St.Amant Honored for Supporting Newcomers in Canada
From: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Recognizing Outstanding Efforts in Newcomer Employment
The Canadian government applauds St.Amant for its exceptional contributions in offering newcomers valuable volunteer roles, language education, and long-term employment, particularly aiding those with developmental disabilities and autism, alongside their families.
IRCC’s 2018 Employer Awards
March 21, 2018—Ottawa, ON — St.Amant, a non-profit in Winnipeg, Manitoba, was celebrated by Minister Ahmed Hussen as a recipient of the 2018 Employer Awards for Newcomer Employment. Their efforts in providing job opportunities and skill enhancement for newcomers have been exemplary. After completing 100 volunteer hours, participants access free English at Work programs and on-site training via Blue Cross. The organization also hosted a citizenship ceremony in February 2017, marking Canada 150 celebrations, where staff and community members alike took the oath to become Canadian citizens.
These awards, presented by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), honor businesses that creatively integrate newcomers into Canada’s workforce. The initiatives of winning organizations play a crucial role in dismantling employment barriers for newcomers, enhancing their overall settlement experience.
The announcement took place at the 2018 Employer Council of Champions Summit, orchestrated by Hire Immigrants Ottawa. The summit united leaders from business, government, and the civic sector to discuss effective strategies for integrating refugees and immigrants into the workforce and to commend employers for their excellence.
Voices of Acknowledgment
“I am both grateful for and impressed by the work that St.Amant has done to support the successful settlement and integration of newcomers to Canada. Through its unique volunteer placement program with a 90% hire rate into permanent employment, St.Amant is truly a leader in breaking down the barriers that many newcomers experience when trying to find meaningful employment. This makes a significant difference in the lives of newcomers to Canada, as well as to the children and families that St.Amant supports in their community.”
– The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
“St.Amant relies on newcomers to fill critical positions within our organization. We’re grateful to the newcomer groups for believing in St.Amant’s mission and bringing a beautiful diversity to our workforce through sharing language, music, food and cultural celebrations. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our employment support for newcomers and to sharing what we’ve learned with other organizations.”
– Jennifer Kilimnik, Director of Human Resource Services at St.Amant
Key Highlights
- IRCC collaborates with Hire Immigrants Ottawa to acknowledge private enterprises aiding newcomer integration into Canada’s job market.
- Award-winning employers are selected based on nominations by organizations providing settlement services.
- St.Amant employs over 1,800 staff and numerous volunteers, supporting more than 1,600 children. Since the 2014 launch of the English at Work program, over 125 staff and volunteers have received more than 10,000 hours of language training and support.
Associated Resources
Contact Information
Media Inquiries Only
Hursh Jaswal
Minister’s Office
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-954-1064
Media Relations
Communications Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
IRCC.COMMMediaRelations-RelationsmediasCOMM.IRCC@cic.gc.ca
