How Jumpstart Helps Refugees Overcome Employment Barriers 

Refugees face many systemic barriers when seeking employment, including stigma and challenges in having their credentials recognized. They are vulnerable to being unemployed, underemployed, or employed in survival jobs, making it challenging to find meaningful employment and effectively integrate into Canada’s economy. This vulnerability can contribute to the “refugee gap,” wherein refugees are disproportionately at risk of financial hardships and insecurity, relative to other individuals in society, despite having professional and/or educational expertise. 

At Jumpstart, we collaborate with employers and refugees to reduce the effect of systemic barriers within their own control and raise awareness to encourage the public to reflect on how inclusivity can uplift our nation. This blog provides a glimpse of how this collaborative approach works. 

Jumpstart Services For Refugees 

We offer a variety of services that help refugees build transferable skills and networks. With joint effort, we narrow barriers that contribute to the refugee gap. Strengthening refugees’ skills and networks increases their employment prospects, allows for smoother integration into Canadian workplaces, and promotes resilience. 

Strengthening Networks and Soft Skills 

Through Jumpstart’s Welcome Talent Canada program, refugee job seekers connect with professionals in their target fields. This helps them increase their circle of networks and can provide them with a sense of belonging in an unknown job market.Mentorship can also help further cultivate soft skills, such as communication, collaboration, time management, and active listening. 

Jumpstart’s Career Readiness resources, namely, interview and resume support, also help refugees understand the fundamentals of effective writing, as well as enhance their communication skills and confidence. 

Building on Professional Skills 

Refugees come from various backgrounds with unique industry knowledge. Jumpstart organizes events and workshops, such as Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions, to further advance their expertise, providing them with Canadian-specific knowledge for industries like business and marketing. 

Jumpstart also works closely with refugee entrepreneurs, alongside other organizations, investors, and professional advisors, to nurture the potential of their business startups. This allows refugees to enhance their awareness of Canadian-specific investment opportunities, strategic planning, negotiation, and risk management. 

Supporting Credential Evaluations 

Jumpstart participates in the World Education Services (WES) Gateway Program, helping the educational backgrounds of refugees get accredited for further employment and/or academic opportunities.  

Our Seeking Meaningful Employment blog provides specific steps on how refugees can transition to career-aligned roles. 

Jumpstart and Employers 

Employers, in collaboration with Jumpstart, acknowledge hidden talent in refugees, smoothing their economic integration and enhancing inclusivity in Canadian workplaces. For example, employers from CBRE, CIBC, and Zurich Canada have participatedin events organized by Jumpstart and partners like Future Ready Initiative, World Education Services, and Skills for Change. For more information, consider reading our Connecting Skilled Refugees with Local Employers blog. 

Creating Pathways for Advancement: Talent Hub 

Jumpstart’s Meaningful Employment Program, also known as the Talent Hub, works with employers to match refugees with jobs aligned to their expertise. Jumpstart strengthens employer efforts to recruit refugee talent with personalized support and an exclusive job portal. A closer look at the role of employers in the Talent Hub can be seen here.  

Supporting Professional Skills 

Jumpstart hosts workshops and webinars, offering spaces for employers to connect with refugees, discuss and learn about navigating Canada’s job market and industries, and address any questions they may have.  

Jumpstart and the Public 

Canadians can support refugees’ development of soft skills and professional skills by volunteering with Jumpstart. They, for example, can assist with our Career Readiness programs, like mentorship and resume workshops. 

We not only encourage the public to help support refugees in their economic journeys but also uphold the multicultural values of Canada by attempting to reflect on their biases and get a fuller picture of what refugees go through when starting afresh. This is because when refugees experience economic challenges in Canada, they may also experience identity conflicts.  

Refugees’ beliefs can become ambiguous, given that their roles in Canadian society feel uncertain and the presence of stereotypes and discrimination. To capture this perspective, we encourage the public to explore our Beyond the Resume series that delves into the personal experiences of refugees. 

A Decade of Impact 

Jumpstart took its first steps 10 years ago, and with the support of staff, employers, and volunteers, we look forward to helping refugees continue their careers and rebuild their lives in Canada. 

Jumpstart is not alone in ensuring the success and prosperity of refugees.