Connector Programs in Immigrant Serving Organizations

As we’ve shared before the Connector Program is a simple yet highly effective networking program that puts immigrants directly in touch with local business people, civil servants and community leaders – people who are in the habit of making introductions and connecting others to opportunities.

We’ve talked about the impact of the program generally, and how it can qualitatively and quantitatively change people’s lives – so let’s take a look at how it can positively impact an organization, no matter what that organization’s main mission is!

There are a couple types of organizations that tend to embrace Connector Programs:

• Immigrant-Serving Organizations
• Economic Development Organizations & Chambers of Commerce

For this post, we’ll start with Immigrant Serving Organizations. These include Immigrant Employment Councils, and other organizations that serve newcomers as their main clientele, who work to help newcomers integrate into their new economy and community. These organizations include programs to help in every aspect of settlement, including services that “wraparound” the newcomer and their family- helping with school, language, healthcare, employment etc.

When it comes to employment services, newcomers often need to go through many steps, from workshops about Canadian workplace culture to site visits of companies in the area. The Connector Program is usually an add-on to the many services that are offered by these organizations, as a graduation, or final step before embarking on their employment journey. Newcomers have prepared for the Canadian job market, now all they need is a network to help them find the right opportunities. The Connector Program a great fit for many immigrant serving organizations – and it is easy (and cost-effective) to administer!

Benefits:

• Immigrant-Serving Organizations obviously have access to newcomers – meaning finding Connectees is easy for them, as they have a continual pool of people looking for exactly .
• These organizers also deal with companies and potential employers through their many programs – making it easier to find their pool of Connectors. It also allows organizations to offer a specific, meaningful way for professionals to contribute to their community, without overwhelming them with commitments – it is a light ask!
• Having multiple ways for professionals to engage with the organization helps to strengthen ties to the business community, which in turn strengthens greater awareness of the benefits that newcomers bring to the local economy.
• It also helps employers have access to top-tier talent, which is of course a huge plus for many reasons.

These are just a few reasons why Immigrant Serving Organizations host Connector Programs, and how they use them to their benefit. In the next blog we’ll discuss the various reasons why Economic Development organizations and Chambers of Commerce love to house Connector Programs!