YMCA Mentoring for Employment Program

As part of our Community Connections initiatives, the YMCA Newcomer Information Centre provides four-week mentoring support for professional immigrants in Toronto. The primary goal of this mentoring program is to equip new immigrants with the necessary skills to navigate the job market successfully and better prepare them to manage their ongoing career in Canada.

To be eligible, you must meet all the following requirements:

Be a member of the YMCA Newcomer Information Centre
Be a Permanent Resident, Convention Refugee, or Protected Person
Have a high level of English proficiency (CLB 7/8 or equivalent)
Have a professional qualification and at least one year of relevant work experience outside Canada
Have registered with an Employment Ontario agency, and ideally completed workshops in resume writing, networking, and interview skills
Be committed to attending in-person sessions and preparing relevant materials as requested by the mentors

The sessions will be held on four consecutive Tuesdays, from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

To express your interest, please fill out this Pre-Screening form.

Potential candidates will be invited for a short virtual interview and be screened for:

Language capability
Preparation – registration with an Employment Ontario agency and completion of basic workshops
Availability to attend all in-person sessions and commitment to prepare relevant materials and practice for sessions

What our Mentees Think About the Program

Mili-Sept 2024

"I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to the YMCA of Greater Toronto and the entire mentoring team for organizing such an incredibly valuable program. Your guidance and support have been instrumental in refining my approach to job searching and giving me a clearer understanding of the current job market. The workshops were not only insightful but also greatly enhanced my awareness of the challenges newcomers face and the tools available to help us overcome them.

As I continue working towards my professional goals in Canada, I truly appreciated the supportive environment the mentorship provided. The end of this wonderful 4-week journey, during which I had the privilege of being mentored by [the mentors], was an eye-opening experience. I gained invaluable insights into navigating my career in Canada, and I am deeply grateful for their expertise and support."

Mili - September 2024 Participant

Armin-Aug 2024

"YMCA mentorship program has helped me a great deal to better tailor my resume to specific job postings, gain an insight into how the hiring team think and what they expect from a perfect candidate and most importantly learned how to present myself professionally in an interview and prepare for it beforehand. The mentors were very caring, friendly and supportive and with their help I have been able to get an offer from one of the largest financial service company."

Armin - August 2024 Participant

Vedanayaki-June 2024

"The session helped me understand Canadian job market & work culture. Though I personally believed that I was doing it all to secure a job, this session helped me understand few very important methods to approach people & network successfully. It helped me to get suggestion from the mentors who have had excellent experience in job market & life. I wish for this to continue, so people who are newcomers like me could make use of this mentorship session."

Vedanayaki - June 2024 participant

Srawan-Oct 2023

“I would like to inform you that I have found a job and will be joining from the 1st of November. I will not be able to continue with the YMCA mentoring program. However, I would like to express my gratitude for all the help that the program has been able to offer me, I have gained invaluable information about Canada and the Canadian culture through the program."

Srawan - October 2023 Participant

Emma-Aug 2023

“I'm writing to express my sincere gratitude for your referral to YMCA Mentoring Program and HR Connections Program. I enjoyed the mentoring program a lot. The mentors are generous leaders who shared many good tips, which are helpful for me. I'm so lucky to have you, a great leader, guiding me through the brand-new culture and exploring new career opportunities."

Emma - August 2023 Participant

Shweta-July 2023

"I wanted to update all the mentors that I have taken up a part-time role as an Independent Contractor with an Immigration Lawyer firm. The work will be on a need basis, but I get to learn from her and also be a part of the network. I have also signed a contract with one of the major company as an Independent Contractor for their projects. Although this will be on a project basis, it is a start nevertheless. I am still looking for full-time opportunities. I want to express my deepest gratitude to all the mentors and [NIC Staff] for their support and assistance. I am particularly grateful for all the confidence that each one of you instilled in us. Thank you so much."

Shweta - July 2023 Participant

Yogesh-May 2021

"Being a newcomer to Canada, I was having a hard time securing my first job, in spite of having 20 years of experience in the field. I met a mentor at the YMCA's Mentoring Program, and I cannot thank him and the program enough. Armed with a sharpened resumes and elevator pitches, I was able to land a job as a Data Scientist in no time. I highly recommend the program and now look at the YMCA not only as a fitness and hostel organization but as an important service to society at large."

Yogesh - May 2021 Participant