Sister2Sister Advanced Leadership Program receives more than $1.5 million from the Ontario Government
Sister2Sister Advanced Leadership Program will support 230 newcomer women in leadership development training to land meaningful jobs!
TORONTO (ONTARIO) August 29, 2023 – Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto (NEW) is thrilled to receive more than $1.5 million in funding dedicated to empowering newcomers’ economic integration through its Sister2Sister Advanced Leadership Program (ALP). This program provides racialized skilled immigrant and refugee women with a go-to-market strategic plan, leadership development training, employment readiness, career coaching, wraparound support, and a paid internship through a strategic partner network to access the Canadian labour market.
In 2021, Ontario welcomed 184,725 new permanent residents to Canada. Recent research indicates that if internationally trained newcomers are assisted in securing employment in their fields of expertise, Ontario's GDP could surge by $100 billion in the next five years. To help realize this potential, the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton recently announced the Ontario government is investing $2.6 million in four free training projects to help more than 300 newcomers, including displaced Afghans and Ukrainians. NEW is training 230 of these newcomers with a focus on racialized newcomer women.
“Immigrants make our province stronger and our culture richer,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “Our government is proud to be funding the Sister2Sister Advanced Leadership Program to help newcomer women find meaningful jobs in their communities, earning bigger paycheques, and build better lives for themselves and their families” – Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
The program offers micro-credentials in digital fluency, project management, and business and health administration in partnership with the top business schools in Canada including Schulich Executive Education, Rotman School of Management, Ted Rogers School of Management, and Humber College.
“Ontario’s economic recovery and future prosperity is dependent on a workforce that can quickly adapt and respond to an evolving labour market,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “By offering micro-credentials, the ALP program will ensure that racialized skilled immigrant and refugee women have access to retrain and upgrade their skills faster in order to find meaningful work and build a strong foundation as they begin a new chapter in Ontario.” – Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities.
NEW’s Executive Director, Sara Asalya, created the Sister2Sister Advanced Leadership Program in October 2021 with 28 participants in its first cohort. Sara’s own lived experience of starting over in a new country inspired her to create change for future generations of skilled immigrant and refugee women. Thanks to the support of the Ontario government, the second cohort of ALP was launched in May 2022 with 86 participants. The program has continued to grow in the number of program participants, business partners, facilitators and funding resources.
“Thanks to the generous funding received from the Ministry, Newcomer Women's Services Toronto will be providing skills development training and job placements to 230 racialized immigrant and refugee women in Ontario with the aim of breaking down barriers and creating equal opportunities to labour-market inclusion and advancement among these women.” – Sara Asalya, Executive Director of Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto.
The program aligns education, experiential learning, and skills development with the needs of employers and the local labour market. The initiative has attracted investment and potential job creation through internships and job placements with prominent employers in Canada. The success of the program is attributed to the dedication, passion and talent of program staff who go above and beyond to provide exceptional supportive services to these women.
With the awarded funding, Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto can continue to deliver life-changing opportunities for 230 racialized immigrant and refugee women who will be empowered to enter the Canadian labour market with confidence and build purposeful careers in Ontario.
Quotes
“Being a newcomer to Canada, I am so glad that I applied and joined such an exclusive leadership program. This launched my professional career in Canada, shaped my personal growth and helped me to develop a sense of belonging towards Canadian culture and community. Through this program, I felt empowered by the variety of skills workshops (time management, communication and many more). I advanced my professional portfolio by being awarded the Project Management certificate and started the job as the Program Assistant for Sister2Sister Advanced Leadership Program at NEW”.
– Sister2Sister Graduate
“Sister to Sister Advanced Leadership Program is an incredible initiative taken for the development of newcomer women. It was executed with the genuine intention of helping immigrant women not only in their job search and skill development, but also in understanding what they are going through and providing them with all that they need to regain their confidence and rebuild their identity. I feel I was so fortunate to be a part of this program. I not only learned many new skills that are needed to become a true leader, but also met new sisters. I strongly think maximum newcomer women should get an opportunity to be a part of this program”.
– Sister2Sister Graduate
“As an employer partner, we are pleased to be part of the Sister2Sister Advanced Leadership program. The program prepares immigrant women and equips them with the tools, resources and skills required to succeed in the Canadian labour market. The Immigrant Employment Council of BC hired a graduate from the program that has added value to our work from day one. The program taught participants skills that are transferable and much needed in today's labour market.”
– Rania Younes, Senior Manager, National Network, IECBC.
“Humber College is pleased to partner with Newcomer Women Services Toronto to empower, uplift, and offer skills and leadership development programming to internationally trained and racialized newcomer and refugee women. Employers are looking for skilled workers, and as part of the Sister2Sister Advanced Leadership program, participants will earn Humber's Digital Fluency for the Workforce micro-credential, which will equip them with the current digital skills and tools needed to gain meaningful employment and contribute to the Canadian economy."
– Kelly Jackson, Vice-President, External Affairs and Professional Learning at Humber College
“The Rotman School of Management is deeply proud to partner with Newcomer Women’s Services on the Sister2Sister Advanced Leadership Program. Providing career focused skills training is a critical “last mile” component to matching newcomers with jobs. This program is sure to lead to fantastic outcomes, both for the talented participants and for the employers who will hire them.”
– Stephanie Hodnett, Executive Director, Rotman Executive Programs
“The Ted Rogers School is pleased to be part of this network providing support to newcomer women. We look forward not only to sharing our expertise, but to helping more newcomers unlock their potential and contribute their skills to high-demand careers.”
– Cynthia Holmes, Dean, Ted Rogers School of Management
“At Schulich ExecEd, we help organizations build and foster an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace culture with a strong emphasis on promoting and developing equity deserving groups. For the second year in a row, we are incredibly proud to be a part of the Sister2Sister Advanced Leadership Program in continued partnership with Newcomer Women's Services Toronto to help immigrant women transition into the job market and develop a successful career in our community. We are confident that together we can continue to provide the right tools and skills to help a historically underrepresented group in the Canadian labour force to kick-start their Canadian careers and thrive in our economy.”
– Rami Mayer, Executive Director, Schulich ExecEd
About Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto
The Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto (NEW) is an award-winning not-for-profit charity organization that was founded by a group of Latin American refugees in 1983 with a vision of strong women building strong communities. A multi-service agency with operations in three Toronto locations serving thousands of Immigrants and Refugees annually. The agency was awarded a Non-profit Employer of Choice Award in 2020! The Canadian Non-profit Employer of Choice™ Awards (NEOC) recognizes organizations across Canada that have committed themselves to better business management practices to achieve their mission. With 40 years of operations, NEW has been providing settlement, employment, youth programs and services, as well as English language training for newcomers and immigrants. NEW also delivers special programs focused on immigrant women empowerment, leadership and skills development, mentorship and career advancement for immigrant and refugee women.
Press Contact:
Sara Asalya, Executive Director
Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto