Past Webinars & Events

Best Practices in Recruiting & Retaining Newcomers in Green Jobs logo

Jan. 12, 2022, 1:00 pm — 3:00 pm ET

Calling all Green Jobs employers and immigrant-serving organizations!

PLT Canada and the Immigrant Employment Councils of Canada‘s hosted a free Best Practices in Recruiting & Retaining Newcomers in Green Jobs webinar to discover how employers and immigrant-serving organizations can support each other and build a diverse and resilient Green Jobs workforce.

During this two-hour webinar, we discussed the value that newcomers to Canada bring to the green sector, while uncovering barriers they often face when seeking employment. We explored how Green Jobs employers can reduce those barriers with meaningful work experiences, and how they can benefit from a newcomer talent. Finally, both employers and immigrant-serving organizations went into regional breakout rooms to share their thoughts on the challenges and opportunities in recruiting newcomers.

Topics

What are the best practices in recruiting and retaining newcomers in the Green Jobs sector?
What are the challenges newcomers face entering the workforce?
What is needed in the forest and conservation sector for newcomer youth?
Why should Green Jobs employers hire newcomers to Canada?

Presenters

Sienna Jae Taylor, Project Manager, Immploy

Immploy’s mandate is to connect employers with newcomer talent. As Project Manager, Sienna works with an incredible team of people to provide programs and services that connect immigrants and refugees with mentorship and employment in Southwestern Ontario. Sienna is also leading the launch of a new employer engagement initiative that focuses on supporting employers in the recruitment and retention of newcomers, including education and training based on equity and inclusion.

Sushant Chopra, Senior Coordinator, Strategic Business Planning & Performance, Toronto & Region Conservation Authority

As a program management specialist, Sushant Chopra has over 6 years of experience working within various governmental frameworks and designing and running public welfare programs of various scales. He arrived in Ottawa, Canada in 2021, after which he worked with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) to help youth from diverse backgrounds find gainful employment in the environmental sector in Canada. In the past, he has worked with the World Bank, NITI Aayog (formerly the Planning Commission of India), and various departments with the Government of India.

Hanen is a student at Ryerson University, Majoring in Politics and Governance and minoring in Law

She is currently working as an Ontario Regional Advisor for LRB at the House of Commons. Hanen has also worked at the Ministers’ Regional Office, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister office, and Minister of Finance. She is the founder of BAM – Books Art Music collective, A youth-led collective in Ontario and formally in New York working on empowering equity-seeking individuals through art and community engagement. In 2021, she was elected to serve as the next President of the Politics and Governance Association at Ryerson University and the Managing Editor of The Refugee Experience cluster at The Migration Initiative. She is one of the advisory committee members of the National Promising Practices in Accessing Virtual Mental Health: Supporting Refugees during the COVID-19 Project. She is an ambassador for the IRCNF- OCASI Campaign(Immigrant and Refugee Communities – Neighbours, Friends and Families (IRCNFF) to raise awareness and promote action to end domestic violence. In 2019 she was chosen to be one of the Daughters of the vote representing the federal riding of Scarborough Guild-wood in Ottawa. Hanen is also a Co-founder of the Starter Kit. The project was created to discuss various pathways and find solutions to problems faced by those wanting to attend post-secondary education specific to the newcomer’s needs. She has worked for the city of Toronto and multiple local and international organizations such as WelcomeHome.TO, UNHCR, and International Blue Crescent.