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Immigrant Employment Council of BC

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Immigrant Employment Council of BC

The Immigrant Employment Council of BC (IEC-BC) connects employers with immigrant talent to support businesses, local communities and grow BC’s economy.

10/07/2026

As part of , IEC-BC is hosting a free and practical webinar for small and medium-sized businesses interested to learn how people, productivity, and AI can work together to build capacity and support growth.

Small businesses are navigating increasing workloads, workforce challenges, and rapid changes in technology. But the answer isn't always adding more technology.

Join Antonio Zivanovic, Founder & CEO of ElektraFi, for an engaging conversation on with limited resources, identifying where AI can add real business value, and learn practical ways to grow productivity.

📅 Date: October 15
🕥 Time: 1:00–2:30 PM PT
🧭 Location: Virtual via Zoom

Register for free: https://lnkd.in/eS-4XqcN

Month special: The first 100 attendees will receive complimentary access to IEC-BC's AI for Business course, valued at $350.

10/05/2026

Time for the September recap: summer is officially behind us, and the busy fall season begins.

During a month of collaboration and engagement, IEC-BC connected with employers and partners in communities across BC and the country.

We kicked off the month by hosting a North Vancouver Island to discuss workforce challenges, labour market realities, and, most importantly, work together on solutions. The forum was hosted in partnership with North Island Employment Foundations Society and Multicultural & Immigrant Services Association of the North Vancouver Island (MISA), and we’re looking forward to following up the conversation in November. Stay tuned!

We also hosted our first-ever Feedback Forum in the Okanagan on September 23, in partnership with KCR Community Resources and Central Okanagan Local Immigration Partnership (COLIP), focusing on the same blend of topics above. Thank you to everyone involved for making it a success!

We also launched a refreshed IEC-BC Learning Hub. This resource now brings even more useful employer-focused insights, tools, and resources together in one place: iecbclearning.ca

Getting off the ground last month was the "Discover IEC-BC: Programs, Partnerships & Employer Resources" session, a recurring quarterly opportunity for employers to learn about programs, workforce initiatives, and engagement opportunities.

Finally, we took the conversation all the way to the easternmost part of the country, joining the Association for New Canadians in St. John’s, N.L. for their second Employer Feedback Forum.

Looking forward to a packed October!

10/01/2026

employers, let's continue the conversation!

We're assembling employers for another Vancouver , continuing conversations about workforce challenges and solutions and the future of work in BC.

Improving the system to power growth starts with listening to employers and understanding the realities they face. But identifying challenges is just the beginning. Together, we can work toward practical solutions that respond to employers' needs.

Register now to share your experiences and perspectives, connect with fellow employers and exchange insights and best practices, and shape the programs and policies that support employers and strengthen BC's workforce.

🗓️ Date: Thursday, October 29th, 2026
🕥 Time: 10:00 AM-1:00 PM
🧭 Location: VCC Downtown Campus, 250 W Pender St.

Register here: https://VancouverFeedbackForum2026.eventbrite.ca

09/29/2026

Êtes-vous prêt.e pour le marché de l’emploi au Canada? Le programme vous aide à développer les compétences recherchées par les employeurs canadiens grâce à divers supports pédagogiques, tels que des jeux d’apprentissage en ligne et des vidéos de mise en situation.

ASCEND est offert gratuitement aux participants qui répondent aux critères d’admissibilité suivants :

🔹 Être capables de communiquer efficacement en français
🔹 Avoir une expérience professionnelle antérieure (n’a pas besoin d’être au Canada)
🔹 Résident.e.s permanent.e.s ayant obtenu un accord de principe ou déjà installés au Canada
🔹 Réfugiés au sens de la Convention

Inscrivez-vous: https://ascendemployment.com/fr/formulaire-dinscription-des-participants/

09/25/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined our Kelowna on Wednesday! It was our first in the Okanagan region and we couldn't have asked for a better intro to such a welcoming community.

The forum assembled employers from key Okanagan sectors to talk about workforce challenges, solutions to these challenges, local labour market realities, and how to support businesses across the region.

The insights and experiences shared are incredibly valuable. By listening to employers, we can help inform future programs, resources, and solutions that support the attraction, hiring, and retention of skilled talent in British Columbia.

One challenge and one solution that we heard:

Challenge: Competition for workers in lower cost-of-living areas: nearby regions are also experiencing talent shortages and competing for the same talent pool.

Solution: Broadening talent pipelines by reconsidering hiring requirements and encouraging candidates to apply even when they do not meet every listed qualification.

Employers noted that many skills can be developed on the job and that overly restrictive requirements can screen out otherwise strong candidates. One participant shared that removing a requirement for applicants to have “strong ties to the Okanagan community” from a posting boosted applications significantly.

A special thank you to KCR Community Resources and Central Okanagan Local Immigration Partnership (COLIP) for their partnership bringing this event to life.

We look forward to building on these connections and continuing the conversation!

09/21/2026

We are very proud to report that six months after completing the program, the proportion of skilled newcomers working in their chosen field is 3X larger than before.

These are the kinds of impacts you'll find in MentorConnect's 2025–26 Impact Report: mentorship, leadership development, and helping skilled people make their fullest contributions to BC's economy.

This year’s impact was made possible by the dedication of our mentors, the determination of our mentees, and the continued support of our employer partners and service delivery partners.

Read the report to find out:

🔹 How MentorConnect helps employers better understand the potential of skilled newcomers often overlooked by traditional hiring, growing their talent pipeline.
🔹 A snapshot of mentorship’s impact on career outcomes, like Jyoti, who secured a full-time Data Engineer role.
🔹 Partner highlights: why people stay engaged after seeing the results.

Explore the report here (PDF link):https://iecbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IEC-BC-MentorConnect-Impact-Report-2025-2026.pdf

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who continues to make MentorConnect possible. Here’s to another year!

09/15/2026

MentorConnect is about activating the knowledge, experience, and networks of Canadian professionals to build leadership across companies, deepen talent pools for employers, and help newcomers achieve successful labour market integration.

Yesterday we teamed up with Alejandro Calle, founder of Tech In A Tux, to share practical insights on career development, personal branding, entrepreneurship, and building professional connections.

With 7+ years of experience in tech and 15+ years working with people, Alejandro has built a community of 170,000+ followers, and earned 40M+ views.

Two takeaways on Canadian working culture:

🔹 Work-life balance can really mean work-life integration. When you’re passionate about what you do and connect it with your purpose, work and life don’t always have to exist in separate boxes.

🔹 Don’t make giving back about “me”- make it about “we.” Our impact grows when we think beyond ourselves and focus on how we can contribute with others.

We'd like to thank Alejandro and all the attendees!

Want to join the next session like this one? Visit our for talent page to learn more and register your interest: https://lnkd.in/gq7Z5b52

09/12/2026

Our August recap: A productive four weeks of employer engagement, relationship-building, and workforce development initiatives.

Last month, IEC-BC :

🔹 Presented at the PICS - Career Services Tech & Trade Symposium, where our information booth shared employer insights and programs, services and resources in and .

🔹 Hosted an employer information session featuring immigration practitioners Craig Natsuhara and Kelvin Wu, RCIC, providing practical information on work permit and permanent residence pathways, workforce planning considerations, and strategies to support and retain international talent.

🔹 Grew the reach of the Workforce Readiness Diagnostic through partnerships with chambers of commerce and boards of trade, gathering employer perspectives on workforce readiness challenges and opportunities.

🔹 Launched the FAST Skilled Trades stream, expanding opportunities to support skilled trades employers and connect them with qualified newcomer talent.

Throughout August, conversations with employers highlighted workforce , candidate-job alignment, and the growing importance of practical workplace experience. These insights inform our work supporting effective hiring and talent practices and strengthening connections between employers and internationally-trained talent.

Heading into the fall, we look forward to engaging employers through employer forums, learning opportunities, partnerships, and more across .

09/11/2026

It's time for our monthly mentor spotlight. This month, we're celebrating contributions from Stuti Singh, a Senior Project Manager with over 12 years of experience leading digital transformation, technology modernization, and business change initiatives across healthcare, financial services, and technology organizations.

Throughout her career, she's been passionate about helping people navigate change, build confidence, and identify opportunities for professional growth.

As a mentor with IEC-BC’s MentorConnect program, Stuti supports newcomers as they navigate the Canadian job market, refine their career strategies, and expand their professional networks. She enjoys sharing practical insights from her experience, providing guidance aligned with each mentee’s goals and helping them recognize their strengths and potential.

Stuti told us that mentorship creates a space where experience, guidance, and encouragement come together. Mentees navigate challenges with greater confidence, make informed career decisions, and build the connections and skills needed to move forward. For her, mentorship is also a two-way learning experience: an opportunity to give back while gaining new perspectives from those she supports.

“Mentorship is about sharing experiences, creating opportunities, and empowering others to turn their potential into meaningful career success.”

Want to start your own journey? We are always on the lookout for experienced mentors. Learn more and get in touch here:

https://iecbc.ca/mentorconnect/

09/10/2026

Reminder for : FAST's new and streams provide targeted guidance in sectors experiencing strong labour demand.

FAST helps participants understand job readiness, strengths, and opportunities while making connections to relevant support, pathways, and employment-focused events.

The program is flexible, self-paced, online, and designed with employer input to reflect current labour market realities.

Sign up now to receive personalized recommendations and practical next steps based on your unique experience and career goals.

FAST will support your career decision-making by building your confidence, identifying opportunities, and helping you navigate the Canadian employment landscape.

Get started now: https://fastcanada.ca

Address

720-750 West Pender Street
Vancouver, BC
V6C2T7

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+16046295364

Website

http://www.iecbc.ca/

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