100+ newcomers & their Canadian friends carve pumpkins (1st time for many!) & learn martial arts at our Oct monthly activity - too much fun! pic.twitter.com/R05Hbvoq5M
— BThornington (@FoFOCISO) October 30, 2017
OCISO is an amazing organization that offers a number of different programs to immigrants and refugees to support them in their journey to make Canada their home.
The organization is driven by dedicated and passionate employees, generous and energetic volunteers and committed community partners and donors. I feel very lucky to have been placed with OCISO.
I hope to get more involved with the Friends of the Family program. It is a very special program that enriches the lives of everyone involved.
Demand for volunteer groups (groups of friends or a family) is very high so if you are Ottawa-based and want to get to know your city better, make new friends, stay active and learn about different cultures you should consider volunteering with Friends of the Family.
Becky Zentner-Barrett

I would like to say thanks to OCISO. I started to study in a CLB 2 language class one year ago. My teachers is very nice. I enjoy my friends in the my class.I say again thank you for my teacher you help me every time because i am happy with you

OCISO has very good teachers and very good program that makes you learn English from C.L.B.C until level seven . I advice every refugee person to register in this school because I learn much about Canada and improve my language, and this is thanks my teacher BRENDA , she is helpful and knows what she want to do. thank you BRENDA .

I thank OCISO and my teacher so much. You tell me how to learn English's way and know about Canada . In the class, I am walking into the language of English. I feel I am confident live in Ottawa. Also I really feel happy in the class, so I like to go to school. I think I will to find a new job in future . That time I hope I can, like my teacher, help people .Thanks OCISO and teacher again!

I have been here almost 2 weeks . OCISO is a good school , and in the CLBS we have a perfect teacher . I would like to continue until the highest level in the school .

i would like to say thanks ociso ! but i with 3 years for it and when i came here i got my citizenship so i enjoy few month.

C'est avec une très grande satisfaction que je termine mon programme de mentorat initié par OCISO.
J'ai eu beaucoup de chance de profiter de la riche experience de ma mentor, car elle était toujours disponible pour me guider dans mes démarches de recherche d'emploi, m'aider à préparer mes entrevues et m'assister dans la planification de ma carrière.
Je la remercie pour ce temps précieux qu'elle a sacrifié pour m'encadrer, je remervie également OCISO pour cette occasion qui m'a permis d'enrichir mon réseau de contact et d'améliorer mes stratégies de recherche d'emploi.

OCISO is for every people who need to learn English. And also for new comers from different country. I have been here for 1 year. I am glade to be here because , I got more information about Canada and more knowledge about other things too. As well as I meet with friends. And the teachers of OCISO are very helpful.

I had a very effective mentor who supported me in finding a job in a very reasonable timeframe. OCISO got it right the 1st time with a perfect matching ...

I would like to thank for their endless professionalism, patience and sense of humor. Not only classes were trully delightful, but delivered..

I like OCISO,because this school give s us Good Knowledge, I came here for reading and writing,i came 5 days a week i started OCISO In 2015 and i make friends sometime i make fun with them.

OCISO is a great settlement organization for newcomers. I accessed their mentorship program. It matched me with a seasoned federal civil servant who had years of hands on experience in career counselling and development. The mentorship program helped me to develop my career planning in Canada and setting up short and long term goals. OCISO’s Mentorship Facilitator, Tonya Pomerantz, was very helpful, and she set me up very efficiently with the mentor. She had also followed up throughout the mentorship program to benefit from it. It was a great learning experience.

The mentorship program is a great opportunities to connect newcomers with professionals and to equip them with the knowledge, techniques, and confidence they need to secure their first employment in Canada.

I`d like to thank Ms. Kais and Ms. Blouin for all the help and encouragement they provided me. Also, I`d like to thank Mr. Dibbs for his help with my resume’ and all his willingness to help. I know I would not be able to get a job in my area that quick without OCISO`s help. Thank you very much to help me technically with my resume and interview techniques, and psychologically, with encouragement to help me keep a positive mindset.

OCISO is one of the best organizations that addresses the needs of newcomers and provides specific solutions. Everybody in OCISO is very friendly and they are easy to reach at all times. I have never felt alone or forgotten. I had the chance to experience several occasions that OCISO provides such as; mentorship program, connector program, speed interview workshop, resume & networking strategies.

I am very appreciative of all the efforts OCISO made towards my success. Several informative trainings, a lot of links and reading material, wonderful mentor and many more. Special thank you to Tonya- such a great professional and person!

Tonya matched me withy mentor for the FIN program.
It was a great experience that nurtured my carreer and brought it to the next level.
Thank you!

I wanted to thank OCISCO for matching me with my mentor. I am pleased to have met her and learned much about the government through her. She helped me in figure out more clearly what I’d like to work with as I previously only had had a vague idea. The path forward is now clearer!

I would like to thank both Mrs Tonya my OCISO's mentorship facilitator and Mrs Connie my mentor for their support and all the time they are taking to assist and guide me.
Their valuable advices are helping me in my current position and will continue to help me in achieving my career goals.
Thank you.

I visited OCISO the second day of my arrival in Canada and I felt at home. Everyone was smiling and was doing their best to help me integrate and settle in my new country.
After two weeks I received a lot of support and advice, I updated my resume and cover letter according to Canadian standards with a high degree of professionalism.
The third week, I was invited to participate in an introduction to the mentorship program; A day full of contributions and human relations.
After a month, and thanks to their great support and invaluable help I manage to win my first job in Canada and start rebuilding a new career in the country.
I will always be grateful to OCISO and the people who work there, and especially Rana and Jasmine.
A very big thank you to Santa, Houda, Zahra, and Michelle

Excellent service and great support, it gave me hope in securing the job I wanted at times others made think that it is impossible.

The FIN Mentorship program was extremely helpful on my way to obtaining an indeterminate position with the Federal Government. The program found a mentor that was a perfect match for me personally and professionally, and facilitated our interactions at the initial stage. And it all happened very quickly, within a couple of days. My mentor referred me to the right people, helping me to extend my sector-specific network, worked with me to prepare me for the Governmental interview. This preparation was crucial to my ability to present my key competences and effective behaviors, as well as to be confident and positive. As the result I have secured an indeterminate position with the Federal Government within 3 months from enrollment into FIN Mentorship program!

I would like to take this time to thank you sincerely. You have helped me and if am moving forward it's because of the motivation that you added to me especially reminding me and ensuring me that I have all it costs to make it to a better life. I would write pages to express how much you have contributed to this achievement from the very first day I met you. I hope to see you again in the near future. You deserve more than a "Thank you" . I believe blessings from God will satisfy you with peace of mind and joy as you keep giving hope to the hopeless and raising lives. Thanks for opening another door for me through OCISO Internship.

I had a great experience with OCISO’s Mentorship Program. I was quickly matched with a mentor who had a lot of experience in my field within the federal government. We had regular meetings and my mentor was always available to respond shortly to my emails when I had a specific question. She helped me understand the public service workplace culture and define my career objectives within the federal government. I would like to thank OCISO and my amazing mentor for their continuous support that led me to secure employment within the public service!

Friends of the Family with Bonnie is an amazing program. I'm so proud to be a volunteer with her continues professional work to support newcomers in every little detail she do with passion and love

Tonya is an amazing person. She is very helpful, extremely kind and dedicated to the success of the mentee. Her approach and involvement with the whole process makes a huge difference. She provides a clear and engaging information session, tries to really understand the mentee’s career goals, looks carefully for mentors who might be a good fit with the mentee, introduces mentor and mentee and facilitates the first meeting, and ensures the mentorship is going smoothly. A big thanks to Tonya, the OCISO team, and to my mentor Sarah who has also been very helpful, knowledgeable, and created a great mentorship experience for me.

I participated in a couple of great programs which supported me in many different ways, but the OCISO Career Mentoring Program was the piece that I needed to complete the puzzle. I was very fortunate toparticipate in this program where I was matched with an amazing mentor. My mentor was a perfect match, we had similar professional background and professional interests. She took personal interest to understand me, define the critical areas where I needed support, and availed herself to meet me every
week to guide me in my job search. She helped me expand my professional network by introducing me to people she knew who were also willing to help. She also helped me define my focus to be able to prepare well and submit good applications. Before long, I was invited for an interview and she helped me do a mock interview and prepared me accordingly. Our 5th meeting happened after I had been offered a job in my profession. I recommend this program to every Internationally Trained Professional who is job seeking. It is possible to get a job in your profession. You just need someone to hold your hand and show you the way.

I would like to thank you and the rest of the team at the OCISO Career Mentoring Program for all the
support. Every interaction with the program - with staff members, as well as with my mentor - was a learning experience that took me closer to a job opportunity. The match-making process was awesome: it was very fast (from intake session to meeting my mentor in less than a week), and Mr. Burwell's skills as a mentor are extraordinary. As a truly satisfied client, I will be more than glad to openly recommend the Program to your target audience.

Once again, thank you and OCISO infinitely for your help throughout the job searching process and for partnering me with such a knowledgeable, patient and kind mentor.

Once again, thank you and OCISO infinitely for your help throughout the job searching process and for partnering me with such a knowledgeable, patient and kind mentor.

With the valuable help from my mentor, I have found a co-op opportunity with H RSDC from September to December. Hereby, I sincerely thank you and the program of mentorship of OCISO.

I had a wonderful and enriching experience with the mentor I was assigned. Not only my mentor provided me with strategic ideas to enhance my job hunt, but she also dedicated an incredible amount of time from her busy agenda to meet me personally and to reply every single communication we established over email. I finally felt there was someone who could speak about my sector and support me in every single step of my efforts to attain a job that I really wanted, not just any job. I also learned from my mentor to be patient but at the same time to not give up on my dream job and focus on making it happen. I enjoyed sharing experiences with my mentor; she wasn't only interested in assisting with her insights, but also on listening to my work perspectives while being incredibly friendly and sincere. This is priceless when you are jobless and need to navigate through a lot of situations. This program has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I can't thank enough OCISO and my mentor for this amazing opportunity, I finally got one of the jobs I have been dreaming of.

I am learning English in OCISO. I come to school started in January 5,2015. lam improve English very well. My teacher name is Agatha. My teacher is teach English language.thanks you.

I want to talk about my teacher. She's teaches very well and she's very clever when she speaks in a friendly way.

Being a part of the OCISO Mentorship Program has been an eye-opening experience and a crucial step in my job search process. The program is tailored to gain a better understanding of the workplace culture. Rana and Michelle are dedicated and passionate and the matching between me and my mentor was a very good fit. I would say that the program is a must for any newcomer willing to find a job in Ottawa.

I am very thankful for all the support and help that OCISO has provided. They were very resourceful in finding the right Mentor and workshops to prepare people like me to get jobs in the right fit and industry.
It has been an absolute pleasure working with Michelle, Rana, Jasmine and other OCISO staff that were always available and supportive. All staff were motivating and highly professional during our collaboration. I was consistently impressed with their attitude from the first day. I found OCISO environment very friendly. I gained very valuable information and had a very positive experience throughout the stay.
I was recruited by Food Processing Skills Canada, thanks to my mentor, and I can tell that I always felt he was dedicated in finding me this job, I could talk to him like a friend but at the same time he always gave me very professional advice.
I highly recommend OCISO as a professional body for new immigrants.

OCISO is a good school and OCISO has a good teacher. for my experience I was very happy. And my teacher Brenda is a perfect teacher in CLB5 .She learned me and gave my a lot of information and she was help me all the time.

OCISO helps me to improve my English language and during my studies ,I Learnt a lot of words and expressions.Now,! get much knowledge which helps me to listen,to read and to write.