Hiring event leads to more than 100 job offers for refugees

On October 31, 2019 Tent and Starbucks Canada co-hosted the first-ever Refugee Hiring Event in Toronto. Canada is recognized as a world leader in refugee resettlement – having resettled more than 28,000 refugees in 2018 – and it was clear at the event, that Canadian businesses are invested in helping refugees succeed and integrate into their new communities.

More than a dozen Canadian employers – including Day & Ross Freight, FedEx Express Canada, HMSHost, IKEA Group, Martinrea International, McDonald’s, Metro Inc., Shopify, Sodexo, Staples Canada, Starbucks, Wealthsimple, and World Education Services – participated in the event, where they met with and interviewed refugee candidates for open positions at their organizations. Those that were a good fit were offered jobs on the spot. The event exceeded its ambitious goal, and employers made more than 100 job offers to refugee candidates over the course of the day.

Toronto Mayor John Tory and Senator Ratna Omidvar attended the event to show their support. Senator Omidvar said, “Hiring refugees is not only a good thing to do but it makes economic sense. Refugees are smart, determined and loyal.”

Yet despite their many skills and talent, refugees often face high barriers to employment. Difficulty navigating new languages, understanding local customs, or lost documentation and credentials can make the already challenging task of looking for a new job even more difficult for them.

Ileana Cruz-Marden, Tent’s Senior Manager of Private Sector Partnerships said, “Economic integration is really important (for refugees). Getting that first job, finding a way to integrate into the economy where you have resettled, is absolutely critical.”