The WHTC program is supported by the R. Howard Webster Foundation and RBC Foundation.
The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 continues its tradition of welcoming newcomers to Canada.
The Welcome Home to Canada (WHTC) program is a six month employability program for new immigrants to Canada. If you are an unemployed or underemployed immigrant and facing barriers to meaningful employment this program may be an option for you.
Am I eligible?
You are eligible if you are:
- A permanent resident* of Canada
*A permanent resident is someone who has been given permanent resident status by immigrating to Canada, but is not a Canadian citizen. Permanent residents are citizens of other countries. (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomers/about-pr.asp)
OR
- A Canadian citizen born outside of Canada
OR
- A protected person as defined in Section 95 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act who is legally entitled to work in Canada and Nova Scotia
AND
- Facing barriers to employment. Barriers may include non-transferable credentials, lack of Canadian work experience and linguistic barriers.
Why should you apply?
Finding meaningful work in a new country can come with multiple challenges including non-transferable credentials, lack of Canadian experience, lack of professional networks and linguistic barriers.
By participating in the six month program you will gain work experience, improve your communication skills, build and expand your professional network which will help create more career options and increase your confidence, optimism and hope about your future in Canada.
About the program
The program offers you:
- A six month work term at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
- Mentorship and one-on-one supervision
- English language training through the Communications in the Workplace course offered in partnership with Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia ISANS
- Job search, resume and cover letter writing, and interview preparation training
- Professional development and network-building opportunities
- Possibility of a two week work placement opportunity with a second employer
- Opportunities to participate in a Job Fair or a networking event
Since 2004 the Museum has welcomed 180 immigrants from over 50 different countries through the WHTC program. Over 70% of participants obtain meaningful employment or further their education after successfully completing the program.
The WHTC program also receives support from community partners such as the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development, Greater Halifax Partnership, Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia ISANS, Nova Scotia Business Inc., members of the former Pier 21 Society board of directors and former program participants.
Many employers support the program by hosting program participants for work placements. Some of our most recent employer partners include the Discovery Centre, Dalhousie University’s Killam Memorial Library, Saint Mary’s University, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax Regional School Board, Halifax Public Libraries, YMCA,YWCA, Kassner Goodspeed Architects and many more.
Our Past Participants Say...
“WHTC program was a fun filled learning experience to me. I got exposure to Canadian working customs in a friendly environment. The staff here is very supportive, always ready to guide you. For new immigrants to Canada like me, this program is a stepping stone for our future endeavors. The exciting part of the program is that you make friends around the world. I got to meet people from Russia, Korea, UAE, learnt their culture and tasted their cuisine-and so I virtually travelled to places I have never been!”
-Maryem Naqvi
"We were the lucky participants of the Welcome Home to Canada program at Pier 21 in 2009. It is hard not to overestimate the impact of this wonderful program on our lives and our career development in Canada in particular. As most newcomers to Canada, we initially encountered multiple entry barriers to the local labour market due to the lack of Canadian work experience and absence of professional references in Canada. Welcome Home to Canada Program has helped us overcome many of these obstacles by arranging relevant work placements within and outside of the museum and providing job search training which helped us establish meaningful careers after the program."
-Evgeny Chudaev and Natalia Chudaeva
“As a "Welcome Home to Canada" participant, I worked at the Research Centre. My work mainly involved looking up ancestry, arrival, census records and pictures from various databases for people who came looking for their ancestors' records. The environment at the Research Centre was vibrant and I loved listening to people's stories and helping them to get more information about their families. Through this program, I made connections with various people in my field which is working in libraries.”
-Rajlakshmi Mitra
For more information, please contact info@pier21.ca.