At CRH Canada, we believe that a diverse workforce can only make us stronger. Having employees with different backgrounds and perspectives allows us to overcome challenges and create innovative solutions to meet our customers needs and maintain our position as a leader in our industry.
It’s not easy to uproot your life and start fresh in a new country, and Canada is no exception. Immigration comes with many potential challenges, but what awaits is vast opportunity. CRH Canada’s award-winning project, The Way Forward Program, supports this effort by giving newcomers an opportunity for their first Canadian workplace experience. In partnership with York University and CPA Ontario, CRH’s shared services developed the program which addresses the departments staffing needs while also supporting a diverse, underrepresented community by helping to build strong careers in the field of finance.
Samuel M. immigrated to Canada in 2015 to build a better life for his family. Despite the challenges he faced, Samuel succeeded in establishing a new career in finance with the help of the Way Forward Program.
Coming to Canada
In January 2015, Samuel left his East-African home of Uganda in pursuit of the North American dream. Leaving his family behind, he set out to build a new life. As a professional Accountant, he was hopeful that the opportunities in Canada, as well as the support programs, inclusive culture and friendly communities would provide the best chance to thrive. With courage and excitement, Samuel embarked on the journey to establish himself in Canada.
“In Canada, you are given a meal and a bed and provided the support to find your way. So that’s why I came to Canada, to participate in the North American dream and start a new home.”
The Canadian Experience
Once his immigration was processed, Samuel began a 3-month bridging course to prepare to work in Canada. Ontario offers Bridge training programs to immigrants who have international education, training and experience, which offer support and training for finding work in Ontario. Samuel finished the course with a better understanding of how to live in a Canadian community and interact in a Canadian office, however, he quickly found that he did not yet have what’s called a ‘first Canadian experience’.
Even as an accountant with international qualifications, it would take a minimum of 4 years to gain this required experience. Samuel is candid in stating that “no one will explain what the phrase ‘First Canadian Experience’ means.” Many would assume this means 4 years’ experience working in Canada, but he found that it is not so simple.
Samuel provides an analogy to explain what he now knows to be true, after living and working through it. “Imagine you have limited experience and skills in swimming and one day you find yourself in a deep pool of water. You have some knowledge of how it should be done, but you don’t fully understand how you can do it.” He explains, in order to survive this situation, you must use two strategies: first, you must learn how to float and then, build upon your knowledge and expertise to learn how to get yourself out of the water.
Further to this analogy, Samuel explains that landing in Toronto provides all the opportunities you need to succeed in gaining Canadian experience: “The people, the infrastructure, the government offices, recruiters, and institutions and organizations federally funded to help newcomers.” Even with these opportunities in sight, Samuel still needed to find his way. He clarifies “Without wasting any time, without sleeping on it, you have to touch all the right buttons to make it work.”
Sink or Swim
To begin this 4-year journey, Samuel volunteered with the Yonge Street Mission (YSM), a non-profit organization that supports disadvantaged people and communities. Samuel was given an office and oversaw the YSM’s finances by preparing and processing invoices. After six months, he was forced to move on due to lack of resources, as he was living on a small monthly government allowance while also sending money back to his family in Uganda.
After receiving his Canadian work permit, Samuel survived working what he calls “quick jobs” in factories and restaurants – jobs that provided quick income to supplement the little he had. He ensured his track record was well attended by establishing himself with financial institutions, staying in good standing with insurance companies, and ensuring a very strong record with the government including keeping up to date papers, a clear criminal record, and paying his taxes.
In this time, Samuel also prioritized networking. This was a critical way to exchange information, get advice from others in his profession, and gain insights on job opportunities.
The Way Forward
At a networking event arranged by CPA Ontario, Samuel was inspired as he listened to the story of growth and career progression told by the event’s main speaker, our own Krish Gupta! Krish was then the Controller at Dufferin Construction.
Samuel approached Krish after the presentation and had the opportunity to introduce himself and tell his own story. Equally inspired, Krish took Samuel’s contact information and soon after the event, reached out about a job opportunity. He invited Samuel to interview for the open position of Accounts Payable Analyst, as part of CRH Canada’s Way Forward program.
Samuel took the opportunity with enthusiasm, and in September of 2016, he was offered a 6-month contract with Dufferin Construction. Over the next six months Samuel worked hard to impress his superiors, which landed him a full-time offer just one week before the contracts end. Samuel says “I was so happy! To me, that was the real beginning to navigating my new career path in Canada.”
Samuel had officially learned how to float. His next strategy was to build upon his existing expertise to learn how to succeed in his new career. To develop his skillset, he first needed a Canadian designation. “When I arrived in Canada, I had an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) designation for the UK,” said Samuel, one of the biggest bodies for professional accountants in the world. “Where I come from, with this designation you are a king; you have financial power but arriving in a first-world country with a massive economy, even one company’s balance sheet can cover half of a smaller country’s budget” explains Samuel.
Samuel worked with his Supervisors and a Human Resources Advisor to curate a development plan that would put him on track to attain a CPA Ontario certification. After completing both the Ontario Tax and Ontario Law courses, as well as an extensive formal application to CPA Ontario, Samuel was admitted as a member in good standing.
With 5 years under his belt at Dufferin Construction, Samuel is pleased to confirm he has succeeded in attaining his first Canadian experience. He is still seeking additional training with goals to progress his career to the next level. “I am currently working on my analytical skills, sharpening my reporting skills and improving my speed. I am already seeing a great improvement in myself and have received great feedback” says Samuel. “If everything goes well next year, I will be able to say I made it out of the water and back to life in the sunshine!” he adds.
Building a Diverse and Resilient Workforce
It is with humility that Samuel arrived as a newcomer to Canada. This humble behavior and incredible perseverance allowed him to effectively rebuild his standing and achieve the designations required for professional Accounting in Canada. He is now flourishing and reunited with his family, who arrived in Canada in 2019. We also join Samuel in celebrating his most recent success, as he was sworn in as a Canadian citizen in October of this year.
Samuel credits the support he received in his career development to Dufferin Construction and CRH Canada. He expresses his unwavering determination in stating “I have to make sure I deliver and pay it back by doing a great job in my role.”
CRH Canada is proud to be able to share this great success story and will continue to offer the Way Forward program as a steppingstone for those new to our country. We share in the benefit of employees with diverse skills and backgrounds that contribute positively to the growth and prosperity of our company.