Calgary Jobs, Information & Training

Here at CIES we always do our best to stay plugged into the Calgary community. so you can be too. From Day one CIES has always believed that strong community partnerships are the best way to have both a meaningful and sustainable impact on the life of immigrants here in Calgary.  We are affiliated with a number of key organisations throughout the city and this expansive network allows us to stay informed on your behalf. Below is a list of upcoming opportunities for a wide range of skills sets and experience levels to improve your skills, network and submit resumes for employment.Click on the provided posters for more details.

JOB FAIRS
Centre for Newcomers is hosting a Job Fair today from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Bring your resumé and meet with hiring representatives!  

Alberta Works Fort McMurray (please note location) is hosting a Labour Force Job Fair on September 8 from  1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  

The Old Spaghetti Factory (Marlborough in Calgary North-East) is holding its first Hiring Fair and will be hiring over 100 new staff.  Attend on September 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and September 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Coast Plaza Hotel and Conference Centre.  

INFORMATON SESSIONS
Acquire skills for entry level employment in the millwright/machining trades!  Attend an Information Session with CCIS on September 9 at 9:00 a.m.  

 
 

CIES @ Globalfest

CIES took in the finale of Globalfest 2016 and despite the rain and behind a big crowd was on hand to finish up this year's annual event. The groundwork for GlobalFest began in 1993 with the formation of The Calgary Fireworks Festival Society. The not-for-profit Society searched for a suitable fireworks launch site in Calgary for eight years to no avail. There were many potential sites, but none combined the suitable large viewing area, safety regulations, and ability to allow large-scale pyrotechnics to be launched. It wasn't until 2001 when the Society discovered Elliston Park in Calgary's Greater Forest Lawn district that the dream could now become reality.

This was a chance encounter that brought together The Calgary Fireworks Festival Society and the International Avenue Arts and Culture Centre, who were interested in beginning a multicultural festival based in East Calgary. The two groups met and they made presentations to the International Avenue BRZ on the same day. Discussions began, and the two groups soon realized the amazing impact their events would have if they partnered together to give Calgary a truly world class celebration of cultural diversity.

GlobalFest burst onto the scene in 2003 with 10 cultural pavilions and three countries presenting pyromusicals in Calgary's very own international fireworks festival. On the fourth and final night of the festival, GlobalFest celebrated a remarkable accomplishment. The festival reached attendance of close to 100,000 in the very first year, making GlobalFest one of Calgary's top draws for local citizens and tourists alike.

GlobalFest's mandate as a not-for-profit society is to produce an inclusive, world class, multi-faceted arts and culture festival that celebrates and showcases cultural diversity and artistic excellence within our communities and across the globe. CIES would like to congratulate Globalfest for another amazing year and we look forward to next summer! For more photos of CLICK HERE.

CIES Presents at ISC ILVARC Workshop

Immigrant Services Calgary (ISC) provides a variety of services to support the settlement and integration of newcomers in the Calgary community. Committed to the success of newcomers, they are dedicated to making those new to Calgary feel at home.

Assistance in finding language training opportunities and other community resources, adjusting to life in Canada by supporting one through the settlement process, gaining Canadian work experience through volunteer opportunities, and meeting people from diverse cultural groups are all part of what ISC has been doing for newcomers for more than three decades. One of the ways in which ISC accomplishes this is through free workshops for clients and the immigrant community in general. In attending these workshops, one can learn relevant information about job searching, career development, and useful directions for adapting to life in Canada. At ISC's latest workshop, held at the beautiful Genesis Centre in Calgary's NE, CIES presented information on their Employment Skills Training Program, as well as our Clerical and Accounting Training Programs.

We are proud to call Immigrant Services Calgary a partner in the collective community effort to help newcomers to Calgary become productive and confident citizens! For more pictures CLICK HERE.

Growing With CIES: Inside the CIES Classroom

Perhaps the most unique and accessible of all our programs, CIES has been delivering its one of kind Drop-In ESL Program since 1988. Last year we served over four hundred clients from 66 countries with the program and clients consistently say the structure allows them to improve their overall communicative competence and work on their language skills in a flexible way, despite their other commitments. Funded by Alberta Human Services, it is one of our few programs even open to Canadian citizens.

As a helpful guide to quick and practical ways of engaging students in a low level classroom, the common environment in our Drop-in Program, we will release a series of videos demonstrating different ways to do just that. Take a look at our first Growing With CIES below!

The Changing Face of Calgary - CIES 6th Annual Summer Festival Highlight Reel

Calgary, throughout its history, has had a sustained increase in the number of immigrant and visible minority persons arriving in the city. The result has been a continually growing range of culturally diverse experiences, perspectives and vibrancy. Calgary’s ethno-cultural make-up is changing rapidly.

There is a significant increase in the number of Canadian-born as well as immigrants belonging to visible minority groups. According to Statistics Canada, Calgary’s visible minority population is expected to grow from 22 per cent to 38 per cent between 2006 and 2031, That said, based on our current rate of growth, the visible minority population is projected to reach upwards of 40 per cent in Calgary by 2020. In other words, Calgary is joining the likes of Vancouver and Toronto, as major urban centre of multiculturalism and preferred destination for newcomers. This is why the Calgary Immigrant Educational Society, serving our great city for nearly three decades, is on the front bumper of urban culture and we count ourselves as lucky because of it. The beauty of diversity is our strength and a look at our recent Summer Festival Highlight reel below shows us just that. Once again thank you to all who participated in any way, shape or form. The Festival would not have been possible without you!

CIES Receives RESP Grant from Momentum

CIES is pleased and thankful for a recently received grant for Register Education Savings Plan (RESP) and Canada Learning Bond work from Momentum.

Momentum exists because, despite all of Calgary’s prosperity, there are still people living in poverty in our city, many of whom work full-time hours. These Calgarians do not need a band-aid approach to crisis management; they need the tools to prevent such crises from happening. Momentum serves people who are ready to make a change and make it last.Through skills training, financial literacy education and business development support, Momentum helps people maximise their economic potential. The results are individuals and families with sustainable livelihoods, who are able to contribute to their community. Momentum conducts presentations at CIES several times a year and we count them as an invaluable partner in the services we provide our clients.

Since its inception, CIES is mandated to provide resource information and support to immigrants and low income earning individuals for their socioeconomic development.  In addition to other settlement and employment support for such individuals, CIES has offered formal financial literacy education since 2013 involving many stakeholders, including Momentum, to provide education to immigrants and other newcomers. CIES organised over 20 RESP education seminars geared towards the immigrants and low income earning Calgarians. The result is very encouraging as 90% people indicated that the program helped them to understand the financial basics and 80% people indicated that their confidence level has been increased  and CIES would like to continue providing education and helping them to open RESP.

As a result of the generous grant from Momentum, CIES will continue organising presentations on RESP in 2016/2017.  Additionally, clients will be supported through personal financial counseling on the importance of RESP for their children’s future education on an ongoing basis.  At least ten people will be provided RESP personal counseling every month and it is expected that 60% of them will open an RESP account for their kids. If required, clients will be accompanied by a CIES facilitator to the financial service providers to open RESP.  CIES clients will open at least 30 RESPs by the end of December 15, 2016.

RESP seminars will be conducted by CIES on Sept. 12 and October 17 of this year and November 16, 2017, For more information give us a call at 403-291-0002.

CIES 6th Annual Summer Festival

Yesterday CIES held its 6th annual Summer Festival and by all accounts it was an unparalleled success. Hundreds of attendees came by throughout the day in the form of local residents, clients, sponsors, partners, and both members of the municipal and provincial governments, including recently elected MLA Robyn Luff and the City of Calgary's Jason Luan. Food, dance and music from all over the world was on display, as well games, contests and activities. More than 75 countries from around the globe were represented on what was a remarkable day.

The theme for this year's festival was Around the World in One Day and seeing so many customs and traditions, so much culture and so much diversity all in one place was truly special. CIES would like to thank all those who attended, the artBOX for graciously providing us with an absolutely great venue, the International Avenue Business Revitalization Zone's support, and most especially a heartfelt thanks to all those who participated in the days events. Without your input, without your pride in sharing your culture and donating your time, we could not have put on such a truly amazing day.

What was without a doubt a day of fun also had a very important subtext and in the end, very much stands for what the Calgary Immigrant Educational Society strives for each and every day. There are many differences amongst us and there are no absolutes, this much I know to be true.  Despite these differences, we are more alike than different, no matter how difficult it may be to recognize our similarities. It’s in our nature to see our differences before we see that which is the same, but when given the chance to truly see, like a blind man regaining his sight, what was always right in front of us becomes an emancipating vision of truth. On a grander scale, the reflection of our internal selves can be seen in almost any human soul. We are all mirrors, all reflections of one another.  A video highlight reel of the festival is coming soon but for now, to see pictures of the day's event CLICK HERE.

A human being is a part of the whole called by us the universe,          

a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his

thoughts and feelings as something separate than the rest, a kind

of optical delusion of his consciousness. The delusion is a kind

of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection

for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves

from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all

living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

                                                                                          -Albert Einstein