Q & A Winnipeg

Conversation with Saima Arshad and Monika Feist

The Winnipeg Connector Program is run out of the Success Skills Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are a community-based, not-for-profit organization, dedicated to the recognition of the skills, training, education and knowledge of immigrant professionals and skilled workers, leading to workplace participation appropriate to their credentials. The centre believes that the program is another part in making a welcoming community. We sat down with Saima Arshad, Connector Program Coordinator, and Monika Feist, Executive Director of the centre to chat about what this means to them.

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:

How does the Connector Program help you engage with the broader community?

Saima:

The Connector Program is important for us in order to build a strong and trustworthy relationship with the connectors and connectees.

Monika:

The program serves as our donation to the community, to carry people forward with their pre-employment support. It allows the community to get involved in our activities. It allows us to reach out and see who might want to volunteer and engage. It’s a benefit to the community as well, to have more individuals who are better prepared for the workforce. Also, for newcomers and our organization, it’s good to meet people in the community who can pass information, experience and knowledge onto individuals. It’s important for newcomers to become part of community life sooner than later and in a positive way, and Connector Program does that.

Alida:

It sounds like the program really does aid in your involvement with the community as a whole. Outside of helping you engage, what impact do you see his program having in your community?

Monika:

For the immigrant community, it gives them some confidence that there are Canadian individuals who are concerned and want to help them get to the goals they have set for themselves. It gives people faith that there are people who care, and that gives them confidence when they go to interviews that people will screen them in instead of out, and that can make all the difference.

Saima:

The Connector Program is making a difference in our growing Winnipeg community by helping people to improve their networking skills. Building a network can seem like a huge challenge.

Alida:

It’s wonderful to see how the program is making a difference in your community – what about for your organization?

Saima:

I believe that the Connector Program brings value to the Success Skills Centre's services by providing additional job-search tools to new immigrants and Canadian Citizens.

Monika:

It allows us to have further access to additional resources, as well as the ability to seek more resources for clients. It keeps us alert to the labour market with employers and helps us pick up on different issues in how people present themselves to employers, and how they act with them. The program is a true understanding of working together to get the job seeker a job. It allows for more interactions for a job seeker, ultimately helping increase their chances of getting a job in their field.

Alida:

Thank you both for taking the time to chat with me today. It’s really wonderful to see the positive impact the program can bring to not only one person, but an organization, and community as a whole! It really does show the value of creating a welcoming community, and how that pays dividends to newcomers and longstanding community members alike.