The Board of Trade's Interconnection program celebrates its 5th anniversary: 5,000 recent immigrants have found their career path

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 15, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Interconnection program today, which receives financial support from Emploi-Québec. Since 2010, Interconnection has helped over 5,000 recent immigrants make connections with 1,000 of the city's businesses through thousands of professional pairing activities, including internships and industry networking activities.

"We are proud of the results: after five years, the Interconnection program has had a real impact on integrating immigrants to the workforce," said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. "In the past year, the participant placement rate for employment and training was 70%. Behind these numbers are thousands of qualified immigrants who, for the first time since their arrival, can contribute to Quebec society in a manner commensurate with their talent and expertise."

"The Government of Quebec's commitment to supporting the Interconnection program for three more years, announced in the last budget, confirms the program's effectiveness and the emphasis being placed on the professional integration of immigrants," Mr. Leblanc said. "This shows we have a shared vision of how important it is to bring companies and talented immigrants together, something that benefits all of society."

"The Board of Trade would also like to point to the extraordinary commitment of the companies that have participated in the Interconnection program since its creation," Michel Leblanc said. "These companies have offered thousands of immigrants an experience that can be a turning point in their professional future. For some of these companies, immigrants now account for 60% of the labour force. We are confident that this success will inspire other businesses to open their doors to more skilled immigrants. Immigration is a rich complementary source of talent, particularly with the job market going through a major demographic crunch in the coming years."

Change is also made possible by past participants who are now in management positions. Denys Brustello Luiz is one of these. "In 2010, I embarked on a new life, leaving my native Brazil to come to Canada. To relaunch my career in Montréal, I used the Board of Trade's Interconnection program in its early days. Today, as production manager for a marketing communications agency, I love hosting Interconnection program interns every year."

About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has over 7,000 members. Its mission is to be the voice of Montréal's business community and to promote the city's prosperity. It is involved in key areas of economic development, advocating a philosophy of action based on engagement, credibility, proactivity, collaboration and innovation. The Board of Trade also offers a range of specialized services to individuals and to business of all sizes to support them in their growth at home and abroad.

About the Interconnection program of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Interconnection program, held in partnership with Emploi-Québec, aims to establish preferred contacts between Montréal organizations and qualified newcomers to promote their professional integration. This program responds as much to the needs of businesses as immigrants thanks to an end-to-end and flexible formula that includes diversified twinning activities.

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SOURCE Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal

For further information: Michelle LLambias Meunier, Senior Advisor, Public Relations, and Press Attaché, Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, Tel.: [phone], ext. 4042, [email protected]