#WelcomingEconomy for Refugees
Under the leadership of co-chairs The Honourable Ratna Omidvar and Darrell Pinto, the Refugee Jobs Agenda Roundtable offers a platform for over 80 employers, employment and immigrant serving agencies and government representatives to increase refugees’ access to meaningful employment opportunities.
This page includes information about one of the Roundtable’s flagship initiatives, the Toronto Refugee Hiring Event – co-organized by Jumpstart Refugee Talent and World Education Services and with the support of Starbucks, the Tent Partnership for Refugees, the City of Toronto and multiple other agencies – as well as resources to help businesses connect with refugee talent and build more inclusive workplaces.
Media assets from the 2022 #WelcomingEconomy for Refugees campaign, highlighting the social and economic contributions and successes of refugees, can also be found in the sections below.
Toronto Refugee Hiring Event
For Candidates
Some of Toronto’s top employers are looking for talented refugees to join their teams!
Unlike typical job fairs, at the Hiring Event you may be provided either a job offer on the spot, an opportunity for a second interview, or be flagged for inclusion into further hiring processes of the employers you interview with.
To learn more about available positions and to register for the event, click here.
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For Employers
Different from a traditional job fair, the Hiring Event is open to companies that have vacancies and are prepared to offer interviews to pre-screened refugee candidates. The ultimate goal is meaningful employment for candidates by providing either a job offer on the spot, an opportunity for a second interview, or flagging the candidate for inclusion into your hiring process.
Employer registration is now CLOSED. To learn about future Hiring Events, contact us.
For Agencies
If you would like to reach out to clients or spread the word about the event, the following resources can help:
- Hiring event flier
- Hiring event social media graphic (logos)
- Hiring event social media graphic (w/o logos)
Resources for Employers
Why Hire Refugees
Refugees play an essential role in Canada’s labour force filling gaps in the workforce, bringing professional expertise, and fueling economic growth. Learn more here:
- Overview of refugees’ contributions to Canada’s economy (UNHCR)
- Refugees As Employees: Good Retention, Strong Recruitment (Tent Partnership for Refugees)
- Report on the business benefits of diverse, immigrant-inclusive teams (McKinsey)
- Settlement outcomes of refugees in Canada (Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees Canada)
How to Hire & Onboard
Removing barriers, addressing unconscious bias, and creating a culture of inclusion for refugees in the workplace require long-term investment and active engagement. Get started:
- Assessing educational credentials of refugees (World Education Services – Gateway Program)
- Guide for tracking refugee status in Canadian workforce (Tent Partnership for Refugees)
- Guide on redesigning the tech hiring process to include displaced talent (TalentLift)
- Guide to fostering inclusion for refugees in the workplace (Tent Partnership for Refugees)
- Guide to helping refugees and immigrants overcome language barriers in the workplace (Tent Partnership for Refugees)
- Guide to onboarding refugees to Canadian workplaces (IECBC)
- Guide to organizing refugee hiring events (World Education Services & Starbucks Canada)
- How companies can mentor LGBTQ refugees in North America (Tent Partnership for Refugees)
- Lunch and learn on how to include refugees (Jumpstart Refugee Talent)
- Practical strategies to including newcomers in the workplace (World Education Services)
Start Hiring Refugees
Looking to connect with refugee talent? Several resources, platforms, and organizations can help you:
- Employers seeking to hire Afghans (Lifeline Afghanistan)
- Employers seeking to hire Ukrainians – Federal job bank (Government of Canada)
- Entreprises intéressées à embaucher des réfugiés ukrainiens au Québec
- Online platform to connect employers to refugee talent (Magnet)
- Pro bono employment service providers for companies interested in hiring refugees
- Recruit refugee talent internationally (Talent Beyond Boundaries)
- Virtual Refugee Hiring Events (ACCES)
- Work with Tent to develop a refugee hiring initiative
Special Thanks To
Our Campaign Partners
