Conference in Calgary to highlight the advantages of mentoring and integrating skilled immigrants into the workforce

CALGARY, May 4 /CNW/ - On May 5 and 6, over 120 delegates from across Canada will attend a mentoring conference in Calgary to discuss the successes of current mentoring initiatives, explore new opportunities, and learn how mentoring is impacting the lives of skilled immigrants across the country.

Mentoring is fast becoming one of the most popular ways to connect skilled immigrants with established Canadian professionals in the same or related occupation. And it works - many skilled immigrants have found employment using the skills and connections gained through a mentoring relationship.

What:
2011 ALLIES Mentoring Conference: Learn + Lead

When:
Thursday, May 5 - Friday, May 6, 2011

Where:
Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire Hotel
255 Barclay Parade SW
Calgary, Alberta

Highlights:

• Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi on the important contributions immigrants have made to Calgary's economic and social success
• Teri Currie, senior HR executive, TD Bank, on how the bank made mentoring work for them
• Alan Broadbent and Tim Brodhead, two of Canada's leading philanthropists, in conversation on building effective collaborations, risk taking and scaling up
• Ratna Omidvar, prominent advocate for settlement and integration issues, leads a session featuring personal testimonials from mentees and mentors about their mentoring experiences and the impact mentoring relationships have had on their lives
• Naomi Alboim, immigration expert, on the latest immigration trends and recommendations
• Teresa Woo-Paw, Parliamentary Assistant, Alberta Employment and Immigration, on why the province has become one of the top destinations for immigrants
• Employer panel discussion featuring KPMG, the City of Calgary, 3M and TD Bank, sharing experiences on how mentoring has impacted their companies

A detailed agenda for the 2011 ALLIES Mentoring Conference can be found at http://alliescanada.ca/mentoring-conference-2011.

The 2011 ALLIES Mentoring Conference is funded in part by the Government of Canada's Foreign Credentials Referral Office (Citizenship and Immigration Canada).

ALLIES (Assisting Local Leaders with Immigrant Employment Strategies) is a project jointly funded by Maytree (www.maytree.com) and the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation (www.mcconnellfoundation.ca). ALLIES provides the information, learning and funding required by communities to adapt and implement successful immigrant employment approaches used by multi-stakeholder initiatives across the country. The project brings local players together to develop their own practical solutions for the integration of skilled immigrants into the labour market.

For further information:

Markus Stadelmann-Elder, Communications Manager, p: 416-944-2627 x 284, c: 416-271-5654, [e-mail]

During conference (May 5 & 6):
Shannon Klie, Writer and Content Developer, hireimmigrants.ca, ALLIES, c: 416-428-7774, [e-mail]