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Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council announces winners
of fourth annual Immigrant Success Awards
Businesses benefit from immigrant talent
TORONTO, March 25, 2010— The Toronto Region
Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) and RBC are pleased to
announce winners of the 4th annual Immigrant Success (IS)
Awards, recognizing innovation and leadership in integrating
skilled immigrants into the Toronto Region labour market.
"Vision, innovation, leadership and commitment set this
year's Immigrant Success Award winners apart from the rest,"
says Zabeen Hirji, Chief Human Resources Officer, RBC and
Co-Chair, TRIEC. "If Canada is to realize the global
advantage of its diversity and become the destination of choice
for professionals, skilled people, and entrepreneurs, we must
do a better job of helping new immigrants integrate into society
and recognize their achievements as well as their contributions
to the prosperity of our country."
"At TRIEC we know that tapping the skilled immigrant
talent pool is smart business," says Elizabeth McIsaac,
executive director, TRIEC. "As we look to our city's
future and demographic trends, we also know that those employers
that are finding ways to do this more effectively will be
the leaders of tomorrow."
Four organizations and one individual will be honoured for
their steadfast commitment to recruiting and integrating skilled
immigrants.
2009 IS Award Recipients
- Samtack, RBC Immigrant Advantage Award
With over 90 per cent of its 100 plus workforce comprised
of immigrants, this computer manufacturing and distribution
company has leveraged skilled immigrant talent to respond
to changing needs of mass merchant customers; increased
market share with smaller, local, diverse retailers and
purchased parts from overseas suppliers, mainly from China.
- Pitney Bowes, RBC Immigrant Advantage Award
A mail and document mailstream technology company, more
than half of Pitney Bowes' high potential leaders are diverse
employees, while 15 per cent of senior leaders are skilled
immigrants. The company developed their Talent & Inclusion
Plan in order to be positioned as a diversity employer of
choice and embed skilled immigrants in its succession planning.
- St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto Star Award for
Excellence in Workplace Integration
St. Michael's Hospital implemented the Career Bridge internship
program for skilled immigrants, which has spread to eight
departments. The organization has created a full-time position
responsible for integrating skilled immigrants into the
organization and has achieved a high conversion rate from
its 32 interns.
- Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, CBC Toronto Vision
Award for Immigrant Inclusion
A Canadian business and litigation law firm, FMC established
a six-month paid internship for internationally trained
lawyers - a first in Canada. They now work with the University
of Toronto's Faculty of Law to develop a bridging program
that will create new pathways to employment for internationally
trained lawyers.
- Michael Bach, National Director, Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion, KPMG Canada, Canadian HR Reporter Individual
Achievement Award
Michael wrote KPMG's business case for diversity, received
buy in from leadership and now heads the company's diversity
initiatives. Amongst other achievements, he entrenched a
truly open recruiting process for skilled immigrants; introduced
diversity training for all new hires and cultural competence
training for managers.
The winners, all profiled at www.isawards.ca,
will be celebrated tonight at an invitation-only reception
hosted by RBC. Matt Galloway, Host, Metro Morning, CBC Radio
One 99.1 will be MC with a keynote by Zabeen Hirji, Chief
Human Resources Officer, RBC and Co-Chair, TRIEC.
The IS Awards are presented by TRIEC and sponsored by
RBC, with media partners Canadian HR Reporter, CBC Toronto
and the Toronto Star. For complete details about the IS Awards
and to view profiles of the winners visit www.isawards.ca.
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About TRIEC
TRIEC creates and champions solutions to better integrate
skilled immigrants in the Greater Toronto Region labour market.
For more information visit www.triec.ca.
For further information and to RSVP for the award reception,
please contact:
Emily Mills
at 416.944.1946 x 282 (w) | 416.464.2243 (BB) or emills@triec.ca;
Claire DeVeale-Blane
at 416.944.1946 x 271 (W) | 416.464.4042 (BB) or cdeveale@triec.ca
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