MISA and NIEFS collaborate to bring increased professional services to the North Island

The Multicultural and Immigrant Services Association, also known as the Immigrant Welcome Centre, and North Island Employment Foundations Society have signed an agreement to work together in providing enhanced professional services to the North Island.

The Immigrant Welcome Centre, has an established reputation as the leading service provider for immigrant and settlement needs on the North Island through offices in Campbell River and the Comox Valley. NIEFS has been successfully providing employment services in Campbell River, Port Hardy and the North Island region for many years. The two organizations have had a long standing and effective working relationship, supporting and referring mutual clients. Recently, a need was identified to bring both sets of services more directly to the immigrant population on the North Island.

“While providing WorkBC employment services in our Port Hardy office, we were increasingly seeing newcomers who needed specialized help with settling and integrating into the community as well as understanding and accessing the Canadian job market”, says Val Meaney, Executive Director of NIEFS. Likewise, the Immigrant Welcome Centre was seeing more clients from the North Island seeking settlement and specialized employment services. Thuy Sin, Settlement Manager, notes that “the North Island population is increasingly diverse. We are seeing clients there from all over the world.”

The new agreement between the two organizations sees NIEFS supporting the Immigrant Welcome Centre to send a specialized immigrant employment and settlement counsellor to the North Island twice a month. “This is a win-win-win solution,” says Jim Brennan, Executive Director at the Immigrant Welcome Centre, “it helps both organizations and our North Island community partners meet our mandates and most of all, it helps newcomers in the North Island access the services they need in order to thrive.”

Both organizations have an ongoing commitment to provide services to the North Island and other rural areas in the region including the Discovery Islands.

Experts in immigrant services since 1992, the Immigrant Welcome Centre assists newcomers to Canada to successfully settle in our communities by offering free professional services assisting with housing, access to government and local services, education, and employment as well as citizenship preparation

Visit their website at ImmigrantWelcome.ca for more information or call them in Campbell River at 250-830-0171, Comox Valley 250-338-6359 or toll free 1-855-830-0171. The Immigrant Welcome Centre is funded by the Government of Canada.

NIEFS has been actively connecting employers with workers since 1986 and is known for building extensive partnerships with businesses, organizations, communities and individuals.  These partnerships give NIEFS the ability to assist people in building self-sufficiency through active and sustainable participation in the labour market and assist employers to hire the right people, with the right skills at the right time contributing to strong, resilient and healthy communities. Visit their website at niefs.net or contact them in Campbell River at 250-286-3441 or Port Hardy at 250-949-5736.