City of Toronto and partners host Toronto Refugee Hiring Event to increase access to employment opportunities

Today, Mayor John Tory was joined by The Honourable Ratna Omidvar, Senator, at Metro Hall, 55 John St., for the second Toronto Refugee Hiring Event to support refugees and help increase their access to meaningful employment opportunities in the city. (Photo: John Tory @TorontosMayor/Twitter)

Today, Mayor John Tory was joined by The Honourable Ratna Omidvar, Senator, at Metro Hall, 55 John St., for the second Toronto Refugee Hiring Event to support refugees and help increase their access to meaningful employment opportunities in the city.

The goal of the Toronto Refugee Hiring Event, which is free and open to the public until 3 p.m. today, is to provide meaningful employment through action-oriented steps. Candidates may be provided a job offer on the spot, an opportunity for a second interview, or be flagged for inclusion in further hiring processes of employers who interview them during the event. Attendees may also receive interview coaching from qualified employment counsellors at an on-site Coaching Corner to maximize their interview performance.

The Toronto Refugee Hiring Event, last held in 2019, led to more than 100 on-the-spot and conditional job offers. This year’s event includes top-tier employers such as banks and major retailers. More than 200 job seekers are registered to participate in on-the-spot interviews with 12 employers.

The Toronto Refugee Hiring Event is co-organized by World Education Services and Jumpstart Refugee Talent, with the support of Starbucks, and in collaboration with Tent Partnership for Refugees, the City of Toronto and multiple other agencies.

The City’s Newcomer Office ensures that newcomers living in Toronto have a sense of belonging, well-being and connectedness, and that they feel safe, supported, welcome and engaged. This is accomplished through implementation of:

• the Toronto Newcomer Strategy
• the Refugee Resettlement Program
• Access to City Services for Undocumented Torontonians 

The City also works closely with settlement sector partners, Toronto Local Immigration Partnerships, and other internal and external stakeholders to provide a coordinated approach to newcomer issues.

More information is available on the Toronto Newcomer Office webpage.

More information about the event is available on the Toronto Refugee Hiring Event webpage .

Quotes:

“Toronto’s greatest strength is its diversity. In many ways, the success of Toronto is, in part, dependent on the success of newcomers. We know people who make their lives in Canada and Toronto to be highly skilled, motivated and hardworking. We acknowledge and value all of the contributions that they make to Toronto. We also know that we all play an important role in refugee inclusion, in making sure that our city continues its tradition of welcoming those who have fled persecution and found safety here. I’m proud to take part in this year’s Toronto Refugee Hiring Event.”
– Mayor John Tory

“For refugees and newcomers to Canada, navigating the job market and finding the first job is a daunting task. The refugee hiring event is a great initiative because agency partners gather their resources and collectively lead the candidates to success.”
– The Honorable Ratna Omidvar, Senator

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter , Instagram or Facebook .