For Professionals headed to Alberta
Aug 17th 2004 | 4:55 pm
#1
Thread Starter
mañana is my busiest day
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,636
From: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
For Professionals headed to Alberta
New program offers valuable resources for incoming professionals
Thursday, August 12, 2004
A new program through Bow Valley College hopes to connect newcomers to Calgary with professional backgrounds to job markets often hungry for qualified personnel.
Directions for Immigrants in Trades and Professional Careers (DITPC) has had its website up since April and moved into offices downtown a month later. It's a logical extension for Bow Valley, which has extensive experience with English as a Second Language (ESL) training and work experience for immigrants.
"The demand for a program like this has been around for years. We want to be a resource that professionals can use once they arrive in Calgary or even before they come to Canada," says Ellie Khaksar, the supervisor of DITPC.
Khaksar says immigrant professionals can use the agency to access information on the accreditation process for Canadian professions and trades, learn what trades and professions are in demand and start the networking process towards finding employment. The centre provides access to the Internet, faxes, photocopiers and computers. Clients can also sign up for one-on-one coaching sessions or attend industry-specific workshops.
In its first few months of operation, immigrant engineers have been the centre's most frequent clients.
"We've had people from a number of countries around the world. We've also had nurses, medical doctors and people in finance and accounting careers use our service," says Khaksar.
"There are still stories of professionals from other nations driving cabs because their credentials aren't recognized, but we always try to emphasize the positive and the potential with our clients. We've had at least five people come through our offices who have been able to find work in their chosen professional field."
The program's launch couldn't have come at a better time for Coenraad Pool, a 39-year old engineer from South Africa who arrived in Calgary on May 28.
"I've been working in Namibia for the last 10 years but felt I'd sort of exhausted what I could do professionally in a Third World country," relates Pool.
"I wanted to expand my skills in an industrialized nation and I did a lot of research on the U.S. and European countries before deciding Canada was my top choice."
Pool knows he may have to take a temporary step or two backward financially to eventually find his niche in Calgary's engineering community.
"I've given myself three years to get back to the same level I was at in South Africa. A place like this (DITPC) will help me figure out 'am I on the right track', what do I have to do to make myself attractive to a Canadian employer and help me make contacts to get my foot in the door," says Pool.
In his two-plus months in Calgary, Pool's been impressed by the overall efficiency and standard of living here.
"In a bizarre sort of way, I'm even looking forward to experiencing my first Canadian winter and seeing snow," he says with a grin.
More information on the program is available online at www.ditpc.ca or by calling 297-2555.
http://www.canada.com/calgary/story....b-3af7578f66fb
Thursday, August 12, 2004
A new program through Bow Valley College hopes to connect newcomers to Calgary with professional backgrounds to job markets often hungry for qualified personnel.
Directions for Immigrants in Trades and Professional Careers (DITPC) has had its website up since April and moved into offices downtown a month later. It's a logical extension for Bow Valley, which has extensive experience with English as a Second Language (ESL) training and work experience for immigrants.
"The demand for a program like this has been around for years. We want to be a resource that professionals can use once they arrive in Calgary or even before they come to Canada," says Ellie Khaksar, the supervisor of DITPC.
Khaksar says immigrant professionals can use the agency to access information on the accreditation process for Canadian professions and trades, learn what trades and professions are in demand and start the networking process towards finding employment. The centre provides access to the Internet, faxes, photocopiers and computers. Clients can also sign up for one-on-one coaching sessions or attend industry-specific workshops.
In its first few months of operation, immigrant engineers have been the centre's most frequent clients.
"We've had people from a number of countries around the world. We've also had nurses, medical doctors and people in finance and accounting careers use our service," says Khaksar.
"There are still stories of professionals from other nations driving cabs because their credentials aren't recognized, but we always try to emphasize the positive and the potential with our clients. We've had at least five people come through our offices who have been able to find work in their chosen professional field."
The program's launch couldn't have come at a better time for Coenraad Pool, a 39-year old engineer from South Africa who arrived in Calgary on May 28.
"I've been working in Namibia for the last 10 years but felt I'd sort of exhausted what I could do professionally in a Third World country," relates Pool.
"I wanted to expand my skills in an industrialized nation and I did a lot of research on the U.S. and European countries before deciding Canada was my top choice."
Pool knows he may have to take a temporary step or two backward financially to eventually find his niche in Calgary's engineering community.
"I've given myself three years to get back to the same level I was at in South Africa. A place like this (DITPC) will help me figure out 'am I on the right track', what do I have to do to make myself attractive to a Canadian employer and help me make contacts to get my foot in the door," says Pool.
In his two-plus months in Calgary, Pool's been impressed by the overall efficiency and standard of living here.
"In a bizarre sort of way, I'm even looking forward to experiencing my first Canadian winter and seeing snow," he says with a grin.
More information on the program is available online at www.ditpc.ca or by calling 297-2555.
http://www.canada.com/calgary/story....b-3af7578f66fb
Aug 26th 2004 | 9:46 pm
#2
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 7
Re: For Professionals headed to Alberta
Originally Posted by oceanMDX
New program offers valuable resources for incoming professionals
Thursday, August 12, 2004
A new program through Bow Valley College hopes to connect newcomers to Calgary with professional backgrounds to job markets often hungry for qualified personnel.
Directions for Immigrants in Trades and Professional Careers (DITPC) has had its website up since April and moved into offices downtown a month later. It's a logical extension for Bow Valley, which has extensive experience with English as a Second Language (ESL) training and work experience for immigrants.
"The demand for a program like this has been around for years. We want to be a resource that professionals can use once they arrive in Calgary or even before they come to Canada," says Ellie Khaksar, the supervisor of DITPC.
Khaksar says immigrant professionals can use the agency to access information on the accreditation process for Canadian professions and trades, learn what trades and professions are in demand and start the networking process towards finding employment. The centre provides access to the Internet, faxes, photocopiers and computers. Clients can also sign up for one-on-one coaching sessions or attend industry-specific workshops.
In its first few months of operation, immigrant engineers have been the centre's most frequent clients.
"We've had people from a number of countries around the world. We've also had nurses, medical doctors and people in finance and accounting careers use our service," says Khaksar.
"There are still stories of professionals from other nations driving cabs because their credentials aren't recognized, but we always try to emphasize the positive and the potential with our clients. We've had at least five people come through our offices who have been able to find work in their chosen professional field."
The program's launch couldn't have come at a better time for Coenraad Pool, a 39-year old engineer from South Africa who arrived in Calgary on May 28.
"I've been working in Namibia for the last 10 years but felt I'd sort of exhausted what I could do professionally in a Third World country," relates Pool.
"I wanted to expand my skills in an industrialized nation and I did a lot of research on the U.S. and European countries before deciding Canada was my top choice."
Pool knows he may have to take a temporary step or two backward financially to eventually find his niche in Calgary's engineering community.
"I've given myself three years to get back to the same level I was at in South Africa. A place like this (DITPC) will help me figure out 'am I on the right track', what do I have to do to make myself attractive to a Canadian employer and help me make contacts to get my foot in the door," says Pool.
In his two-plus months in Calgary, Pool's been impressed by the overall efficiency and standard of living here.
"In a bizarre sort of way, I'm even looking forward to experiencing my first Canadian winter and seeing snow," he says with a grin.
More information on the program is available online at www.ditpc.ca or by calling 297-2555.
http://www.canada.com/calgary/story....b-3af7578f66fb
Thursday, August 12, 2004
A new program through Bow Valley College hopes to connect newcomers to Calgary with professional backgrounds to job markets often hungry for qualified personnel.
Directions for Immigrants in Trades and Professional Careers (DITPC) has had its website up since April and moved into offices downtown a month later. It's a logical extension for Bow Valley, which has extensive experience with English as a Second Language (ESL) training and work experience for immigrants.
"The demand for a program like this has been around for years. We want to be a resource that professionals can use once they arrive in Calgary or even before they come to Canada," says Ellie Khaksar, the supervisor of DITPC.
Khaksar says immigrant professionals can use the agency to access information on the accreditation process for Canadian professions and trades, learn what trades and professions are in demand and start the networking process towards finding employment. The centre provides access to the Internet, faxes, photocopiers and computers. Clients can also sign up for one-on-one coaching sessions or attend industry-specific workshops.
In its first few months of operation, immigrant engineers have been the centre's most frequent clients.
"We've had people from a number of countries around the world. We've also had nurses, medical doctors and people in finance and accounting careers use our service," says Khaksar.
"There are still stories of professionals from other nations driving cabs because their credentials aren't recognized, but we always try to emphasize the positive and the potential with our clients. We've had at least five people come through our offices who have been able to find work in their chosen professional field."
The program's launch couldn't have come at a better time for Coenraad Pool, a 39-year old engineer from South Africa who arrived in Calgary on May 28.
"I've been working in Namibia for the last 10 years but felt I'd sort of exhausted what I could do professionally in a Third World country," relates Pool.
"I wanted to expand my skills in an industrialized nation and I did a lot of research on the U.S. and European countries before deciding Canada was my top choice."
Pool knows he may have to take a temporary step or two backward financially to eventually find his niche in Calgary's engineering community.
"I've given myself three years to get back to the same level I was at in South Africa. A place like this (DITPC) will help me figure out 'am I on the right track', what do I have to do to make myself attractive to a Canadian employer and help me make contacts to get my foot in the door," says Pool.
In his two-plus months in Calgary, Pool's been impressed by the overall efficiency and standard of living here.
"In a bizarre sort of way, I'm even looking forward to experiencing my first Canadian winter and seeing snow," he says with a grin.
More information on the program is available online at www.ditpc.ca or by calling 297-2555.
http://www.canada.com/calgary/story....b-3af7578f66fb
Aug 27th 2004 | 2:09 am
#3
Thread Starter
mañana is my busiest day
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,636
From: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Re: For Professionals headed to Alberta
Originally Posted by kevco
thanks for that it will help me no end
