ARTICLE

Date ArticleType
11/21/2012 Media Releases
Immigrant Employment Council of BC Accepting Applications for New Employer Innovation Fund

Immigrant Employment Council of BC Accepting Applications for New Employer Innovation Fund

On September 18, at the 2012 Leaders’ Summit on Immigrant Employment, the Province of BC announced that the Immigrant Employment Council of BC (IEC-BC) had been awarded funds to design, implement and manage a new funding initiative that will assist British Columbia employers, business associations and industry and sectoral organizations to attract, hire and retain skilled new immigrants.

 

This funding initiative, the

 

Employer Innovation Fund (EIF), will support innovative projects that address immigrant talent hiring and retention challenges faced by BC employers. Applications for funding will be accepted until Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 5 pm, with decisions being announced mid-January 2013. The Call for Applications including funding streams and criteria, and the Application Form are available at www.iecbc.ca.

Funded by the Government of Canada and the Province of BC, Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, EIF projects will be province-wide, with a priority on some of the key sectors as highlighted in the BC Jobs Pla www.bcjobsplan.ca.

EIF projects are intended to:

  • be employer-led, employer-driven and support employer needs as identified by employers;
  • emphasize innovation, while avoiding duplication and/or adding funding to pre-existing initiatives;
  • result in strategic approaches that support employers to enhance and build their capacity to attract, hire and retain new immigrants;
  • develop resources and tools that are useful for employers and responsive to the immigrant workforce; and
  • test and evaluate new employer-led approaches to immigrant labour force integration.

In announcing the funds, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training Pat Bell stressed that government recognizes the key role of employers and the need for employer-focused and employer-developed resources to effectively attract, hire and retain immigrants in BC workplaces.

"Employers have unique insights and understanding of the challenges in hiring, retaining and integrating newcomers into their workplaces," said Minister Bell. "Engaging employers in the development of targeted initiatives, resources and tools will ensure their effectiveness in addressing immigrant employment and labour market challenges."

Visit iecbc.ca to learn more and to apply to the Employer Innovation Fund or email info@iecbc.ca.