PeaceGeeks

12/18/2025

Holiday wishes from our CEO Jen Freeman and the whole team at PeaceGeeks ✨🎄👆

You have the ability to offer , and who may be feeling alone here this season, greater and . 💗

It costs us $3 to provide a newcomer with award-winning technology created *by* newcomers *for* newcomers: personalized tools and resources to find and secure their first job 🧑🏼‍🏭👩🏾‍✈️🧑🏽‍💼, practice for a Canadian interview 👩🏻‍🏫, or as Jen shares, find safety from a violent partner 🏡

Donating $9 this holiday season will help 3 households find crucial resources. $30 helps 10 households. AND all donations are being matched through December 🌟Any amount helps! 🙏🏽🙏🏿 https://peacegeeks.org/donate 🙏🏾🙏🏻

From our team and the newcomers we serve, THANK YOU! 💜

11/06/2025

Every newcomer’s journey looks different. To make that process easier, our Virtual Career Coach includes three practical tools your clients can explore independently - helping them clarify goals, practise key skills, and better understand the Canadian market.

✅ Canadian Career Kickstart

- A self-guided resource for clients who are new to the Canadian job market.
- Includes practical guides on resumes, cover letters, workplace culture, employment rights, references, and more.

✅ Soft Skills Practice

- Helps clients assess and strengthen key skills for career success in Canada, such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
- A fun, low-pressure way to prepare for the behavioural questions they’ll face in real interviews.
- Instant feedback and a final summary highlight strengths and offer clear tips for improvement.

✅ NOC Code Finder

- Quickly identify the correct NOC code for clients applying for Permanent Residency.
- Help other clients explore how their past job responsibilities translate in Canada and discover equivalent job titles.

These tools work together to simplify your work and help clients build the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to succeed in Canada.

❤️ Why newcomers love it

💬 “Without this tool (NOC Code Finder), I would have had to navigate the government website, which can be a bit of a mess. The NOC Code Finder made it so much easier for our PR application." - Bryna, a newcomer from the Philippines

💬 “I will use it just to be more informed, be more self-aware of Canadian culture, and just to have a more smooth transition.” - Olena, a newcomer from Venezuela

💬 “Everything is here… to help me write about my experience, about myself…how to work, how to resolve the challenges and the problems, this is for me.” - F, a refugee claimant from Ethiopia

👉 Resources
Click to watch the demos on YouTube
- Canadian Career Kickstart https://youtu.be/yB1DyR-EHrA
- Soft Skills Practice https://youtu.be/enhxBm8Ijc4
- NOC Code Finder https://youtu.be/xrObdC_rx-A

➡️ About Virtual Career Coach by PeaceGeeks

Virtual Career Coach is an online platform that has supported over 200,000 in its first year. It offers powerful tools like a newcomer-friendly , unlimited practice, soft skills quizzes, and resources on Canadian resumes, cover letters, workplace culture, and more. Now your organization can have it with your brand, logo, and URL - plus an admin dashboard for your team to track engagement and support clients more effectively.

It’s simple, flexible, and designed with newcomers in mind. ➡️ Book a quick demo with us today to see how the Virtual Career Coach can seamlessly integrate with your existing services: https://pglabs.org/vcc

The Canadian Career Kickstart on the Virtual Career Coach is a self-guided resource for clients who are new to the Canadian job market. It offers practical g...

10/28/2025

Are you a settlement service provider looking for an easier way to manage clients, your team, and ?

Meet one of the most powerful features on the Virtual Career Coach: the upgraded Admin Dashboard!

It brings everything together - data, assignments, insights, and platform settings - so your team spend less time managing systems and more time supporting clients.

Here’s how it simplifies day-to-day coordination and makes managing clients and staff easier:

📊 Monitor and Track Activity

- View client and staff activity, including the number of clients, logins, sessions, and feature usage across all tools
- Spot trends quickly and identify where clients may need extra support
- Individual client reporting coming soon!

👥 Manage Clients and Staff Efficiently

- Access all clients, caseworkers, and managers in one central view
- Assign clients to staff, balance workloads, and keep operations running smoothly
- Role-Based Access Control maintains so staff only see the clients assigned to them

🎨 Customize Your Platform

- Update your organization’s logo, branding, and profile anytime
- Enable or disable tools, adjust registration settings, and link social media

🛠️ Troubleshoot and Access Support

- Quick access to help resources or contact PeaceGeeks directly for technical support

👉 Watch the Admin Dashboard demo video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9Ag0gopadAY?si=pHf_XMzDvIeZURXO

Is your organization working with high caseloads and looking for ways to strengthen newcomer services and better support clients?

Virtual Career Coach offers flexible, on-demand tools that complement your programs, giving clients personalized guidance while also supporting staff with their workloads.

➡️ Learn how your organization can bring Virtual Career Coach to your team and clients, all under your brand: https://pglabs.org/vcc

Welcome to one of the most powerful features on the Virtual Career Coach: the upgraded Admin Dashboard!The new dashboard brings everything together - clients...

10/17/2025

🎉 We're excited to welcome Geoff Crocker, P.Eng, to the PeaceGeeks Board of Directors!

A seasoned technology leader with over 20 years of experience, Geoff brings deep expertise in innovation, strategic growth, and technology adoption. His career includes leadership roles at Provincial Health Services Authority, Madison Industries, and Generac, where he's driven complex projects and meaningful change.

Geoff is passionate about leveraging technology for positive global impact and shares our belief in building collaborative, borderless solutions to address humanity's challenges.

We're thrilled to have his leadership and insight as we continue using technology to strengthen connection, peace, and safety for displaced and newcomer communities around the world.

Welcome to the PeaceGeeks family, Geoff! 👏

https://www.peacegeeks.org/team-members/geoff-crocker

He is deeply attracted to PeaceGeeks' mission, believing in a world where collaborative, borderless solutions address humanity's challenges.

10/10/2025

Tired of jumping between sites?

Now your clients can explore everything in one place - the Job Board inside the Virtual Career Coach is designed to make simpler, more organized, and newcomer-friendly, addressing common pain points such as variation in job titles, confusion with NOC codes, and overwhelm from following multiple job sites.

Here’s what your clients can do with the Job Board:

🔍 Discover jobs

- Personalized Market insights show in-demand roles based on each client’s profile
- Search by job title, job description, NOC code, or company, with filters for location, type, and posting date

✅ Find your match

- Each posting shows how well their profile matches each role, plus recommended to explore
- Translate international experience into Canadian job titles
- Confirm the NOC code linked to each posting to support PR applications

💼 Track progress

- Save and track jobs as Saved, Applied, Interviewed, and more
- All activity appears under My applications, making it easy to track and follow up at the right time

The Job Board gives newcomers a clearer path through their job search while giving your team a time-saving tool to share when clients ask, “Where should I start?” More time for your team to focus on the personalized support only you can provide.

➡️ Watch the Job Board demo video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0R_KOYXJUIY

Is your organization working with high caseloads and looking for ways to strengthen newcomer services and better support clients? Virtual Career Coach offers flexible, on-demand tools that complement your programs, giving clients personalized guidance while also supporting staff with their workloads.

➡️ Learn how your organization can bring Virtual Career Coach to your team and clients, all under your brand: https://pglabs.org/vcc

10/03/2025

📣 We're !

We're looking for a Director of Software Development to lead and grow our small development team as we pursue new opportunities building and perfecting progressive web apps. We're remote-friendly, have a flexible four-day schedule, and most importantly, feel good about our work when we get up in the morning.

This is a permanent full-time role, starting in November 2025.

👉 If you're motivated to make a difference and want to contribute to meaningful, impactful work, we'd love to hear from you! Visit our website for the full job posting and application details: www.peacegeeks.org/careers

Know someone with the skills and passion for this role? Please share this opportunity with them.

10/03/2025

Looking for newcomer-centred technology to strengthen your services?

The Virtual Career Coach (VCC) gives clients the tools to cover the basics on their own, so your team can spend more time on deeper, one-on-one support.

Here's a look inside:

✅ Admin Dashboard - Stay on top of caseloads, assign clients easily, and track usage insights.
✅ Job Board - Help clients search opportunities tailored to their skills, experience, and immigration pathway.
✅ Interview Coach - Let clients practice with Canadian interview questions in a safe, supportive space.
✅ Soft Skills Quiz - Build workplace strengths like teamwork, problem-solving, and communication.
✅ NOC Code Finder - Quickly identify the right NOC codes for career planning and PR applications.
✅ Canadian Career Kickstart - One place for step-by-step guidance on workplace culture, resumes, references, rights and more.

👉 Watch the demo and imagine how VCC could support your staff and clients. Interested in bringing it to your organization? Let's connect! www.pglabs.org/vcc

09/22/2025

Dear Virtual Career Coach partners,

🍁 Happy Autumn Equinox! As we step into a new season, we wanted to share some new resources we have developed based on partner feedback.

Starting next week, we plan to share a weekly email that you can share with your team. The series will feature:

➡️ Quick tips and resources for your team (and your clients) to use the platform effectively.
➡️ Practical ways to save time and your team’s daily work.
➡️ tips and guides you can forward directly to clients.
➡️ And more!

We’re eager to hear what you think of this additional support, and if you have requests for content you’d like us to include! We’re glad to have you with us, and we look forward to supporting your team and your clients every step of the way. 🤝🏽

About Virtual Career Coach by PeaceGeeks
Virtual Career Coach is an online platform that has supported over 200,000 in its first year. It offers powerful tools like a newcomer-friendly , unlimited practice, soft skills quizzes, and resources on Canadian resumes, cover letters, workplace culture, and more. Now your organization can have it with your brand, logo, and URL - plus an admin dashboard for your team to track engagement and support clients more effectively.

It’s simple, flexible, and designed with newcomers in mind. ➡️ Book a quick demo with us today to see how the Virtual Career Coach can seamlessly integrate with your existing services: https://pglabs.org/vcc

09/19/2025

09/16/2025

🎉 We're excited to announce the five winners of our Spring 2025 Survey!

Meet our winners:
✨ Chrispus Ongom - originally from Uganda, now living in Enderby, BC, and an international student.
✨ Foukou Paul - originally from Cameroun, now living in Ottawa, ON, and a Permanent Résident.
✨ Jules-Benoît Amah-Atayi - now living in Winnipeg, MB.
✨ Энн Б - originally from Kazakhstan, now living in Calgary, AB.
✨ Gulmaya Khudadarova - (preferred not to share other details)

Congratulations to the winners! Thank you to everyone who shared their feedback about Welcome to Canada and the Virtual Career Coach! Your insights help us continue building tools that truly support newcomers across Canada.

📢 Update on the Summer 2025 Survey:

Since the beginning of this month, we've been contacting the randomly selected winners to confirm their prizes - starting with the grand prize, then moving on to the second and third tiers. So if you haven't seen a confirmation email from us yet, there's still a chance your name could be next!
‍
If you participated, please check your email (including your spam folder) regularly to see if you’ve been selected. Don’t miss your chance to claim a brand-new iPhone or gift cards! 📱

Thank you for being part of the Welcome to Canada community. Congratulations again to our winners! 🎉

09/02/2025

We’re excited to welcome Durham Region Unemployed Help Centre (DRUHC) Unemployed Help as one of our newest Virtual Career Coach partners!

Established in 1983 with offices in Oshawa and Pickering, DRUHC is a non-profit organization supporting job seekers and employers. DRUHC helps individuals achieve employment goals and assists businesses with hiring and training.

Tasha Page, Employment Ontario Manager at DRUHC, shared why they decided to bring Virtual Career Coach to their team:

“The Virtual Career Coach will be helpful for our newcomer clients, as many have not had Canadian work experience. It provides the tools they need to succeed, including resources on Canadian-style resume building, AI interview practice, and the soft skills quiz.

We have a high number of newcomer clients who could use more one-on-one support, but with high caseloads, it can be difficult for specialists to give each client the time they need. Virtual Career Coach would help by alleviating some of that load off the specialists while ensuring clients still get valuable, personalized support.”

We’re looking forward to seeing how this partnership helps more newcomers in Durham Region gain the confidence and skills to thrive in the Canadian workplace!

Is your organization working with higher caseloads and looking for ways to strengthen newcomer employment services and better support clients?

Virtual Career Coach offers flexible, on-demand tools that complement your programs, giving clients personalized career guidance while also supporting staff with their workloads.

➡️ Learn how your organization can bring Virtual Career Coach to your team and clients, all under your brand: www.pglabs.org/vcc

08/20/2025

We're excited to announce our new partnership with Kamloops Immigrant Services (KIS)!

At PeaceGeeks, we believe the most powerful support for newcomers comes from combining innovative tools like our Virtual Career Coach with the deep, community-based expertise that organizations like KIS provide every day.

Their team shares our vision for creating accessible, effective pathways to employment. Here’s what France Lamontagne, Executive Director at KIS, had to say about our collaboration:

“We’re truly excited about our partnership with PeaceGeeks and the potential of the Virtual Career Coach to support the newcomers we serve.

At KIS, we believe employment is more than just a job; it’s a pathway to belonging, dignity, and long-term success. Every day, our team works passionately to ensure that newcomers have the tools, guidance, and confidence to pursue meaningful and sustainable careers in their new home.

Bringing the Virtual Career Coach into our programming felt like a natural next step. We're constantly seeking innovative, accessible tools to strengthen the newcomer journey, and this platform offers just that. We’re especially excited about its multilingual capabilities, user-friendly interface, and personalized guidance that can meet clients where they’re at.

Although we’re just beginning to roll it out, the alignment between the platform and our approach to employment support is already clear. We’re looking forward to seeing how our clients engage with it and to sharing insights and stories as we go.

Thank you again for partnering with us and for amplifying the work of frontline organizations like KIS. We’re proud to be part of this movement, and we can’t wait to see what unfolds.”

Virtual Career Coach is an online platform that has supported over 200,000 job seekers in its first year. It offers powerful tools like a newcomer-friendly job board, unlimited interview practice, soft skills quizzes, and resources on Canadian resumes, cover letters, workplace culture, and more. Now your organization can have it with your brand, logo, and URL - to give your clients the support they need to thrive in Canada.

It’s simple, flexible, and designed with newcomers in mind. ➡️ Book a quick demo with us today to see how the Virtual Career Coach can seamlessly integrate with your existing services: pglabs.org/vcc