Lutherwood Connects new Canadians and Employers

Today Lutherwood hosted its first annual Bridging the Gap conference in the Guelph community. The conference had over 75 new Canadian participants, and approximately 60 employers and expert panelist.

Many of the new Canadians had professional certifications or graduate degrees from countries outside Canada. Employers from various sectors including: biotechnology; business and finance; manufacturing and engineering; and healthcare were represented.

“Anytime we have an opportunity to bring together employers and new Canadian professionals we strengthen our community” said Aaron Stauch, Program Manager for Lutherwood. “The event was successful because employment services providers, area businesses, and the Guelph Chamber of Commerce came together to address a shared challenge.”

The City of Guelph, Conestoga College, Premium HR Solutions, the Achievement Centre, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and ScotiaBank sponsored the conference.

Lutherwood, which has been providing employment programs and services in Guelph for more than 15 years, offers job seekers pre-employment preparation, job development assistance, access to training opportunities and government funding. Specific programs include Employment Ontario-funded services in English and French, as well as the Job Search Workshop program for new Canadians. It also offers employers access to government incentives to hire workers.