As the situation in Ukraine worsens and millions flee for their lives, many are turning to other countries to find refuge and financial security to help support their loved ones left behind.
Economic Development Winnipeg (EDW) and its business development team, YES! Winnipeg (YW), is working with local companies and partners including the Ukrainian Canadian Congress-Manitoba Provincial Council (UCC-MPC), the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce to support Ukrainian nationals if they're considering a move to Winnipeg and Manitoba.
“Our YES! Winnipeg talent team is leveraging its existing job portal to connect Ukrainians looking for temporary or permanent jobs with employers in Manitoba. Our network of connections among our business community is vast and diverse. We’re using that network to help people find safety and financial security here in our province,” said Dayna Spiring, President & CEO, Economic Development Winnipeg
Manitoba is home to the largest Ukrainian-Canadian community in Canada and we're multicultural, so it's a natural fit for Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members of any nationality to be a part of our city and province during this time of incredible turmoil.
Manitoba: A province known for its strong business and cultural communities, resilience and heart
We're leveraging our networks on the ground in Ukraine through the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and locally through UCC-MPC, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. Through this pipeline, the hope is that Manitoba businesses can be matched to Ukrainian nationals who are looking for a safe place to live temporarily or permanently, while also supporting loved ones back home.
“Manitoba is uniquely positioned to welcome Ukrainians due to our large diaspora community,” stated Joan Lewandosky, UCC-MPC President. “YES! Winnipeg’s job portal has been tailored specifically for Ukrainian nationals and is a critical tool for those seeking employment to support themselves and their families. We are grateful to YES! Winnipeg which has demonstrated concrete action to welcome Ukrainians displaced by the war to our province.”
While YES! Winnipeg will focus on connecting Ukrainian job seekers to Manitoba companies for work before they arrive, Manitoba Start will also support and connect them to services they need once they are in Winnipeg.
YES! Winnipeg resources: International Job Connections Portal, how-to-guides and free info sessions
Through the YES! Winnipeg International Job Connections Portal, job seekers are matched with employers in Manitoba at no cost to either party.
“We're proud the job portal can now be used to help in a crisis and give hope to Ukrainians that if they come here, even temporarily, they could have a job before they even leave Ukraine. It gives them some certainty in uncertain times,” says Yvonne Kinley, YES! Winnipeg’s Director of Talent & Workforce.
Winnipeg-based architecture firm, Architecture49, has already interviewed and hired a Ukrainian national candidate through the job connections portal.
"When Canada announced the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program, Architecture49 was interested in hiring skilled Ukrainian nationals to help fill several positions we have had open for over six months," said Lee McCormick, Architecture49's Managing Principal. "With the help of YES! Winnipeg, we have been able to identify a Ukrainian candidate that might be a good fit. YES! Winnipeg has created a smooth and straightforward process for matching registered employers with appropriately-skilled candidates and setting up employers with the information needed to proceed with interviews and potential next steps."
How-to guides have been created on the job portal for businesses, which are also available in English and Ukrainian for job seekers. To help with the process, the team developed and will deliver webinars to walk employers through the process of getting on the portal and answering any questions they may have about the process.
"We respectfully challenge and encourage all Manitoba companies to register on the YES! Winnipeg job portal and look at hiring Ukrainian nationals who are displaced from their homes. Creating employment opportunities is a great way for Manitoba business leaders to do a small part to create a safe haven for Ukrainian nationals while atrocities are occurring in their homeland," McCormick added.
How your business or organization can hire Ukrainian job seekers
If you are a Manitoba business willing to hire Ukrainian job seekers, follow the instructional guide to post your jobs on the YES! Winnipeg Job Connections Portal.