TRIEC and RBC announce winners of 8^th Annual Immigrant Success Awards and celebrate TRIEC’s 10^th Anniversary

TORONTO , May 8, 2014 /CNW/ – The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is one of
the most culturally diverse regions in North America , a significant
advantage in today’s global marketplace. GTA employers need to tap into
the diverse talent pool here to build the economy and remain
competitive on a worldwide scale. Today, the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) and RBC are recognizing the winners of the 8^th Annual Immigrant Success (IS) Awards; organizations and individuals who are helping employers do just that
to the advantage of employers, immigrants and the region as a whole.

“Historically, immigrants have made significant contributions to
Canada’s success. Yet, 10 years ago, a diverse group of the region’s
leaders founded TRIEC because the region was not effectively leveraging
the immigrant talent it possessed to the detriment of us all,” said
Margaret Eaton , Executive Director of TRIEC. “We are so proud of the
role TRIEC and its partners have played in helping skilled immigrants
succeed during the past decade. The IS Award winners really demonstrate
the magic that can occur when immigrants have the opportunity to
contribute to their full potential.”

Celebrating its 10^th anniversary today as well, TRIEC has long championed innovative
solutions to immigrant employment in the GTA, the type of solutions
highlighted by this year’s IS Award winners. With different backgrounds
and expertise, each of these winners demonstrate the exceptional value
of immigrant entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship for the GTA economy.

“Each of the winners has been a catalyst in their own unique way for
integrating skilled immigrants into the GTA’s labour market,” said
Zabeen Hirji , Chief Human Resources Officer at RBC, the sponsor of the
IS Awards. “RBC is proud to support the IS Awards, which reflect our
belief that a diverse and inclusive workplace plays a key role in
driving employee engagement, innovation and a stronger, more
competitive, business. We are confident that the winners and nominees
will inspire others to better integrate skilled immigrants into
workplaces throughout our region.”

Two organizations and one individual will be recognized this evening for
their contribution to immigrant employment in the GTA. The winners were
selected by a panel of senior human resource professionals, business
executives and industry stakeholders.

Winners

Entrepreneurship Connections (ACCES Employment and the Business
Development Bank of Canada )
http://youtu.be/87mB1n0jVHQ
ACCES Employment and BDC partnered together in 2011 to launch Entrepreneur Connections, a program designed for newcomers who plan to launch a business in
Canada . The four-week program is a great example of a partnership,
between ACCES Employment and the Business Development Bank of Canada ,
that provides positive, tangible results for both skilled immigrants
and employers. Entrepreneur Connections helps immigrants translate their past experience and education into the
Canadian market. The program provides individual coaching to start a
business, teaches the foundations of a business plan, offers legal
consultation for a business launch and pairs the participant with an
established mentor.

emergiTEL
http://youtu.be/Z84tSeYXH3I
emergiTEL was founded by Aneela Zaib , who immigrated to Canada in 1988
and leveraged her international background and expertise in IT and
Telecom to launch this national business. Considered one of the fastest
growing companies in Canada , emergiTEL is a full solution provider of
staffing, outsourcing, consulting and training services for the
Telecommunications and IT industries. With first-hand knowledge of the
employment challenges faced by skilled immigrants, Zaib has tasked
emergiTEL with a commitment to support new Canadian professionals, a
significant portion of the company’s roster, by managing their overall
career paths and connecting them with employers they would not normally
have access to.

Emiliano Mendez
http://youtu.be/EqIyEtQpXoY
Emiliano Mendez , originally from Mexico City , has established a
successful career working for several Fortune 500 companies in Canada
and is currently employed in the financial sector in Strategy and
Transformation Services. With all of this professional success, Mendez
has not forgotten the challenges he experienced during the early stages
of his career and he has since co-founded the not-for-profit
organization, LAMBA (Latin America MBA Alumni Network). LAMBA’s
objective is to support professional development and networking for
Latin American business professionals in Canada . The organization
started as a small group of Latin American MBA graduates from top
business schools in Canada and today has over 500 members from the
Americas. LAMBA is credited for giving the Latin business community in
Toronto wider recognition, positioning its members as valuable talent
in the workforce and offering bridge programs that help internationally
trained professionals to succeed in their careers. Recently, Emiliano
accepted the role of President of LAMBA.

For more information on TRIEC and the IS Awards, please visit TRIEC.ca, ISAwards.ca or @TRIEC.

About the Immigrant Success Awards
The IS Awards are presented by TRIEC and sponsored by RBC, with funding
from Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the support of media
partners Canadian HR Reporter, CBC Toronto and the Toronto Star.

About Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council
The Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) creates and
champions solutions to better integrate skilled immigrants in the
Greater Toronto Region labour market. www.triec.ca.

SOURCE TRIEC