TIES Offers Lifeline to Newcomers Facing Barriers to Employment

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Urooj Riaz didn’t expect to struggle much when she arrived in Canada back in the summer of 2024. At least, not when it came to jobs, and especially not with eight years of accounting and administrating experience under her belt.

But the 30-year-old from Pakistan was in for a surprise.

“When I came here, I applied for so many jobs,” Riaz says. “I was struggling a lot. The Canadian job market is so different from Pakistan.”

Six months later – still no job. And little-to-no confidence.

“It was so, so hard for me,” she adds.

That all changed when she was referred to a special employment program EYE at TIES (The Immigrant Education Society).

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TIES EYE(s) Success

‍TIES began offering the Empowering Youth through Employment (EYE) program in 2016, with the influx of Syrian refugees. The initial run of the program was targeted towards supporting Syrian Refugee youth (up to 30 years old). It has since served close to 400 youth participants.

But EYE is more than “just” a job training program – it’s a lifeline for youth facing barriers to employment. Not only do participants get short upskilling courses, ongoing mentorship and career coaching but they also have access to childcare, transit, mental health counselling and they get a “living allowance”.  

Mayssoun Hniedi, Manager, Employment & Career Development, says the program has a “special place” in her heart as it was her first project at TIES.  

She has also been able to see firsthand the impact it has had on youth in general and immigrant youth in particular.  

“I have seen it make dreams come true for so many young individuals,” she points out. “I saw them build confidence and grow from entry-level jobs to management positions and entrepreneurs owning their own businesses and coming to us to hire TIES' clients.”  

Like so many others at TIES, Hniedi has also undergone the “immigrant journey”. She saw her family struggle when they arrived in Canada in 1993, not knowing about the services available to newcomers. She says she feels “blessed” she can help others make their integration and transition a bit easier.

“I feel a great sense of fulfillment and joy. I feel proud that our work has helped someone overcome a substantial financial hardship.”

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‍‍Hardships Facing Newcomers

Hniedi points out there are many misconceptions when it comes to newcomers and jobs, adding it’s especially difficult for racialized youth to find work.  

In January, the overall national youth unemployment rate was 13.6%. Among the three largest racialized population groups, the youth unemployment rate was up on a year-over-year basis for South Asian (+5.2 percentage points to 15.2%) and Chinese (+3.9 percentage points to 16.6%) Canadians.  

Among Black youth, the unemployment rate was 18.6% in January. The unemployment rate of youth who were not racialized and not Indigenous was 10.8% in January 2025, up from 9.4% in January 2024 (three-month moving averages, not seasonally adjusted).

In Alberta, the total population unemployment rate was 7.2% in October 2024 compared to 13.2% (almost double) for immigrants who have been in Canada for less than 5 years. 

“At TIES, we notice that newcomers, especially those with limited language skills, face tougher challenges securing survival jobs like cleaning and general labour,” Hniedi added. “The job market has become increasingly competitive due to a higher number of job seekers driven by Alberta’s unprecedented population growth.”

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EYE a Win-Win for Everyone

With an 80% success rate, the program is a clear winner for participants. But Hniedi says it’s also beneficial for employers who gain access to skilled, motivated youth talent with minimal financial risk. EYE provides up to a 12-week wage subsidy – helping businesses grow while investing in the next generation of workers.

“It’s designed really well, actually,” Rahul Suryawanshi says.

Suryawanshi and his wife own a location of Massage Experts in Calgary. They started their business in 2020 – smack in the middle of the pandemic. It was a rough start, to say the least. So, when the business was contacted by TIES to participate in the project three years ago – it was a win-win.  

Massage Experts would get some help with the cost of hiring workers and these workers would get some crucial experience.  

Something Suryawanshi, who immigrated to Canada himself 24 years ago, knows can be tough.

“I feel the pain of not getting any job as a new person and getting to know the system,” he says. “They usually don’t have a chance to work.”

Suryawanshi has hired several EYE participants over the years and has one youth working for him currently. He’s always on the lookout for new talent and plans to keep a close eye on EYE.

Urooj Riaz Lands a Job!

Urooj Riaz is extremely grateful for everything she learned from the EYE program.  

She not only learned how to craft a proper resume and cover letter but also how to navigate the Canadian job market and Canadian culture. But the most important things EYE gave her – confidence and connections.

“The best part about this program that I learned was networking,” she points out. “TIES helped me to meet some many new people.”

Those meetings have lead to a job. She started working at a Calgary UPS store in November as an associate. She is now a manager.

“I am blessed,” she says happily.  

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Upcoming Job Fair ‍

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EYE will be featured at an Employer Appreciation & Youth Networking Event in Calgary on February 26.

The focus of the event is “Where Talent Meets Opportunity “and Mayssoun Hniedi is confident with at least 25 employers, recruiters and HR professionals in attendance, there will be a lot of mutually beneficial connections made.  

Employer Appreciation & Youth Networking Event Details:

Date: February 26, 2025

Time: 11 am - 2:00 pm 

Location: Genesis Centre (Community Gym) - 7555 Falconridge Blvd. NE, Calgary, AB T3J 0C9

Cost: Free

Click here to register for the event

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For more information about EYE please visit Empowering Youth Through Employment (EYE)

Funding for the centre was made possible by the Government of Canada's Skills Link Program.

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Media RSVP, Interviews & Inquiries:

Tomasia DaSilva

Media and Relationship Strategist

Email: tomasiadasilva@immigrant-education.ca

Phone: 403-291-0002

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