RAISE Program

Refugee and Immigrant Supports to Employment (RAISE)

RAISE

Become a client

Become an EmployMENTOR

Become a Volunteer WLT

SDI WLT Innovation Project

The RAISE Program

The RAISE program supports refugee and immigrant clients, with limited official language proficiency and work experience, interested to obtain and maintain employment in the trades, hospitality, sales and service, childcare, health services support and manufacturing sectors.

Through pre- and post-employment counselling and the support of Workplace Language Trainers, clients enhance their knowledge and skills for employment readiness, as well as develop their language skills specific to their workplace, thereby increasing their knowledge of the Canadian workplace culture, while participating in society.

In partnership with the province, the program incorporates a training subsidy as an incentive for employers, (“EmployMENTORS”) to develop individual learning plans for the client.

For more information on joining the RAISE program as a client or employer of choice, please contact:

Mary Coulas
Refugee and Immigrant Supports to Employment (RAISE) Project Facilitator
[email protected]
Tel: (613) 725-5671, ext. 333

Become a client

Client Benefits

Introduction to employers for job opportunities.
Pre- and post-employment counselling support which include employment workplace rights and health and safety certifications (Worker Health and Safety Awareness in 4 Steps) and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System – WHIMS).
Employment maintenance and job development support.
Workplace language training through the support of Volunteer Workplace Language Trainers.

Eligibility Requirements

Landed immigrant or convention refugee.
Experience or interest in the trades, hospitality, sales and service, childcare, health services support, and manufacturing sectors.
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level between 3 and 6.
Ontario resident.

Make an Impact by Becoming an EmployMENTOR

Join our growing group of Ottawa employers engaged to support newcomers with employment and skills development opportunities.

Employer Benefits

Introduction to clients with valuable skills required for the Ottawa Labour Market.
Training subsidies in partnership with the province.
Pre-induction training supports for the prospective employee, tailored to the company’s human resource policies.
Post-employment support from the program’s staff to ensure employment maintenance.
Workplace language training by dedicated Volunteer Language Trainers.

Become a Volunteer Workplace Language Trainer

Volunteering Description

Provide a weekly three-hour workplace specific language training to our clients.
Time commitment: 12 meetings over three months.
Required training: initial orientation followed by monthly training.

Qualifications

Understand Canadian workplace culture and best practices.
Demonstrated Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) /Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) experience or relevant education experience.
Experience in working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Benefits for Volunteers

As a Volunteer Workplace Language Trainer, you will:

contribute positively to the life of a newcomer to Canada;
enhance your cross-cultural competencies;
receive training focused on supporting refugees and newcomers;
build your experience in supporting immigrants and enhance your resume;
receive a reference from OCISO after a three-month Volunteer commitment; and
receive a certificate of appreciation after the commitment period.

Application Process

Complete the online application form for Volunteer Workplace Language Trainers found under Community Economic Development: https://ociso.org/volunteers/.
Provide us your Police Record Check-Level 2-Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJM) or a valid security clearance obtained in the last three months. If you do not have either of them, we will support you in the process of getting your Vulnerable Sector Check from the police office.
Attend a mandatory orientation session.

For more information, please contact:

Golshan Mahjoub
Workplace Language Facilitator (Raise)/ Community Economic Development
[email protected]
613-725-5671 ext. 356

Service Delivery Improvement Workplace Language Training (SDI WLT) Innovation Project

The SDI WLT Innovation project is an IRCC funded research collaboration between OCISO and an Applied Linguistics Research team at Carleton University, focused on the development of an innovative 10-module workplace language curriculum for the Canadian workplace.

Focused on refugee and immigrant clients with low official language skills, the program aims to help these clients increase workplace language competencies and adapt to the Canadian workplace, as they transition into Canadian society. Providing a client-centered approach contextualized for the Canadian workplace, the program responds to individual client needs in the critical stages of maintaining employment.

SDI WLT Innovation project’s structure

Audience: The Workplace Language Training is designed to enhance the workplace language competencies of RAISE clients successfully matched with employment through the RAISE program.

Program structure & Proposed mode of delivery: The program follows a blended learning approach whereby learners would access the self-learning modules through the Moodle app, followed by in-person (or online) sessions with a TESL-trained Volunteer Workplace Language Trainer (VWLT). The Workplace Language training will be delivered in 12 sessions over three months.

Tentative themes for WLT Modules:

For more information:

Please send an email to [email protected] inquiring "SDI WLT Innovation Project"

RAISE Program

Refugee and Immigrant Supports to Employment (RAISE)

The RAISE Program

For more information on joining the RAISE program as a client or employer of choice, please contact:

Become a client

Make an Impact by Becoming an EmployMENTOR

Become a Volunteer Workplace Language Trainer

For more information, please contact:

Service Delivery Improvement Workplace Language Training (SDI WLT) Innovation Project

For more information:

Programs