SmartMove

Program for Diversity and Inclusion Training and Hiring Newcomer Talent

28 March 2022

Canada is a nation of immigrants. Over 20 per cent of us were born abroad, and the vast majority of us still have roots in other countries. We welcome the unique vibrancy and diversity immigrants bring to our country, but these newcomers face systemic challenges in gaining meaningful employment that is aligned with their skill-sets. SmartMove addresses this imbalance.

A partnership between Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC) and Small Business BC, SmartMove also helps to reduce labour market shortages by connecting small businesses with qualified newcomers to Canada. The goals are to support you, the small business owner, with hiring qualified workers, improving employment prospects for job-ready newcomers, and to support the creation of diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaces.

This free pilot program, funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), supports two groups:

Small Business Owners or Managers – Businesses in the Lower Mainland recruiting within the next four to six months
Immigrants to BC – Newcomers seeking employment aligned with their skills and training

Please Note: Small Business BC involvement in SmartMove is as a facilitator of the Small Business Owners/Managers group. For any questions relating to the Immigrants to BC group, please contact ISSofBC at info@issbc.org or visit the Newcomer Page on their website.

What to Expect as a Small Business Owner or Manager

Entrepreneurs who participate in SmartMove receive ongoing support and unique educational opportunities designed to improve key aspects of their business. We have created approximately 10-15 hours of on-demand e-learning courses in areas such as hiring and retention best practices, diversity and inclusion training and many more.

Live webinars hosted by a Diversity & Inclusion HR specialist will reinforce the lessons delivered through e-learning. Ongoing support for employers is provided via 24/7 access to an online ‘Ask an HR Expert’ help desk. Check-ins with an Employer Relations Specialist will be scheduled throughout the process to offer support in hiring and staff retention. Employers who participate in SmartMove will be coached on accessing ISSofBC’s database to optimize job descriptions and receive tailored candidate matches for open positions.

Finally, employers will participate in training on an artificial intelligence job skills competency matching system. This unique software helps to optimize job descriptions while providing relevant, qualified candidates for your open positions.

Cohorts

This program will be cohort based, and the first cohort is April 4, 2022 - June 30, 2022. Each cohort is 3 months, with continued follow up to help small businesses find quality newcomer job seekers for their open positions.

Qualifying Criteria

Businesses must be located in the Lower Mainland
Must have 50 or fewer employees
Planning to hire in the next 4-6 months

Next Steps

If you’re a small business owner looking to participate in the SmartMove program, please complete your registration. Once completed, an ISSofBC Employer Relations Specialist will contact you regarding your application.