Q & A Prince Edward Island

Conversation with Elmira Moghimi and Nicole Bellefleur

Prince Edward Island runs a Connector Program unlike any other, as they focus on two main streams: entrepreneurs looking to start a business in the province, and job seekers looking to connect with their local industry to learn more about the job market. They have a team of coordinators working around the province to ensure they support clients with tailored advice and services no matter where on the Island they choose to make their home. We were able to chat about PEI Connectors with the coordinator focused on job seekers, Elmira Moghimi, and the Executive Director of the PEI Connectors Program Nicole Bellefleur, to discuss how the program impacts the province, and helps people stay on the Island.

Interview by Alida Campbell.

Alida manages the National Connector Program and continues to be inspired by the stories of connection and growth that participants share across the country.

Alida:

Nicole, can you give us some background information on PEI Connectors? How did it start, and how has it evolved over the years?

Nicole:

In 2011, the Chamber recognized there were many newcomers coming to Charlottetown and PEI under the Provincial nominee program, and they were all required to start a business, but they were given very little support to do so. The Chamber heard of the Connector Program in Halifax and thought it would be a great model to adapt to use for entrepreneurs. It helped newcomers start their businesses, which also bolstered the local business community and made it much more healthy and vibrant. In 2018, the province shifted its immigration focus to job seekers, so the Connector Program added a new stream, and now we also help address labour market shortages through our work with job seeker clients.

Alida:

It’s so great to have a mandate that is so wide-reaching. How have you seen the program impact your clients who enter the program?

Elmira:

Some institutions on PEI offer different services for people who have their permanent residency or citizenship, but for those who have a work permit or are students, they don’t have many options. PEI Connectors can help them reach and receive opportunities to integrate into the community. People can get resources, connections, networking opportunities, and they benefit from this. When people are prosperous in their lives, it brings value to the organization, and it brings value to the project officers who like to serve people and bring value and opportunities to them. This program bridges the gaps for services for people, so everyone can access services that help them build a community on PEI. People who have skills and credentials, we want to help them find a job that matches their credentials. We want them to stay and thrive. We don’t want them working in an entry-level job where their skills are not being used. The best part about the Program is making connections that match what the Connectees are searching for. This helps the economy of PEI. If they find a job and don’t leave the Island, they are helping to grow our province and fill any labour gaps. We do our best at PEI Connectors to make sure they see opportunities that encourage them to remain here and succeed.

Nicole:

For newcomer professionals, business owners or recent graduates, we help them get established. When they can get established, they can become vibrant members of our community. They bring access to new markets, needed skills, and their professional networks, and each of these things benefits the established community.

Alida:

Outside of connections and networking, what does the program offer newcomers to PEI?

Elmira:

I’m an immigrant myself. I’ve been through the ups and downs that you go through to settle here. All the experiences I’ve had, I can share with my clients to help them get a new job and be prosperous. They have an aim to come here and settle and build a better life. This program, this position, allows me to help them accomplish this.

Nicole:

We offer one on one consultation to entrepreneurs and job seekers, we provide educational programming about job searching or running a business, we are a hub, and a go-to place for our clients, a place they can feel safe coming to and receiving whatever support they need to succeed in the community. They can always come back for our services—we never “exit” our clients. They might even come back and be Connectors, to give that lived experience to someone else, and that is truly valuable. Program officers are also vital to newcomers. They offer them so much more than just business or professional advice; as many of them are newcomers themselves, they help newcomers shoulder the burden, and get through tough times. They are truly able to change lives for the better—which changes the community for the better.

Alida:

What a great sentiment to end on. It’s so true, the coordinators, in PEI and across the country, really do make a huge difference in people’s lives, and they help to make sure their clients can stay on the Island and build a life there! We’re so glad to have each and every one of them.