Featured Sponsored Employee
Realizing potential for a brighter future
Irshad Osman waited a long time to come to Canada. More than five years from the time that he applied. But he thought—for the sake of his wife and young son—that it would be worth the wait.
Upon arriving, Irshad experienced firsthand what all too many newcomers know well; relevant skills do not necessarily translate into a viable Canadian career. For months, he looked for gainful employment that would use the skills and expertise he gained from his previous positions at an international disaster relief agency and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. But for the first time in his life Irshad found himself without a job. Thwarted by his "lack of Canadian experience," he seriously considered returning to Bahrain with his then-pregnant wife and five-year-old son.
Irshad was then introduced to United Way Toronto through one of its agencies, where a position with the Sponsored Employee Program opened up thanks to a generous organization's financial support. Looking back, he realizes that joining the program was one of the best things that has happened to him in Canada. "Because of the United Way experience I was able to get a job—perhaps years earlier than without their support. The program gave me everything I needed to know to compete in the Canadian market." Supportive United Way staff helped him to improve skills, such as communication, public speaking and customer service, and obtain Canadian business experience, which opened up new opportunities.
Today, Irshad is getting the best out of life by doing what he loves most—working for a good cause. With his fine-tuned skills, he applied and was hired for a position in resource development administration at a local agency before he even finished the program.
Irshad attributes part of his, and the program's, success to the trust level that United Way employees have in participants that made everyone's skills shine. "I would recommend the Sponsored Employee Program to everyone, not just newcomers," says Irshad. “Participants are able to raise their standards and expectations for both themselves and their employers.”