, emphasizing her hope that being present at the fair would give her an edge over candidates applying online. She raised concerns about artificial intelligence filtering applications, noting that her freelance photography portfolio might complicate initial screenings.

Moving Forward

With Manitoba’s unemployment rate at a low 5.5% in July, the province is looking to build on its employment gains despite challenges elsewhere in Canada. StratHR Solutions plans to host more women-only job fairs throughout Canada, with the next event set for Toronto this winter.

In addition, the firm is launching a program aimed at supporting immigrant men in applying their professional credentials in Canada.