Program Details

The TRIEC Mentoring Partnership

Find a mentor to help you reconnect with your career in Canada!

If you are an immigrant with a professional background, TRIEC Mentoring Partnership can help you reconnect with your career with the support of a mentor who works in your field, in Canada.

By talking to a mentor who shares your professional background and knows how the local labour market works, you can get a head start on your journey to success in Canada.

77% of participants find a job in their professional field within 6 months of completing the program. TRIEC Mentoring Partnership more than doubles a newcomer's chances of securing a good quality job.

COSTI is a partner with TRIEC Mentoring Partnership - a program of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council delivered by twelve community partners across the greater Toronto area, including COSTI.

See employment services available here

Services Available

You should sign up for the program if you:

Have two or more years of international experience in your professional field
Have lived in Canada for less than five years
Are unemployed or underemployed and looking to reconnect with your career

A mentor can help you:

Understand Canadian industry trends
Develop more effective job search strategies
Build your professional network
Find ways of leveraging your experience and skills

Who is Eligible

TRIEC Mentoring Program is available to immigrant professionals who are eligible to work in Canada and currently unemployed or underemployed, and have limited or no Canadian work experience in their profession and be actively seeking work in their field.

Potential mentees should have lived in Canada for less than five years and should possess a minimum of two years of international work experience in their profession or have re-engaged with their profession through academic training or bridging program.

To become a mentee, should possess English skills required to perform effectively in the workplace, Bachelor's Degree - or equivalent post-secondary education - from outside Canada is required. Participants must make a commitment of eighteen hours over three months to this program.

Program Intake

Monday to Friday: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

This Program is Located at:

Employment Services, Brampton
10 Gillingham Drive, Suite 300
Brampton, ON
Phone: 905.459.8855 | bramptonemployment@costi.org

Employment Services, Mississauga
6750 Winston Churchill Boulevard, Unit 8A
Mississauga, ON
Phone: 905.567.0482 | mississaugaemployment@costi.org

Employment Services, Toronto
2301 Keele Street, Suite 102
Toronto, ON
Phone: 416.789.7925 | torontoemployment@costi.org

Employment Services, Vaughan Centre
3100 Rutherford Road, Suite 102
Vaughan, ON
Phone: 905.669.5627 | vaughanemployment@costi.org

Employment Services, Weston
1885 Weston Road
Toronto, ON
Phone: 416.588.2240 | westonemployment@costi.org

Related Resources

View Workshop Calendars

Go to the COSTI Workshops Calendar homepage

Cross-Cultural Awareness

As more and more immigrants arrive in Canada and begin their new lives, one of their first concerns is securing employment. The significance of understanding and being aware of cultural nuances becomes paramount for both the newcomer and everyone they interact with.

Intercultural understanding is often challenging due to the differences in verbal and non-verbal communication. Some factors include misunderstandings, false assumptions, misinterpretations, discomfort at being around certain culture-specific behaviours and habits, and more importantly, lack of knowledge in how to address these concerns in an effective and sensitive manner.

Differences may be overt, such as dress code, or such as coming from a culture where taking initiative is considered aggressive. Differences can also be seen in corporate structure. In one culture, a job title may explain hierarchy within an organization. A title may also have different functions within different organizations.

Overcoming cultural differences involves awareness, knowledge, and skills.

Awareness: Being aware that your mentor may be acting or speaking contrary to your expectations simply due to their own cultural norms and language interpretation.

Knowledge: Applying your understanding of cultural differences to resolve both obvious and not so obvious culture-bound situations you may be in.

Skills: Bringing together your awareness that cultural differences exist and the knowledge that you may be acting in a culture-specific way and applying positive regard, communication and non-judgmental listening.

Networking Your Way To Success

Networking is your key to career success in Canada. Through networking, you will have access to information and build lasting relationships.

What is networking?

Networking means developing a broad list of contacts – people you’ve met through various social and business functions – and leveraging them in your job search. People in your network may be able to give you job leads, offer you advice and information about a particular company or industry, and introduce you to others so that you can expand your network.

For a person to be successful in their career in Canada, establishing and maintaining an effective network is important.

Websites of Interest

The Mentoring Partnership

Hire Immigrants

SMARTS Goals

Specific: Goals need to be clearly understood and easy to remember. A vague goal is unlikely to be accomplished. A complex goal is unlikely to be accomplished. A complex goal needs to be broken down into smaller goals to ensure success.

Measurable: The only way to know whether you have accomplished your goals is if you have some way to measure it – I will achieve X by Y.

Attainable: Impossible goals guarantee failure. To ensure success, make your goals realistic and achievable.

Results: State your goals in terms of the expected outcomes. This helps prevent you from defining tasks or steps without clearly identifying what you intend to achieve.

Time Limit: Without a realistic deadline or time limit in place, it becomes too easy to procrastinate. A time limit helps you stay focused on your goals. A long term goal may be broken down in to several short-term goals.

Shared: Few of our achievements are a solo performance; you increase your chance of success when you share your goals with others who will support your efforts.